Affirming Couples Therapy

Helping heal attachment wounds in relationship

You Don’t Have to Navigate Relationships Alone

Whether you're a neurodivergent, queer, or an otherwise eclectic couple, relationships can feel confusing, overwhelming, or even lonely, especially when your communication styles don’t seem to land the way you intend.

Have you been told you’re too direct, too sensitive, too much?
Communication with your friends, family, and partner may feel like you are walking through an unknown minefield. Things don't quite go the way you imagined they would, or tensions rise quickly, and it's hard to return to a calm place.

There's conflict or disconnection, and it’s hard to know what’s yours, what is the other person's and what may be a reaction to being misunderstood.

Feral Therapy can be a place where we shift the narrative in your relationship.

Some Common Reasons Couples Seek Therapy:

Communication Breakdowns

Executive Function Differences

Emotional Regulation and Shutdowns

Differing Social and Sexual Needs or Interests

Expression of Love and Care that looks different for each person

Masking Stress

Feeling Misunderstood

Being in a relationship where you process the world differently from your partner can bring up tension, misattunement, and a lot of emotional noise.

You might feel like you’re trying, but it’s still not working.

You might find yourselves stuck in the same loop, unsure how to interrupt it.

Together, we’ll practice communicating in ways that feel more supportive and sustainable.

Though communication is a big part of being in relationships, it is not the only place that needs some tending. I work from attachment lens, which means we dive deep into your early attachments and understanding how your family of origin impacted the way you show up in relationship to others.

My approach with couples and relational folx is to understand the why of what is happening and help you connect the dots while also weaving in practical tools that can help strengthen communication and connection.

Types of Therapy

EFT (Emotionally Focused Therapy)

Gottman Method

Discernment Counseling

IFS for Couples

Integrative Sex and Couples Certification Training

Erotically Expansive, Non-Monogamous Individuals and Couples

Family Systems Therapy

I use an integrative approach when working with relational clients. This means I pull from the different trainings that I've taken and tailor my approach for each relationship in a way that is collaborative and client-focused.

I am not prescriptive in the way I work with clients. I do not tell you what you need. I DO often reflect what I am seeing and how I am piecing together the bits of knowledge I know.

How do Sessions Work?
Sessions are typically 50-minutes on a weekly basis.

Again, if this doesn't work for you and you want to approach this work differently, I am open to having that conversation.

This means we could meet 2x a month for longer sessions or 2x month for 50 minutes or some other duration that we figure out together.

Committed to Affirming Care

Contact

Dre (Andrea) Meller, LMFT (#163561)
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Located on unceded Miwok Land: Know the History.
Find out about the land you live on.