7 Available Los Angeles Couples Therapists & Marriage Counselors
If you’re struggling in your relationship, know that you’re not alone and that couples counseling can be a valuable resource to help you navigate these challenges and grow closer than ever.
Whether you’re dealing with communication breakdowns, trust issues, or just feeling like roommates rather than partners, you don’t have to face these problems alone.
At Yellow Chair Collective, our experienced couples therapists provide culturally responsive, trauma-informed care to help you rebuild connection and create the relationship you both long for.
Meet the therapists
- Recommended for couples navigating family issues: Ruth Sze, MA
- Recommended for interracial couples: Prakrti “Pixie” Polowy, MA
- Recommended for anxious couples: Helen Garcia, LCSW
- Recommended for professionals struggling with their relationship: Esther Lee, LCSW
- Recommended for highly sensitive people in relationships: Liz Chang, MA
- Recommended for couples navigating trauma: Jennifer Gold, PhD, LMFT
- Recommended for new parents: Soo Jin Lee, LMFT
Why trust us?
Yellow Chair Collective has been serving the Los Angeles community since 2018. While we specialize in culturally responsive therapy for the immigrant and Asian American community, our services are open to all. Our therapists have diverse backgrounds and have various specialty areas within and beyond couples therapy, so you can find the right fit for your unique situation. We’re also trained in evidence-based methods, ensuring that you and your partner get the most out of your time in counseling.
How we selected
We chose to highlight these therapists from our practice based on their specialization in working with couples and expertise in addressing common relationship challenges. Each clinician brings their own unique approach to this work while maintaining our practice’s commitment to culturally informed, trauma-informed care.
Therapist profiles
Ruth Sze, MA
Recommended for couples navigating family issues
- Works with couples ✓
- Clientele: Children, teens, adults, couples, families
- Location: California (Online)
- Virtual therapy: Yes
Ruth takes a collaborative approach to couples therapy, helping partners explore their unique relationship dynamics through creative and traditional therapeutic methods. She specializes in helping couples understand how their family’s culture impacts their bond and using art therapy to support communication when words aren’t enough.
Prakrti “Pixie” Polowy, MA
Recommended for discernment counseling & interracial couples
- Works with couples ✓
- Clientele: Adults, couples, families
- Location: California (Online)
- Virtual therapy: Yes
With over 20 years in her own intercultural and interracial relationship, Pixie understands the unique challenges of embracing differences. She uses the Gottman Method to help couples build empathy, improve communication, and create lasting change while honoring each partner’s cultural background. Pixie also offers discernment counseling for couples who are exploring the future of their relationship.
Helen Garcia, LCSW
Recommended for anxious couples
- Works with couples ✓
- Clientele: Teens, adults, couples
- Location: California (Online)
- Virtual therapy: Yes
Helen brings warmth and humor to her work with couples, helping partners break free from perfectionist patterns that strain relationships. She specializes in supporting creative professionals and uses a relational approach to help couples rediscover joy and authenticity in their partnership.
Esther Lee, LCSW
Recommended for professionals struggling with their relationship
- Works with couples ✓
- Clientele: Adults, couples
- Location: California (Online)
- Virtual therapy: Yes
Drawing from her background as a former public defender, Esther understands how professional demands can strain relationships. She helps couples navigate burnout, set healthy boundaries between work and personal life, and reconnect when career stress has created distance in their partnership.
Liz Chang, MA
Recommended for highly sensitive people in relationships
- Works with couples ✓
- Clientele: Teens, adults, couples, families
- Location: California (Online)
- Virtual therapy: Yes
Liz specializes in helping sensitive, creative couples break free from cycles of overthinking and fear. Using narrative therapy, she helps partners rewrite unhelpful stories and develop healthier ways of relating that honor both individuals’ emotional depth and creativity.
Jennifer Gold, PhD, LMFT
Recommended for couples navigating trauma
- Works with couples ✓
- Clientele: Children, teens, adults, couples, families
- Location: California (Online) & Arcadia
- Virtual therapy: Yes
Jennifer creates a safe, supportive environment for couples navigating trauma and life transitions. She uses a blend of EMDR, DBT, and CBT to help partners heal together and build stronger connections through their shared challenges and growth.
Soo Jin Lee, LMFT
Recommended for new parents
- Works with couples ✓
- Clientele: Teens, adults, older adults, couples, families
- Location: California (Online)
- Virtual therapy: Yes
Soo Jin specializes in perinatal mental health and helping couples navigate the transition to parenthood. Her approach blends practical tools that you can start using right away with mind-body practices and deeper exploration to help couples manage anxiety and stress while strengthening their bond during major life changes.
FAQs about couples counseling
Do we need to be married to go to couples counseling?
Absolutely not! Couples therapy is beneficial for partners at any stage of their relationship, whether you’re dating, engaged, married, or in a long-term partnership. The focus is on improving your connection and communication, regardless of the label on your relationship.
How do we know if we need marriage therapy?
While there’s no wrong time to seek therapy, some of the main signs you could benefit from therapy are:
- Recurring conflicts,
- Feeling disconnected,
- Struggling with major decisions,
- A breach of trust,
- Navigating life changes, and
- Communication issues.
Some people also go to therapy because they simply want to strengthen their relationship. You don’t need to wait until problems become severe—many couples benefit from preventive therapy during transitions.
What kinds of issues can couples counseling help us with?
Couples counseling can help with nearly any kind of relationship issue. Common themes we see amongst our clients include:
- Communication problems,
- Trust issues,
- Intimacy concerns,
- financial stress,
- Parenting disagreements,
- Cultural differences,
- Life transitions,
- Infidelity recovery,
- Grief,
- Career changes,
- Family dynamics, and
- Relationship patterns that no longer serve you.
If you’re not sure whether marriage therapy is right for you and your partner, we encourage you to reach out so we can discuss your situation directly.
When is it too late to go to couples therapy?
It’s rarely too late if both partners are willing to engage in the process. While therapy works best when both people are committed to change, even relationships that seem irreparable can benefit from professional support in healing or conscious uncoupling. Again, if you’re not sure whether couples therapy can help you, it’s best to contact us directly.
What is the success rate of marriage counseling?
Research shows that up to 70% of couples report improvement after therapy. Success can depend on many factors, including willingness to change and finding the right fit with a therapist. Plus, all couples define success differently; some couples seek therapy to help them part ways in an intentional, respectful way.
What can we expect from the therapy process?
We’ll start by assessing what’s bringing you to therapy and setting goals for our work together. From here, sessions typically consist of learning more about your relationship dynamics, processing underlying issues, learning new communication skills, working through conflicts, and finding new ways of connecting. Each couple’s trajectory is different, and therapy will be tailored to your relationship.
How do we know if your practice is the right fit?
We specialize in culturally responsive care that honors your unique identities and backgrounds. Our strengths include:
- Therapists who understand multicultural and immigrant experiences
- Trauma-informed approaches that address root causes
- Multiple languages offered (Korean, Vietnamese, Mandarin, and more)
- Virtual sessions to make therapy accessible
- Offer both individual and couples therapy for relationship issues
- Evening and weekend availability
If you’re still unsure whether our practice is the right fit for you and your partner, we invite you to reach out.
How do we get started?
Fill out this brief online form to get in touch with us. We’ll follow up with you shortly to address any questions you might have and get you scheduled.