Insurances Accepted

 Therapy for communication, trust, and connection. Available in person in Irvine or virtually throughout California.  

 At Affirming Psychological Services, we work with couples and families who want support with how they relate to each other. Whether you are navigating stress, identity changes, recurring conflict, or feeling disconnected, you do not have to figure it out on your own.

We offer a grounded, collaborative approach that helps you slow things down and understand what is happening underneath the surface. Our goal is not to decide who is right or wrong. Our focus is on what is getting in the way of connection and how to move forward in a way that feels healthy and respectful for everyone involved.

Our clinicians provide affirming care for relationships of all kinds: queer couples, straight couples, polyamorous partnerships, blended families, chosen families, and family systems that do not fit a traditional mold.

 We help couples and families:

• Improve communication and reduce misunderstandings
• Repair trust that has been strained or broken
• Navigate identity development, transitions, or coming out
• Understand and respond to each other's emotional needs
• Strengthen connection without forcing sameness
• Work through conflict without escalating or shutting down

This is not about pretending everything is fine or forcing closeness. It is about building clarity, honesty, and safety in the relationship, so each person can be heard and understood.

We work with:

• Queer and trans couples
• Straight couples
• Polycules and open relationship systems
• Blended and co-parenting families
• Families navigating a child's identity exploration
• Adult family members repairing old patterns
• Couples preparing for life transitions
• Clients in consensual kink or BDSM relationships who want a space where they do not need to hide or minimize this part of their lives

We welcome systems that are in early conflict as well as those who have been struggling for years. You do not have to arrive already knowing the exact problem. Many people come to therapy because they have reached the limits of managing it on their own.

• Recurring arguments or shutting down
• Feeling unheard or misunderstood
• Emotional distance or disconnection
• Difficulty discussing identity, sexuality, or needs
• Cultural, neurotype, or communication differences
• Strain following a major life change or trauma

Many couples and families have had experiences with therapy where they felt judged or misunderstood. We recognize how harmful that can be. Our approach centers curiosity, compassion, and accountability.

We tailor the therapy process to the relationship, not the other way around. Depending on your goals, therapy may include:

• Slow, structured conversations so everyone can be heard
• Learning how to name needs without blame
• Understanding emotional patterns and triggers
• Repairing and rebuilding trust step by step
• Supporting identity exploration within the relationship
• Developing shared practices that support connection

Our therapists draw from evidence-based approaches like emotionally focused therapy, attachment-based work, CBT, DBT skills, and trauma-informed care. All sessions remain grounded in respect and consent.

We actively affirm LGBTQIA+ identities and family structures.

• We welcome polyamorous and nontraditional systems
• We do not assume one way of relating is the default
• We stay neutral, but not passive
• We help you understand each other instead of picking sides
• Options for online therapy across California

You are not expected to have it all figured out before you start. You only need willingness to try something different from what has not been working.