Marriage Counseling in Los Angeles
Compassionate, evidence-based counseling in-person or online.
How Marriage Counseling Works at GGPA
Every relationship has seasons. Maybe you’re caught in the same arguments again and again. Maybe intimacy feels out of reach. Or maybe the pace of life in Los Angeles leaves you feeling like you’re just co-existing instead of connecting.
At Grazel Garcia Psychotherapy and Associates, we believe that struggling in your marriage doesn’t mean it’s over, it means you’re human. Marriage counseling gives you and your partner a safe, supportive space to pause, really hear each other, and begin to reconnect.
Our practice is grounded in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), a deeply researched approach that helps married couples understand the negative cycles that keep them stuck, identify the emotions and unmet needs driving conflict and build new, more secure ways of reaching for one another.
EFT helps you move from disconnection to closeness, and from conflict to collaboration.
Why Los Angeles Couples Choose GGPA
Life in Los Angeles is vibrant but demanding. Many married couples from Echo Park, Silver Lake, Pasadena, Santa Monica, and across LA share that their relationship gets lost amid careers, family responsibilities, and the fast pace of city life.
Couples choose GGPA because:
- Compassion Meets Expertise: Our therapists are not only highly trained but deeply attuned to the emotional realities of partnership.
- Flexible Options: Sessions are available both in-person at our Los Angeles office and online throughout California.
- Urgency When You Need It: We offer same-week and sometimes same-day appointments.
- Cultural Sensitivity: We honor the unique identities and backgrounds of every couple, including LGBTQ+ partnerships, intercultural marriages, and non-traditional families.
Overcoming Hesitations About Marriage Counseling
It’s natural to feel some hesitation before starting marriage counseling. For many couples, even thinking about therapy stirs up fears and questions. “Does going to counseling mean our marriage is broken?” “What if the therapist takes sides?” “What if things get worse instead of better?” These worries are more common than you might think, and at GGPA, we welcome them into the room.
One of the first things we want couples to know is that seeking help is not a sign of failure, it’s actually a sign of care. Coming to therapy means you value your relationship enough to protect it. It also means you’re willing to pause, listen, and try something different.
Another common fear is blame. Our therapists don’t view one partner as “the problem.” Instead, we focus on the patterns that keep you stuck. These negative cycles are often fueled by deeper fears of disconnection, rejection, or not being enough. By naming and working through those emotions together, couples often feel relief knowing the issue isn’t each other, it’s the cycle they’ve been caught in.
There’s also the fear of vulnerability. Opening up about your struggles can feel risky. At GGPA, our therapists create a space of non-judgment, compassion, and cultural sensitivity, so you and your partner can feel safe sharing your truth. We’ll move at a pace that feels manageable and check in along the way.
If you’re hesitant, know this: you don’t have to wait until your relationship feels unbearable. In fact, those who come to couples therapy earlier often experience faster progress and deeper healing. Reaching out is not the end of hope, it’s the beginning of change.
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Meet Our Los Angeles Marriage Counselors
At GGPA, you’ll work with therapists who bring warmth, expertise, and cultural attunement to every session.
Grazel Garcia, LMFT
Founder and Clinical Director of GGPA, Grazel is a certified EFT therapist and aspiring supervisor. A bilingual Filipina-American, she specializes in healing relational trauma, grief, addiction, and supporting interracial and LGBTQIA+ couples through a culturally affirming lens.
Samantha Lam, AMFT
Samantha brings a multicultural perspective shaped by her upbringing in Spain, Brazil, and the U.S. She integrates EFT with Brainspotting and Havening to help clients heal trauma, anxiety, and disconnection.
Arami James, AMFT
A first-generation Paraguayan-American, Arami offers emotionally focused, creative, and somatic-informed therapy for couples and families. She has a particular passion for supporting clients through reproductive, fertility, and postpartum transitions.
Tiffany Cuevas, AMFT
With a background in philosophy and theology, Tiffany provides attachment-focused, compassionate care to individuals and couples navigating trauma, grief, and relational challenges. She is both LGBTQIA+ and neurodiverse-affirming.
Rachel Wiederhoeft, ASW
Rachel offers culturally responsive, somatic, and relational therapy. She specializes in guiding clients through life transitions and identity exploration, helping them reconnect with their inner resilience and clarity.
What You Can Expect from Marriage Counseling
Marriage counseling at GGPA is not about pointing fingers or deciding who’s “right.” It’s about creating a space where both partners feel safe, understood, and connected again. Through EFT, you can expect to:
Instead of falling into the same arguments, you’ll learn how to communicate in ways that help both of you feel truly heard. If trust has been broken, therapy provides a framework for rebuilding. If intimacy has faded, you’ll explore how to reconnect emotionally and physically.
Above all, you’ll discover healthier ways to navigate conflict and deepen your partnership.
Signs It Might Be Time to Try Marriage Counseling
Every couple has ups and downs, but sometimes those challenges become harder to navigate on your own. You may be wondering, “Is this just a rough patch, or is it time to reach out for help?” Recognizing the signs early can prevent conflicts from deepening and protect the bond you’ve built together.
One of the clearest signals is repetitive conflict. If you and your partner keep having the same argument – whether about money, intimacy, chores, or parenting – and nothing ever feels resolved, therapy can help uncover the deeper needs beneath those fights.
Another sign is emotional distance. Maybe you feel more like roommates than partners. Conversations stay on the surface, or affection feels rare. You may miss the closeness you once shared but aren’t sure how to get it back.
Loss of trust is another reason couples seek therapy. This could be because of infidelity, broken promises, or simply a growing pattern of unreliability. Rebuilding trust on your own can feel overwhelming, but in therapy, you’ll have a structured process for repair.
Some couples notice communication breakdowns. You try to talk, but it often turns into defensiveness, withdrawal, or shutdowns. Over time, these patterns can erode connection. Therapy provides tools to shift out of those dynamics so both partners feel heard.
Finally, sometimes the sign is more subtle: you want to strengthen your relationship proactively. Couples don’t need to wait for crisis to benefit from counseling. Just like preventative care for your physical health, therapy can help your marriage grow stronger, more resilient, and more connected.
If any of these signs resonate, it may be the right moment to reach out. At GGPA, we’re here to walk with you, helping you rediscover the bond that first brought you together.
Marriage Counseling FAQs
Ready to Reconnect?
Marriage counseling is a courageous step, not a sign of failure. It means you value your relationship enough to nurture it.
At GGPA, we’re here to walk alongside you with compassion, expertise, and hope. If you’re navigating conflict, feeling distant, or simply longing to feel close again, we’re ready to help you take the next step.