4 Highly Recommended Los Angeles Couples Therapists
Maybe you've noticed the distance growing between you and your partner—the way conversations have begun to feel more like negotiations than connections, or how you're both exhausted from the same arguments cycling through on repeat.
At Therapy on Fig, our Los Angeles couples therapists are here to hold space for your relationship’s struggles and strengths. Our approach to relationship counseling isn’t about “fixing” you, but about fostering a deeper connection and rebuilding the intimacy you're longing for. Meet our therapists here, learn more about our approach, and connect with us when you’re ready to begin.
Meet our Los Angeles couples counselors
Jump to a therapist
Best for multicultural and interracial couples: Grace Chan
Best for parents and couples navigating life transitions: Janelle Malak
Best for couples in neurodiverse relationships: Gabriella Elise Giorgio
Best for couples recovering from trauma: Michael Hung
If you’re unsure which couples therapist is right for you, we invite you to reach out so we can thoughtfully match you with the right provider.
Grace Chan
Best for multicultural and interracial couples
Grace brings cultural humility and personal lived experience to working with couples navigating the intersections of different cultural backgrounds, family expectations, and intergenerational patterns. She helps partners honor their unique stories while co-creating new narratives together.
Credentials: Associate Marriage and Family Therapist
Location: 5619 N Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90042
Virtual therapy: Yes, in addition to in-person
Janelle Malak
Best for parents and couples navigating life transitions
Janelle understands firsthand how parenthood can transform a partnership—the sleep deprivation, the identity shifts, the way two people can feel like roommates instead of lovers. She helps couples reconnect amid the chaos, rebuilding intimacy and remembering they're on the same team.
Credentials: Associate Marriage and Family Therapist
Location: 5619 N Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90042
Virtual therapy: Yes, in addition to in-person
Gabriella Elise Giorgio
Best for couples in neurodiverse relationships
As a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP), Gabriella brings personal understanding to the complexities of navigating neurodivergence in the context of relationships—the mismatched nervous systems, the different sensory needs, the moments when you're speaking the same language but hearing entirely different things. She helps couples honor each partner's unique wiring while building bridges of understanding and compassion.
Credentials: Associate Marriage and Family Therapist
Location: 5619 N Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90042
Virtual therapy: Yes, in addition to in-person
Michael Hung
Best for couples recovering from trauma
Michael understands from lived experience how trauma can live quietly between partners, shaping the way you meet conflict, intimacy, and vulnerability. His approach integrates Internal Family Systems with other trauma-informed methods like Intimacy from the Inside Out (IFIO) and the Gottman Method, helping couples reconnect with safety in their bodies and in the relationship.
Credentials: Associate Marriage and Family Therapist
Location: 5619 N Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90042
Virtual therapy: Yes, in addition to in-person
What sets us apart from other Los Angeles couples therapy providers
Our approach to couples work goes beyond surface-level issues to help you and your partner(s) deeply reconnect. Here's what makes our practice different:
IFS-informed couples therapy: All our therapists are trained in or deeply informed by internal family systems, helping you understand not just the patterns between you, but the protective parts within each of you that drive those patterns.
Weekend availability: We offer in-person couples sessions on Saturdays and Sundays at our Highland Park office, because we want to make getting support realistic and accessible.
Culturally attuned and identity-affirming: Our team of BIPOC, neurodivergent, and highly sensitive therapists brings personal understanding to the complexities of navigating relationships across different identities and experiences.
Trauma-informed lens: We approach relationship challenges through a non-pathological framework that acknowledges how past hurts show up in present dynamics, without making either partner the problem.
Specialized training in evidence-based modalities: Beyond IFS, our therapists integrate the Gottman Method, emotionally focused therapy (EFT), and Intimacy from the Inside Out (IFIO) to support couples with depth and nuance.
We're interested in more than symptom relief. We're committed to helping you build the kind of relationship where both of you can show up fully and be met with understanding.
Common reasons why couples seek relationship therapy
ADHD, autism, late diagnosed autism in one or both partners
Patterns of communication that lead to avoidance and escalation
Ongoing conflicts and disagreements that are unresolved
Infidelity and other forms of betrayal by one or both partners leading to resentment, lack of trust, and feelings of insecurity in the relationship
Navigating ethical non-monogamy and a polyamorous relationship
Lack of emotional and physical intimacy where one or both partners experience loneliness and disconnection
Other topics addressed in couples therapy
Interracial couples dealing with cross-cultural value differences
Parenting and family of origin dynamics related to blended families, in-laws, and child-rearing decisions
Financial stress, such as debt, differences in spending habits, and defining security
Life transitions such as relocation, job loss, empty-nesting, health issues, and caring for aging parents
Past trauma and relationship history such as previous divorce, absence of any relationship history, or beliefs formed from past attachment injuries
Relationship enrichment for couples wanting to enhance their relationship, spot blindspots early, improve communication skills, and deepen their connection
We can work with all of your urgency, withdrawal, and differences.
You're looking for a dedicated space to connect with your partner. While also working with yourself in real-time. Our couples therapists are active participants in couple’s work. Intentionally weaving between both partners, we hold the urgency for resolution. All while honoring the parts of the relationship that ask for more time to reveal itself.
How couples counseling can help
Couples therapy offers a structured and dedicated space where we can address multilayered pain points experienced in your relationship. Through a self-compassionate lens and personalized interventions, the uniqueness of your relationship can be honored and fine-tuned. Your couples therapist can provide tools and strategies for a more constructive way forward.
You can rebuild trust in yourself and your relationship. By learning and practicing alternate ways of expressing and receiving, boundary setting can be nuanced and not robotic, and differentiating conflicts from true disconnection doesn't have to be daunting. Exploring the root causes of betrayals can be safe and healing. With sensitivity towards cultural and family of origin differences and each partner's neurodiversity, respect and understanding for each other's beliefs and backgrounds are part of the process. They are also a roadmap for a stronger relationship.
Our approach to couples therapy
Our therapists at Therapy on Fig are either informed or trained in the following couples therapy models and approaches:
IFIO (Intimacy from the Inside Out)
By being self-compassionate first, your couples therapist will guide you in taking "U-turns," where you practice tuning into yourself. This helps in becoming aware of your parts reacting to your partner's emotions, words, and behaviors. By learning how to work with yourself, you can then set yourself up to construct new ways of relating. You can also find new ways to express and resolve conflicts in your relationship. Each partner also gets to witness their partner taking "U-turns" with the therapist. This enables a newfound understanding and perspective of their relationship dynamics.
EFT (Emotionally Focused Therapy)
From an attachment-focused lens, your couples therapist will help you identify patterns. These patterns perpetuate disconnection and conflict in your relationship. Couples can restructure their interactions by practicing emotional regulation with more empathy, openness, and responsiveness. You'll be able to create a secure attachment to each other. This helps you experience security in your relationship that stems from repairing attachment injuries and overcoming relationship distress.
Gottman Method Couples Therapy
The Gottman Method is a research-based model. It derives its theory from data discovered within functional and dysfunctional relationships. This integrative model considers cognitive, systemic, existential, emotional, and behavioral perspectives. Significant model tenents include:
Learn how to manage solvable and perpetual conflict. This is done through increased empathy, compromise, and successful repair.
Deepen your friendship and intimacy by learning to respond to your partner's pleas for connection. As well as increasing your awareness of your partner's world.
Enhance shared values and the meaning of your lives. This is done through rituals of connection as a couple and within your family.
Through this approach, your couples therapist will work to deepen your understanding of your partner's inner world. This cultivates a newfound appreciation and respect towards them. You'll identify the unique ways your partner seeks connection and learn to turn towards it. Conflicts are resolved by addressing destructive communication patterns. Persistent stuck points are named and worked on to create new shared meanings and values. Together, you'll find you have a powerful friendship.
FAQs about couples counseling
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There's no singular "best" type of therapist for couples—what matters most is finding someone who understands your specific challenges and creates a space where both partners feel genuinely seen. At our practice, we believe in the importance of training (all our therapists are grounded in evidence-based modalities like IFS, Gottman, and EFT), but equally important is finding a therapist whose lived experience and approach resonates with your relationship's unique needs.
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Quite the opposite—seeking couples therapy is often a sign of commitment and courage. It shows both partners care enough about the relationship to invest time, resources, and vulnerability into understanding each other more deeply. The real “red flag” is refusing to acknowledge when patterns aren't working or dismissing your partner's request for support.
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Research suggests that around 70% of couples who engage in therapy report significant improvements in their relationship satisfaction. However, "survival" isn't always the measure of success—sometimes couples therapy helps partners gain clarity about whether staying together serves them both, and other times it strengthens bonds that felt irreparably broken. The outcome depends less on statistics and more on both partners' willingness to engage honestly with the process.
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No, you don't need to be married. Couples therapy is for any committed intimate partnership in which the participants want to strengthen their connection, work through challenges, or prepare for a deeper level of commitment. Whether you're dating, engaged, partnered, or married—if the relationship matters to you, couples therapy can support you.
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Yes, we welcome all relationship structures, including polyamorous, open, and ethically non-monogamous partnerships. Gabriella Giorgio specializes in supporting couples exploring ethical non-monogamy, though several of our therapists bring openness and understanding to diverse relationship configurations. We approach all partnerships with the same depth, respect, and commitment to helping you create the connections you're seeking.
Start relationship therapy in Los Angeles today
Ready to strengthen your relationship and deepen your connection with your partner? Couples Therapy in Highland Park, CA can provide a supportive space to explore your feelings, improve communication, and build a stronger foundation for your relationship. As couples therapists at Therapy on Fig, we are dedicated to helping you and your partner navigate challenges, overcome obstacles, and rediscover the joy of being together. We'll work together to identify and address the underlying issues that may be causing strain in your relationship. Through open and honest communication, we'll explore ways to improve your connection, rebuild trust, and create a more fulfilling partnership. Your relationship deserves time and care. Take the first step towards a healthier, happier relationship by following the steps below:
Speak with an experienced couples therapist.
Learn how to strengthen your relationship through couples therapy!
Other Therapy Services Offered at Therapy on Fig in Highland Park, Los Angeles, and Throughout California
At Therapy on Fig, we offer therapy services that fit each couple's unique needs. In addition to Couples Therapy in Highland Park, we also offer Therapy for Empaths, Trauma Therapy, and Grief and Loss Therapy. We also address related issues such as anxiety, stress management, and relationship issues. Whether you're seeking support for a specific issue or looking to strengthen your relationship overall, our therapists are here to help. Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can support you on your journey towards a healthier, happier relationship.