Couples Therapy

Therapy for Intercultural Couples

You can love each other and still disagree about what closeness looks like. I help couples look beyond cultural shorthand and understand what each person is asking for when familiar differences become painful arguments.

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Two oak benches beside an olive tree in a plaster courtyard with a coastal view

At Home

When ordinary moments carry extra meaning

A family visit, a holiday plan, or the way you speak at dinner can carry different meanings for each of you. What feels considerate to one partner may feel distant or intrusive to the other.

I grew up in Germany and moved to the US at sixteen. That experience informs my curiosity, not an assumption that I know your story. I want to hear how each of you understands home and belonging.

Underneath

More than a difference in customs

An argument about whose family to visit might also hold a fear of losing touch with where you came from. A disagreement about directness might leave one person feeling dismissed and the other feeling unable to speak honestly.

I make room for those meanings without treating either culture as the explanation for everything. Your personalities, histories, and relationship matter too. We look at the particular exchange happening between you. I might ask what respect looked like in your childhood home, or how people showed affection when words were scarce. Those questions help us see where you might be assuming a meaning your partner did not intend.

Emotionally Focused Therapy

Listening beneath the disagreement

I use Emotionally Focused Therapy, or EFT, to understand the pattern that takes over when connection feels uncertain. One person might press for an answer while the other goes quiet, leaving both feeling further apart.

Together, we slow that exchange down. I help you name the hurt or worry underneath your response and practice telling your partner what you need, without making cultural differences the enemy.

In Session

Room for both ways of speaking

Couples sessions last 60 minutes. I offer therapy in English and German only. We can discuss which language supports the conversations you want to have, rather than assuming that shared vocabulary means shared understanding.

I meet couples in person in Manhattan Beach or by secure video. For online sessions, both partners must be physically in California, Arizona, or Missouri, including when joining from separate locations.

When to Reach Out

A place to begin talking

You do not need a polished explanation of your differences before contacting me. A recent moment when you felt misunderstood can give us somewhere concrete to begin during a free consultation.

I can provide a superbill for these private pay sessions. You can review current fees before deciding whether to schedule. Please give 48 hours of notice when canceling or rescheduling an appointment.

Questions