Couples Therapy in California
Online couples therapy across California and in-person sessions in West Los Angeles, El Segundo, and the South Bay area
I help couples work through hard problems that don't have easy solutions. If it had an easy solution, you wouldn't be calling. Couples come to me for help through difficult but necessary conversations in a blame-free environment. Sometimes disagreement comes disguised as a communication problem. How do you move forward together when there's no obvious right answer? We can meet through online therapy in California and in-person sessions in the Century City area and El Segundo.
Most Couples Wait Years Before Asking for Help. You Don't Have To.
Research shows the average couple waits six years after problems start before coming to therapy. Six years of the same arguments, the same distance, the same unresolved stuff building up underneath everything. By the time most couples sit down with me, they are exhausted.
I get it. Life gets busy. You keep thinking it will sort itself out. Or you're not sure if things are bad enough to need outside help. Or one of you is ready and the other isn't quite there yet.
But here's what I've seen working with couples over the years. The ones who come in early, before things get really bad, have a much easier time. And the ones who waited too long? They can still turn things around. It just takes more work.
Wherever you are right now, reaching out is the right move. It doesn't mean your relationship is broken. It means you care enough to do something about it.
Couples Therapist in West Los Angeles & El Segundo
I'm Tom Andre, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with offices in the Century City area and El Segundo, and I work with couples online across California.
I've been doing this work for over ten years, and the couples I see most often are talented people under pressure from demanding careers, parenthood, and lives that don't leave much room for a moment to themselves. That makes figuring out what’s going on in a relationship even harder. I don't take sides and I don't assign blame. Instead, I kindly ask the tough questions that help clarify each person’s values, intentions and priorities, so that couples can decide together how to move forward.
Couples Therapy for Every Stage of Your Relationship
I work with all kinds of couples at all kinds of stages. It does not matter if you have been together for two years or twenty.
Married couples
Couples who are dating or living together
Newly engaged couples who want to start strong
Same sex couples
Couples recovering from an affair or breach of trust
Couples on the verge of separation who are not sure what they want
Couples who can't explain what's wrong but know something is off
Couples who are doing okay but want to do better
I work with interracial couples, interfaith couples, couples navigating cultural or family differences, and couples where one partner is dealing with something individually that is affecting everything else. Every relationship has its own unique circumstances and merits its own unique approach.
Online Couples Therapy in California and In-Person in West Los Angeles & El Segundo
I offer two ways to work together depending on what fits your life best.
For couples who prefer to meet in person, I have offices in West Los Angeles in the Century City area and in El Segundo. Both locations are easy to get to from surrounding neighborhoods. The Century City area office is convenient for couples coming from Santa Monica, Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Westwood, Culver City, West Hollywood, and Marina del Rey. The El Segundo office is a short drive from Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, Hawthorne, Torrance, and the rest of South Bay.
For couples who would rather meet from home, I offer online couples therapy for anyone in California. Whether you are in San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Oakland, San Jose, Fresno, Long Beach, Irvine, Orange County, or anywhere else in the state, we can meet virtually. This works especially well for busy couples who do not live together.
What We Work On Together
Every couple is different but there are some themes that emerge across many relationships:
Communication breakdown and constant arguments
Trust issues and recovering from an affair
Feeling disconnected or more like roommates than partners
Life transitions, career stress, and major decisions
Resentment that has built up over time
Parenting conflicts and disagreements on how to raise kids
Financial stress and arguments about money
Lack of appreciation or feeling taken for granted
Anxiety, depression, or personal struggles impacting the relationship
Deciding whether to stay together, separate, or divorce
Premarital counseling before getting married
My Approach to Couples Therapy
Every first session begins with an interview about what brought you together, what you’re fighting for, what's bringing you in now, and what you’re hoping to achieve from our work together. From there I ask questions that are designed to help clarify your positions and how you came to those positions, but never with any interest in assigning blame or shame.
I assume that both of you are trying your best and you want things to be better. While I might be rooting for you and helping you fight for your relationship if that’s what you want, I make a point of not putting my thumb on the scale when it comes to the outcome.
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Yes, it can. Of course I would never promise that it will save every relationship, but sometimes the difference between breaking up or staying together is the ability to talk about what matters in a setting where you know you will be heard. Sometimes what saves a relationship is knowing that what you’re going through as a couple isn’t unique to your relationship, but something that many couples struggle with. Sometimes it’s having a chance to see and appreciate how your partner came to their point of view, even when you don’t agree.
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I think it is. A lot of couples come to therapy specifically to figure out whether to move forward together or separately. It is almost never an easy decision, but therapy can help both partners gain some clarity and closure. Even if the relationship comes to an end, the process can help make sure it ends in a way that felt worth it and good for both people.
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That can happen. Part of my job is to ask questions that are important but may have felt too heavy to address when it’s just the two of you. Addressing hard questions is never easy, but it does not mean therapy is not working. It means you’re bringing to light important information that matters to the relationship.
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Yes. I provide secure online couples therapy for clients across California, including Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, San Jose, Long Beach, and surrounding areas. I also offer in-person sessions in West Los Angeles and El Segundo.
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You can't force someone into it and that's okay. Share what you are hoping to get out of it and let them make their own decision. If they have questions before committing, they can always call or email first.
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Yes. Individual therapy can be a great place to start. Working on your own communication patterns, reactions, and what you want out of the relationship is valuable work regardless of whether your partner comes in. Sometimes one partner making changes shifts the dynamic enough that the other becomes more open to it over time.
Common Questions About Couples Therapy
Work Through Your Relationship Issues
If you're on the fence, just give me a call and we’ll talk about what’s going on and if you want to come in. At the very least, you'll leave knowing more about your relationship than you did before.