Couples therapy that
goes beneath the same fight.
For partners ready to stop repeating the pattern
I'm Dr. Anna Huang, a licensed clinical psychologist. My couples work is depth-oriented: we look at how each of you learned love and safety, how culture and family show up in the space between you, and what keeps pulling you back into the same argument — even when you both desperately want out of it.
If any of this sounds familiar, you’re not broken.
The couples I see are often high-achieving in every other part of life — and confused about why this one area keeps defeating them.
The same conversation, new words
You keep having a version of the same argument — about money, in-laws, chores, or who cares more — and each round leaves you further apart.
The distance that quietly grows
You're not fighting as much anymore. You've stopped bringing things up because it doesn't feel worth it. The silence is its own kind of lonely.
Different ideas of what's wrong
One of you wants to talk it out, the other needs space. One feels criticized, the other feels dismissed. You're both right about your own experience — and stuck anyway.
What couples therapy looks like with me
My approach is psychodynamic and attachment-oriented, which means we go beyond communication scripts and look at what drives the pattern underneath.
Understand each history
We look at how your family of origin, culture, and early relationships taught each of you what love means, what conflict means, and how to be safe in a relationship.
Interrupt the pattern live
Sessions become practice. When the familiar dance starts in the room, we slow it down, name it, and try something different — with me actively coaching, not just observing.
Rebuild repair and trust
We restore your ability to make mistakes with each other and come back. Repair, not perfection, is what makes a relationship feel safe again.
When culture and family sit in the room with you
Many couples I work with carry a second, quieter conversation: filial duty, in-law expectations, the pressure to look fine to relatives, immigrant parents' sacrifices that make 'selfishness' feel unbearable. Sometimes partners from the same culture experience these pulls differently; sometimes you come from different worlds entirely.
I understand these dynamics from the inside, as a second-generation Asian American psychologist. We'll name what your families taught you about marriage and loyalty — without turning your parents into villains. The goal is for the two of you to choose your life together, not just inherit one.
A quiet office close to home
My office is at 5242 Katella Avenue, Suite 202, in Los Alamitos — just off the 605 at the Katella exit, minutes from Cypress, Rossmoor, Seal Beach, and Garden Grove. Couples often come straight from work in Long Beach or the business corridors along Katella, or slip out during a lunch hour from home. Parking is easy and the waiting room is private — you won't run into anyone you know.
If life is too full for the drive, I also see couples virtually anywhere in California. Some partners alternate: one week in person at the Los Alamitos office, the next week online from the couch at home. Whatever keeps the weekly hour protected is the right arrangement.
Couples from across Orange County — Los Alamitos, Cypress, Seal Beach, Huntington Beach, Westminster, and beyond — choose this practice because the work is depth-oriented and tailored, not a worksheet curriculum. If you've tried app-based counseling or a weekend retreat and the pattern came back, that's usually a sign you need something that goes further down.
Questions couples often ask
Do you work with couples where one partner is hesitant about therapy?
Yes. Hesitation is common and it does not mean couples therapy will not help. We start wherever the reluctant partner is comfortable — often that means understanding why this feels exposing or hopeless first. My job is to make the room feel safe enough that both of you can actually talk.
We're an Asian American couple — will you understand the family piece?
Yes. As a second-generation Asian American psychologist, I work regularly with couples navigating in-law expectations, filial duty, and the different ways partners from the same culture can experience family loyalty. That context shapes the work without becoming the whole story.
How long does couples therapy usually take?
Couples meet weekly for 50 minutes. Many partners notice a shift in how they talk within the first month; deeper pattern change usually takes several months of consistent work. We check in on your goals regularly so therapy stays pointed.
Is couples therapy covered by insurance?
I am an out-of-network provider. Many PPO plans reimburse 60–80% of session costs after your deductible, and I provide monthly superbills for easy submission. Couples session rates are shared during the free 15-minute consultation.
Do you offer in-person and virtual couples sessions?
Both. In-person couples sessions happen at my Los Alamitos office on Katella Avenue, minutes from Cypress, Seal Beach, and Rossmoor. I also see couples virtually anywhere in California — some partners alternate between the two. What matters is protecting a consistent weekly hour, whichever format makes that easiest.
We're dealing with a betrayal. Can therapy still help?
Often, yes — though I won't pretend it's quick or painless. In the early stage the priority is stabilization: stopping the bleeding, answering what needs answering, and helping both of you get through the week. Only then can the deeper question be addressed — what in the relationship made the betrayal possible. Some couples come out the other side stronger; some come to a clear, kind ending. Both are honest outcomes.
We're not married yet — is this different from premarital counseling?
Couples therapy is for repairing a pattern that's already causing pain; premarital counseling is proactive — building the tools before the wedding. If you're engaged and mostly healthy but want to prepare deliberately, I also offer structured Prepare-Enrich premarital work, which you can read about on my premarital counseling page. Many couples start with one and transition to the other as things evolve.
How do we start?
Schedule a free 15-minute consultation. It's a brief, low-pressure conversation — usually with both partners on the line — where you can ask questions and I can make sure I'm the right fit for what you need. If it clicks, we find a weekly time and begin.