Couples Therapy · Beverly Hills & Virtual California
Couples therapy for partners who want more than maintenance.
Every relationship develops patterns. Some create closeness. Others quietly create distance.
Whether you've grown apart, find yourselves having the same painful conversations, or are trying to find your way after betrayal, therapy offers the opportunity to understand not just what is happening between you, but why. Together, we'll uncover the deeper emotional dynamics driving your relationship, transform the patterns that no longer serve you, and cultivate a partnership defined by safety, intimacy, and enduring connection.
Sessions are offered in person at my Beverly Hills office and virtually for couples throughout California. For work on your own patterns, I also offer individual therapy in Beverly Hills.
What I help couples with
Disconnection & Drift
When everything functions on the surface, but the connection has quietly faded.
Conflict Cycles
The same patterns that once kept you apart-slowed down, understood, and rewritten together.
Betrayal & Infidelity
A careful, paced process for understanding what happened, tending to the impact, and deciding whether trust can be rebuilt.
Communication Breakdown
Past the familiar scripts, into the deeper conversations waiting to happen.
Intimacy & Desire
Rebuilding emotional and physical intimacy through safety, curiosity, and connection.
Premarital & Major Transitions
Engagement, blended families, parenthood, relocation, career changes, and the evolving seasons of partnership.
Who I work with
I work with partners at every stage of relationship - dating, engaged, married, blended, or non-traditional. Whether you call it couples therapy, relationship counseling, or marriage counseling, the work is the same: relational, attachment-based, and built around how you actually relate.
Dating & Newly Committed
Building a strong foundation before unhelpful patterns become lasting ones.
Premarital
Marriage begins long before the wedding day. Thoughtful conversations now create stronger partnerships for years to come.
Married & Long-Term
When life together still works, but the closeness, curiosity, or connection has quietly faded.
Blended Families
Navigating step-parenting, shifting family roles, co-parenting, and the complexities of building a new family system.
Non-Monogamous & LGBTQ+ Relationships
Affirming, relationship-centered care for partnerships of every structure, identity, and expression.
Major Life Transitions
Supporting couples through parenthood, career changes, relocation, illness, loss, and the seasons that reshape a relationship.
How I work with couples
My approach is relational, attachment-based, and trauma-informed. I view the relationship itself as the client - meaning the goal is not to determine who is right or wrong, but to understand the patterns that have taken hold between you.
As both a clinician and researcher, I integrate evidence-based practice with a deep understanding of the emotional dynamics that shape enduring partnerships. My doctoral research focuses on relational psychology and the factors that foster resilient, lasting relationships under the depth-oriented supervision of Dr. Markus Rogan.
Clients often describe my style as warm, direct, and deeply engaged. I'll help you slow down the moments where communication breaks down, identify the patterns keeping you stuck, and gently name what may be difficult to see on your own. Together, we'll move beyond recurring arguments toward greater understanding, emotional safety, and meaningful change.
Insight alone is rarely enough. Each session is designed to leave you with both a deeper understanding of your relationship and practical ways to strengthen it between sessions. To ensure every couple receives thoughtful, individualized care, I intentionally maintain a limited caseload.
At a crossroads: stay, leave, or rebuild
Not every couple comes to therapy with the goal of saving the relationship. Sometimes the question is whether the relationship can, or should, continue.
After infidelity, years of emotional distance, or when one partner is uncertain about staying, the work shifts. Rather than rushing toward a decision, we create the space to understand what has happened, clarify what each person truly wants, and move forward with intention instead of fear.
Whether that path leads to reconciliation, discernment, or a respectful separation, my role is not to persuade you toward an outcome. It is to help you make one with clarity, honesty, and integrity.
This work includes discernment counseling, infidelity recovery, and divorce therapy.
Frequently asked
Where are you located, and do you offer virtual sessions?
My office is located in Beverly Hills, California. I offer both in-person and virtual sessions for couples throughout California, and many clients choose a combination of the two depending on their schedules.
Do both partners need to be willing to come?
Ideally, yes - but they don't have to arrive with the same level of optimism. It's common for one partner to feel more motivated than the other. My role is to create a space where both people feel heard, understood, and able to engage honestly in the process.
What approach do you use for couples therapy?
My work is relational, attachment-based, and trauma-informed, informed by ongoing doctoral research in relational psychology. Together, we'll slow down the patterns that keep repeating, understand the emotions and attachment needs beneath them, and develop new ways of relating that feel more secure, connected, and sustainable. Sessions are both insight-oriented and practical. You'll leave with a deeper understanding of your relationship and concrete tools to begin creating change between sessions.
Do you work with couples through infidelity or betrayal?
Yes. Helping couples navigate the aftermath of betrayal is a core area of my practice. We move thoughtfully through disclosure, the impact of what happened, and the difficult questions surrounding repair and trust. The process is intentional, paced, and never rushed. If you'd like to learn more, you can explore my dedicated page on infidelity recovery and discernment counseling.
How long does couples therapy take?
Every relationship is different. Couples addressing a specific rupture may experience meaningful progress within several months of consistent weekly sessions. More complex patterns involving attachment injuries, chronic conflict, or rebuilding trust often require a longer course of therapy. During our consultation, I'll provide an honest assessment and recommend an approach based on your goals.
Do you see unmarried, dating, or non-monogamous couples?
Yes. I work with couples across many stages of their relationship, including dating, engaged, married, blended families, and ethically non-monogamous partnerships. My focus is understanding the unique dynamics of your relationship rather than applying a one-size-fits-all model.
Do you offer premarital counseling?
Yes. Premarital counseling is one of the most valuable investments couples can make before marriage. Together, we'll explore communication, conflict, finances, intimacy, family-of-origin influences, shared values, future goals, and the expectations that often remain unspoken until years into a relationship. The goal isn't to eliminate differences - it's to learn how to navigate them well.
Is couples therapy only for couples who are struggling?
Not at all. Many couples begin therapy proactively-before marriage, during a major transition, or simply because they want to deepen their relationship. In many cases, the strongest relationships are built by couples who invest in them before a crisis ever develops.
How much does couples therapy cost?
Fees are discussed during the consultation so we can determine the level of support that best fits your needs. To ensure every couple receives thoughtful, individualized care, I intentionally maintain a limited caseload.
Explore related work
- Relationship crossroads - discernment counseling, infidelity recovery, and divorce work.
- Individual therapy in Beverly Hills - attachment-based work for the patterns you carry.
- About Melissa Paakh - background, training, and clinical approach.
Ready to start?
A consultation is a brief, thoughtful conversation to understand your goals and determine whether we're a good fit to work together.