Couples Counseling Therapists in San Luis Obispo, CA

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Photo of Julie Simpson Jennings, Marriage & Family Therapist Associate in San Luis Obispo, CA
Julie Simpson Jennings
Marriage & Family Therapist Associate, MA, AMFT
Verified
1 Endorsed
Verified
1 Endorsed
I provide personalized therapy to adolescents, adults, and couples seeking assistance with anxiety, depression, and trauma. I also serve clients ready to focus on healthy communication and relationships. As an adoptee, I'm especially equipped to share adoption-related support. Caring and empathetic, I prioritize your trust and safety. After 20+ years raising a family and working in public relations, I was driven to pursue a role in marriage and family therapy to serve others. Beyond earning a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology, I provided therapeutic services to clients in a Southern California community center.
(805) 723-2910
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San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
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Photo of Anne Appel, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, Marriage & Family Therapist in San Luis Obispo, CA
Anne Appel, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
Marriage & Family Therapist, MA, LMFT
Verified
Verified
Over the past 25+ years its been my privilege to assist individuals and couples work through obstacles that have prevented them from experiencing meaningful and peaceful lives and relationships. My clients are coping with the everyday stress of marriage and family concerns, parenting, aging, health issues, career and financial challenges, loss or other critical and stressful situations. With those stressors often come depression, anxiety and a whole host of other symptoms.
(805) 351-4457
San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
& Online
Waitlist for new clients
Photo of Jen Leigh Antill, Marriage & Family Therapist Intern in San Luis Obispo, CA
Jen Leigh Antill
Marriage & Family Therapist Intern
Verified
2 Endorsed
Verified
2 Endorsed
As well as my passion and expertise around relationship dynamics, I am also committed to helping clients reconnect to the natural world, supporting them to rebuild their connection to place and the Earth.
I work with clients who want to dive deeper into long-standing, challenging patterns in their lives. By listening to the ways the soul is speaking, I work with clients who are ready to cultivate deeper meaning and purpose in their lives as well as step into more connected and fulfilling relationships. I enjoy using dream material, as well as astrology, in my practice to add to the scope of talk therapy. I am finishing up my masters in counseling psychology at Pacifica Graduate Institute and will graduate in March 2023.
(805) 360-3382
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San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
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Waitlist for new clients
Photo of Josiah Loomis, Marriage & Family Therapist Associate in San Luis Obispo, CA
Josiah Loomis
Marriage & Family Therapist Associate, AMFT
Verified
1 Endorsed
Verified
1 Endorsed
I have an interest in working with men’s issues and supporting men with a variety of therapy goals including relationship concerns, improving their mental health, navigating life challenges and finding self-acceptance.
I feel grateful for the opportunity to journey alongside you on your path towards personal growth and healing. I believe that the ability to create a life of meaning comes from within and that everyone is capable of reaching their most personal and intimate goals. I have found that therapy can be beneficial to those at any stage of life and enjoy working with people of all ages. I’ve provided child therapy to children in elementary schools, worked with adult survivors of domestic violence and those who live with mental health challenges as well as with elders transitioning through the final phases of life.
(805) 600-5116
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San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
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Photo of Daisy Biggers, Marriage & Family Therapist in San Luis Obispo, CA
Daisy Biggers
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT
Verified
2 Endorsed
Verified
2 Endorsed
She is passionate about building a safe relationship with her clients in which true healing can take place.
No one comes to therapy when everything is amazing. Often, things come up that were not what we planned. Or we have feelings that are stronger than we imagined and we don't quite know how to handle them. Maybe you feel like your normal coping strategies are no longer doing the trick. Maybe therapy can help. Daisy lovingly and curiously approaches the issues that are getting in your way. She invites you to walk side by side as you move through things together.
(925) 574-6537
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San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Photo of Trinity Berguia, Marriage & Family Therapist in San Luis Obispo, CA
Trinity Berguia
Marriage & Family Therapist, MS, LMFT
Verified
3 Endorsed
Verified
3 Endorsed
We are biologically wired for connection. The relationship with ourself and others means everything. As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Trinity’s goal is to help her clients improve their relationship with themselves, along with their relationships with others so that they may develop a secure attachment. The therapeutic relationship provides a safe haven for client’s to explore their deepest inner wounds, and develop a sense of peace so that they may have healthy, secure relationships.
(805) 723-3283
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San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
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Photo of Benjamin Rea, Clinical Social Work/Therapist in San Luis Obispo, CA
Benjamin Rea
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW, MS
Verified
Verified
Thank you for exploring my profile. To begin, I am accepting new clients during the quarantine utilizing Zoom videoconferencing, even if you are not currently living in SLO. Licensed for 15 years, my training and experience is specialized towards working with couples and families, as well as adolescent and adult men. I utilize a direct, no-nonsense approach with notable success in treating addictions, family issues, anxiety (generalized, social, panic, etc), depression, trauma, and relationship problems. I am one of the only practitioners in San Luis Obispo County who specializes in working with men and who does family therapy.
(415) 787-3932
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San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
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Photo of Desiree Troxell, Marriage & Family Therapist in San Luis Obispo, CA
Desiree Troxell
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT
Verified
4 Endorsed
Verified
4 Endorsed
I work with all ages including youth, families, couples , college students and mature adults.
Welcome to wellness. You have taken the first step toward exploring your full potential. Embarking on a path of self discovery enables you to unearth your hopes for yourself, your relationships, and your future. Authenticity, communication, forgiveness, love and humor are essential to living a healthy life. Knowing yourself allows you to have healthier relationships with your family, friends and colleagues. I have experience helping people who are encountering grief, anxiety, depression, mood disorders, trauma, marital difficulties, life transitions, family conflict, relationship conflict, stress, self harm, and substance abuse.
(805) 219-7934
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San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
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Photo of Leonard Manzella, Clinical Social Work/Therapist in San Luis Obispo, CA
Leonard Manzella
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW
Verified
Verified
It's through the relationship with your therapist and their respectful guidance that you'll learn to identify your problems and acquire the necessary tools to overcome them.
Anxiety, Depression and Substance Abuse have reached epidemic proportions in today's world. They have become a way of life for many, causing undue anguish and pain, and jeopardizing the well-being of millions as well as the significant relationships in their lives. For over 25 years I have been helping people find a way back to themselves and on a path to living healthier and happier lives. It would be an honor to help you.
(805) 214-6619
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San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
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Photo of Michael Mazzella, Marriage & Family Therapist in San Luis Obispo, CA
Michael Mazzella
Marriage & Family Therapist, MS, LMFT
Verified
1 Endorsed
Verified
1 Endorsed
Couples looking for support might also be interested in reaching out.
Connecting to our potential for vibrant and meaningful relationships is more important now than ever as we work to find creative ways to stay in touch in this increasingly complex world. From this place I make it my focus to understand the ways that our past and present circumstances keep us from accessing this potential. Pain, relational or otherwise, can build up over time, become truly overwhelming, and can create barriers to a fruitful life. I'm deeply curious about the unique paths each of us move on towards healing and am committed to co-creating a resilient setting in which we explore what that path looks like for you.
(805) 420-7553
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San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
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Photo of Melissa Wheelock, Marriage & Family Therapist in San Luis Obispo, CA
Melissa Wheelock
Marriage & Family Therapist, MS, LMFT
Verified
Verified
Any of us can get "stuck in a rut" and one key to pulling out of it is learning to respond effectively to life's stressors, rather than react negatively to them. My background in attachment theory, cognitive behavioral strategies, mindfulness and EMDR, allows me to successfully help those struggling with anxiety, depression and trauma. I also enjoying helping people cope with life transitions and relationship problems. I love working with clients who are motivated for change but whose inner critic can be fierce, often limiting them from experiencing joy and contentment.
(805) 398-6637
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San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
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Photo of Ami Grace, LCSW Holistic & Psychedelic Therapy, Clinical Social Work/Therapist in San Luis Obispo, CA
Ami Grace, LCSW Holistic & Psychedelic Therapy
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, MSW, LCSW, CHT
Verified
Verified
Are you going through a difficult transition like the end of a relationship , attending college away from home, or wanting to heal through old traumas that keep resurfacing? Do you feel overwhelmed, depressed or anxious ? Are you wanting to heal naturally instead of with antidepressants? I can help you overcome these issues and feel more empowered naturally. Have you been interested in how psychedelic medicine can help you heal through traumas and create more self-love? I am trained as a Ketamine-Assisted therapist to provide you a healing journey that will change your life revealing your true power to heal within!
(805) 285-3954
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San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
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W. Anthony ( Tony ) Clarke
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT
Verified
Verified
With more than 30 years of experience providing psychotherapy to individuals and couples , I'm confident that I can provide what is needed to help you have a more joy-filled life.
Offering a non-judgmental perspective, I empower people to help themselves live happier and healthier lives. Using a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) approach, blended with compassion and respect for the client, I provide treatment for adolescents and adults dealing with a variety of issues (e.g. depression, anxiety, ADHD, ODD, relationship issues, trauma issues, personal growth). I believe the client is the expert on themselves and their needs and that they drive the treatment. My role is to offer appropriate suggestions and techniques to improve their life (lives).
(805) 316-7746
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San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
Photo of Yolia Xiaoyin Zhong, Marriage & Family Therapist Associate in San Luis Obispo, CA
Yolia Xiaoyin Zhong
Marriage & Family Therapist Associate, AMFT, MA
Verified
2 Endorsed
Verified
2 Endorsed
I have experience working with individuals, couples and families of diverse cultural backgrounds and ages.
I provide a non-judgmental and emotionally safe space for you to feel empowered and grow. I strive to provide my best self and skills to assist you in finding your balance in the various aspects of your life and relationships. If you feel overwhelmed by life challenges and by your emotions, you are not alone. By working collaboratively with you, you will be able to process through the struggles you've experienced and build skills to heal and grow. My approach focuses on healing by utilizing modalities that are strength-based and client-centered.
(805) 420-7523
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San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
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Photo of Emily Elrod-Black, Counselor in San Luis Obispo, CA
Emily Elrod-Black
Counselor, MA, APCC
Verified
Verified
In my private practice, I work with couples and individuals on both relationship and eating issues. Healing and transformation occur when we can mindfully be with all aspects of ourselves, so learning to be with and accept yourself is central to our work together. For this reason, sessions are experiential and focus on present moment awareness. With eating, exercise, and body image clients, this work will help you find freedom from body image obsession, process the deeper issues behind your behaviors, and learn strategies to change your thinking and manage challenging emotions.
(805) 398-6134
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San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
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Photo of Hallelujah Adams, Marriage & Family Therapist in San Luis Obispo, CA
Hallelujah Adams
Marriage & Family Therapist, MS, LMFT
Verified
Verified
I enjoy working with children, adolescents, individuals and couples who are facing self-esteem/ self-worth concerns, relational issues, parenting struggles and those who seek to buffer the stressors of life. I also have experience with anxiety, depression, PTSD and relational distress and I have completed Advanced Training in Emotionally Focused Therapy - a well researched and highly effective approach to couples therapy. It is my passion to help you discover the strengths you already carry inside of you and to help you develop stronger, more deeply connected relationships.
(805) 608-3670
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San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
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Photo of Julia Richardson, Marriage & Family Therapist in San Luis Obispo, CA
Julia Richardson
Marriage & Family Therapist, LMFT
Verified
Verified
My name is Julia Richardson. I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the State of California since January 1999. My License number is MFT35516. I work with children from age 10 and up. I also work with adolescents, adults, couples and families. My framework in working with individuals, couples and families is through a relational lens that incorporates brain science, attachment theory and mindsight. I see each (individual, couple dyad and family) as a magnificent portrait that comes to therapy when their life patterns are stuck in rigidity or chaos.
(805) 800-8685
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San Luis Obispo, CA 93405
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Waitlist for new clients
Photo of Matthew R Chirman, Marriage & Family Therapist in San Luis Obispo, CA
Matthew R Chirman
Marriage & Family Therapist, MS, LMFT, LPCC
Verified
2 Endorsed
Verified
2 Endorsed
For the 22 last years I have worked successfully with adult clients dealing with a wide range of issues including marital and relationship problems, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress, abuse issues, personality issues and mental health concerns. I believe a trusting relationship between the therapist and client is the foundation for all growth and change. However, the relationship itself is typically not sufficient. I will help you set goals for your therapy based upon what you would like to have different in your life, and together we will explore and change the blocks which have prevented you from achieving your goals.
(805) 791-2566
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San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
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Waitlist for new clients
Photo of Amy Liston, Psychologist in San Luis Obispo, CA
Amy Liston
Psychologist, PhD
Verified
2 Endorsed
Verified
2 Endorsed
Hello and thank you for visiting my profile. I am a Licensed Clinical Psychologist with over 32 years of practice. I currently provide individual psychotherapy to college students and adults who are struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma, grief/bereavement, family issues, peer issues, relationship issues and/or life transitions. I offer a personalized therapy experience in a safe and inclusive space that honors your uniqueness as an individual. My approach is strength-based and client-centered with a humanistic/existential orientation.
(805) 334-8522
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San Luis Obispo, CA 93401
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Photo of Beth Belingheri, Clinical Social Work/Therapist in San Luis Obispo, CA
Beth Belingheri
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW
Verified
Verified
Life is stressful and it can feel like it’s too much. Sometimes, we feel stuck, overwhelmed, depressed, anxious or we are having life transitions that seem really difficult. Maybe you are in a couplehood that feels tense, argumentative and disconnected. I work in a partnership with my clients both individuals and couples to improve their lives and mental health. What I offer is a non judgmental space where clients can express concerns, set healthy boundaries, increase coping skills and find realistic solutions to stress, anxiety and depression through gentle guidance.
(805) 321-1864
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San Luis Obispo, CA 93405
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Couples Counseling Therapists

Does couples counseling work?

Research shows that couples counseling is effective; it can reduce relationship distress and improve emotional awareness, communication, empathy, intimacy, and overall relationship satisfaction. For example, emotionally focused therapy was found to be effective for about 75 percent of couples, and those benefits lasted at least two years.

When should a couple seek counseling?

Couples can benefit from counseling if they consistently struggle in their relationship. They may have lost the ability to communicate effectively, become entrenched in harmful patterns, begun to fight more than usual, broken the other’s trust, suffered from a mental or physical illness, or faced any number of other challenges. Many therapists offer free consultations, so if a couple isn’t sure whether therapy is necessary, asking directly can provide clarity.

How can I get my partner to go to couples therapy?

The decision to seek couples therapy is often driven by one partner, who then convinces the other to participate. When discussing the idea, the initiator should be direct and assertive. They can state the problems they see and explain how the relationship would benefit from therapy. In more serious cases, they can also explain how their relationship may suffer without making any changes or seeking professional help.

How does a couple prepare for couples counseling?

The anticipation of beginning couples counseling can be difficult—sometimes more difficult than the first session itself. Taking a few moments to reflect can allay those concerns: What are the current challenges? When and how did they begin? What do they want the relationship to look like in the future? Reflecting on these questions can help individuals or couples articulate their goals. Of course, the therapist will also ask questions and guide couples through the process.