Neurodiverse-Affirmative Couples Counseling in Los Angeles
When Love Feels Lost in Translation
You know that moment when you’re trying to explain something important to your partner, and you can see in their eyes that what you’re saying isn’t landing the way you meant it? Or when they do something that completely baffles you, and you wonder if you’re even speaking the same language?
Maybe your ADHD brain moves at lightning speed and your partner feels like they’re constantly trying to catch up. Or maybe you’re the one watching your partner disappear into hyperfocus for hours, feeling like you might as well not exist.
Or maybe you need things spelled out clearly because hints and “you should just know” moments feel impossible, while your partner gets frustrated that you don’t pick up on what seems obvious to them….
The thing is, you do love each other. Deeply. But lately it feels like that love is getting buried under a pile of misunderstandings, hurt feelings, and the exhausting cycle of trying to explain yourselves to each other.
Sound familiar? You’re definitely not alone.
Here’s What Nobody Tells You About Neurodiverse Love
When one or both of you have ADHD, autism, or other neurodivergent traits, relationships don’t follow the typical playbook. The advice your friends give you? The relationship books everyone recommends? Most of it assumes both partners’ brains work the same way.
But yours don’t. And that’s not a problem to solve – it’s just your reality to navigate.
I see couples all the time where one partner’s need for routine bumps up against the other’s spontaneous spirit. Where someone’s emotional intensity feels overwhelming to their partner, or where one person’s need for processing time gets interpreted as rejection. Where executive function struggles create a dynamic that feels like parent-child instead of partners.
These patterns aren’t anyone’s fault. They’re what happens when different nervous systems try to love each other without a roadmap.
From our offices on Glendale Blvd, we serve Neurodiverse couples in Los Feliz, Silver Lake, Pasadena, La Cañada Flintridge and surrounding areas.
Why Regular Couples Therapy Sometimes Misses the Mark
Traditional couples therapy often focuses on communication skills and compromise. But when you’re dealing with neurological differences, those approaches can actually make things worse.
Telling someone with ADHD to “just remember” important things is like telling someone who’s nearsighted to “just see better.” Asking an autistic person to read between the lines or pick up on subtle cues is asking them to override their natural wiring. And suggesting that a neurotypical partner should just “be more patient” ignores their very real need for connection and understanding.
What you need isn’t more rules or better behavior. You need to understand what’s actually happening between you two when things fall apart.
Why I’m Passionate About This Work
Hi, I’m Grazel Garcia, and I’ve been working with neurodiverse couples for over a decade now. What started as curiosity about why some couples seemed to have the same fights over and over, despite clearly loving each other, led me into the fascinating world of how different brains love differently.
I’m actually writing a book about this – specifically about how couples can find solutions that fit their unique brain wirings instead of forcing themselves into neurotypical relationship molds. Because here’s what I’ve learned: when you understand how your brains work together (and sometimes against each other), everything shifts.
I’m also training other therapists in this work, leading specialized training programs on EFT with ADHD-impacted couples. Too many well-meaning therapists try to help neurodiverse couples using approaches that weren’t designed for their unique challenges. I’m working to change that, one therapist at a time.
At GGPA, we don’t just talk about understanding neurodiversity – WE LIVE IT. We’re intentionally neuroinclusive in our hiring, bringing team members who are neurodivergent themselves into our practice. When you work with us, you’re often working with therapists who truly get what it’s like to navigate the world with a different kind of brain. There’s something powerful about being understood by someone who shares your lived experience, not just your clinical training.
Ready to Transform Your Relationship?
My Book Is Coming Soon.
After a decade of working with couples just like you, I’m putting everything I’ve learned into a comprehensive guide that no one else is writing. It is not another generic relationship book but the first book to adapt Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) specifically for couples where ADHD, autism, or other neurodivergent traits create unique challenges that traditional advice just doesn’t address.
What makes this different? EFT is the gold standard in couples therapy, with decades of research proving its effectiveness. But standard EFT techniques need thoughtful adaptation when executive function, sensory processing, and attention differences are part of your relationship dynamic. This book gives you those adaptations and real strategies that work with your brain wiring, not against it. Practical tools you can use immediately along with insights that will finally make you feel seen and understood in your relationship struggles.
Be Part of the Launch Community
Join the waitlist for exclusive access to:
- First chapter preview before anyone else sees it
- Relationship questionnaire specifically modified for neurodiverse couples
- Early bird pricing when pre-orders go live
- Live Q&A session with me about your specific challenges
- Updates on my research and new insights as I finish writing
The book launches soon, but this community gets everything first. Just enter your name and email!
What This Actually Looks Like in the Room
First thing we do? Slow everything down. When you’re caught in one of those awful cycles where everything your partner does sets you off and everything you do seems to hurt them, it feels like there’s no way out. But there always is.
We figure out what’s really happening between you two. Not the surface stuff – not who forgot what or who said the wrong thing – but the emotional dance underneath. What does it feel like in your body when your partner’s ADHD brain gets distracted mid-conversation? What happens to you when your need for routine bumps up against their spontaneity?
Then we get curious about what each of you actually needs to feel safe and loved. For neurodiverse couples, this often looks different than you’d expect. Sometimes the ADHD partner needs to know they won’t be judged for their brain’s quirks. Sometimes the neurotypical partner needs reassurance that they matter even when their partner is hyperfocusing. Sometimes both partners need to know that their different ways of seeing the world are valued, not just tolerated.
And here’s where things start to shift. When you begin reaching for each other from this deeper place, everything changes. Instead of “You never listen to me,” it becomes “When you look at your phone while I’m talking, I feel invisible, and I need to know I matter to you.” Instead of “You’re too sensitive,” it becomes “I care about you and I want to understand why this is hard for you.”
The couples I work with aren’t broken. They’re not failing at love. They’re just trying to connect across neurological differences without anyone ever teaching them how.
When You Both Feel Seen
The couples who do best in this work are the ones who are genuinely curious about each other. They might be frustrated, hurt, or confused, but underneath all that, they still want to understand their partner’s world.
You don’t need to have your neurodivergence all figured out before you start. You don’t need perfect coping strategies or complete self-awareness. You just need to be willing to let your partner see what’s really going on with you, and to be curious about what’s going on with them.
When neurodiverse couples get this right – when you can be fully yourselves AND deeply connected – the relationship often becomes more authentic and resilient than many neurotypical partnerships. Because you’ve learned to navigate real differences with real understanding.
This is actually what inspired me to write my book on ADHD in couples. I kept seeing the same patterns, the same breakthroughs, the same “aha moments” when couples finally understood what was really happening between them. I wanted to capture those insights and make them available to more couples who are struggling to love each other across neurological differences.
If you’d like to be among the first to know when the book comes out, I’m keeping a list of couples who want early access to these insights. No spam, no endless emails – just a heads up when it’s ready, along with some practical tools you can start using right away. You can add your name by clicking the button below if that feels helpful.
Let’s See What’s Possible
You don’t have to be perfect partners (as if such a thing exists). You just have to be open.
If there’s still love, curiosity, or willingness then there’s something to work with.
You don’t need to have all the right words. You don’t need to “have your act together. You just need a space where both of you can come as you are.
That’s what we offer here.