Trauma-Informed Couples Therapy in Palo Alto
You may love one another deeply and still feel caught in patterns that leave you disconnected, misunderstood, or alone. The same conflict may happen repeatedly, conversations may quickly become defensive or distant, or a rupture in trust may have changed the way you experience your relationship.
I provide trauma-informed, attachment-based couples therapy in Palo Alto and online throughout California. Couples often seek support when they are experiencing:
Recurring conflict that never feels fully resolved
Emotional distance or loss of connection
Communication difficulties
Challenges with intimacy or affection
A rupture in trust
Different emotional or relational needs
Stress related to parenting, work, or major life transitions
The impact of past trauma on the relationship
Difficulty managing emotions during conflict
A desire to deepen an already strong relationship
Understanding the Patterns Beneath the Conflict
Relationship difficulties are rarely just about the topic being discussed. Conflict can activate earlier experiences related to trust, safety, rejection, criticism, or abandonment. When this happens, partners may become defensive, pursue reassurance, withdraw, shut down, or struggle to remain emotionally present.
In couples therapy, we will explore what happens beneath these patterns and how each partner’s attachment history influences the relationship in the present. The goal is not to determine who is right or wrong. Instead, we will work to understand the cycle affecting your connection and develop new ways of responding to one another.
My Approach to Couples Therapy
My approach is collaborative, trauma-informed, and attachment-based. I have trained with the Gottman Institute and The Couples Institute, where I studied the Developmental Model of Couples Therapy.
Our work may focus on helping you:
Communicate with greater clarity and compassion
Recognize and change recurring patterns of conflict
Regulate your own emotions and support one another through distress
Rebuild emotional safety and trust
Deepen friendship, intimacy, and connection
Understand how past experiences affect your present relationship
Navigate differences without losing your sense of partnership
Repair after conflict or relational injury
Clarify shared values and relationship goals
Couples therapy is not about eliminating every disagreement. It is about helping you approach challenges with greater understanding, emotional safety, and the ability to repair when disconnection occurs.
What to Expect
Couples therapy begins with a four- to five-session assessment process. We will discuss what brings you to therapy, explore your relationship history, and identify the patterns, strengths, and concerns affecting your connection.
The assessment generally includes an initial session together, individual sessions with each partner, and relationship questionnaires when appropriate. We then meet together to review what we have learned, establish shared goals, and discuss the next phase of therapy.
This process allows me to understand both partners and the relationship as a whole before recommending a direction for our work.
Creating Space for Healing and Connection
You do not need to wait until your relationship is in crisis to seek support. Whether you are struggling with communication, feeling disconnected, recovering from a rupture in trust, or hoping to develop greater intimacy, couples therapy can offer a supportive space for healing and repair.
I offer couples therapy in Palo Alto and online throughout California. If you would like to explore whether we may be a good fit, I invite you to schedule a free 20-minute consultation.
