Couples Therapy
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT for Couples)
Relationships have their own patterns — and those patterns can be changed. Dr. Kittinger is trained in Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples (EFT), an evidence-based approach rooted in attachment theory and the science of emotion.
In EFT, the relationship itself is the patient. Rather than taking sides, Dr. Kittinger helps partners slow down, understand what's really happening between them, and build genuine compassion for each other. The goal is lasting change — not just better communication, but a deeper, more secure connection.
Dr. Kittinger welcomes LGBTQIA+ individuals and couples, non-heteronormative identities, and ethically non-monogamous (ENM) relationships and family dyads seeking relational therapy. Compassionate Collective is based in Orange County, California and offers couples therapy online throughout California, Oregon, and Washington.
What Brings Couples to Therapy
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Communication challenges are one of the most common reasons couples or relationships seek therapy. Many partners find themselves stuck in repeating arguments, defensiveness, withdrawal, or feeling chronically misunderstood. In relational therapy, we slow down these patterns and build healthier communication patterns that foster emotional safety, clarity, and deeper understanding between partners.
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Trust can be shaken by betrayal, emotional disconnection, unresolved conflict, or repeated misunderstandings. Relationship therapy provides a structured space to process relationship ruptures, understand the underlying dynamics, and rebuild trust over time. Through relational work, partners learn how to repair conflict, restore emotional safety, and strengthen the foundation of the relationship.
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Whether you are dating, preparing for marriage, or navigating a long-term partnership, couples therapy can help clarify expectations and strengthen the relationship early on. Premarital counseling often focuses on communication styles, conflict resolution, shared values, finances, sex and intimacy expectations, and future goals. This work helps couples build a strong relational foundation before challenges become entrenched patterns.
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Over time, many couples experience emotional distance, decreased intimacy, or a sense of drifting apart. Relationship therapy helps partners reconnect by exploring attachment needs, vulnerability, and the patterns that create distance. Together we work toward rebuilding emotional closeness, strengthening intimacy, and restoring a sense of partnership.
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Sexual intimacy is an important part of many relationships, yet couples often struggle to talk openly about desire, mismatched libidos, sexual shame, or feeling disconnected physically. Couples therapy provides a supportive space to explore how emotional safety, communication, stress, and past experiences shape your intimate relationship. Using a relational approach, we work to rebuild trust, deepen vulnerability, and create a more satisfying and authentic sexual connection.
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Major life transitions — including pregnancy, postpartum changes, and raising children — can significantly impact a relationship. Couples therapy helps partners navigate shifting roles, parenting stress, sleep deprivation, and evolving identities while maintaining connection. This work supports couples in staying aligned as partners while growing into parenthood.
Let’s Begin This Work Together
Starting couples therapy can feel vulnerable—especially if you’ve been feeling stuck, disconnected, or caught in the same patterns.
You don’t need to have the “right” way to talk about things before you begin. We’ll slow things down together, creating space for both of you to feel heard, understood, and supported.
If you’re ready to begin couples therapy, you can schedule a free 15 minute consultation call below.
