Do you feel a strain in your relationship? Does it seem as if your bond has weakened or frayed? Relationships are complex and ever-evolving. Even the most loving relationship can face challenges. Relationships require effort, understanding, and sometimes professional guidance to navigate challenges effectively. Dr. Yvonne Thomas, with many years of couples therapy in Los Angeles experience, can assist couples with identifying and resolving conflicts which may be damaging to the relationship.
With more than twenty-five years of experience as a psychologist specializing in relationship dynamics, Dr. Thomas provides a supportive and non-judgmental environment where couples can explore their emotions, rebuild trust, and foster deeper intimacy. Dr. Yvonne Thomas offers expert couples counseling that is tailored to meet the unique needs of each partnership.
- 25+ Years of Experience
- Psychology License # PSY 14489
- Many Insurance Plans Accepted
- Three Degrees in Psychology
- Wide Range of Expertise
- Flexible Scheduling
- Free Initial Phone Consultation
If it feels like something has negatively changed in your relationship, or if you and your significant other don’t communicate like the two of you used to, counseling can help in trying to strengthen and restore your bond.
Common Issues Addressed in Couples Counseling
Every relationship is unique, and the challenges couples face vary widely. Dr. Yvonne Thomas works with both partners to address a broad spectrum of concerns, helping them move toward greater harmony and fulfillment.
Dr. Thomas tailors her therapy to her clients’ specific needs and challenges. However, there are certain issues that have brought many couples to her:
Communication Difficulties
Miscommunication or poor communication habits can create resentment and emotional distance between partners. Some couples struggle with frequent arguments, while others avoid conflict altogether, leading to unresolved tension.
Therapy can help individuals express their needs clearly, listen actively, and engage in constructive dialogue rather than destructive patterns such as criticism, defensiveness, or stonewalling.
Intimacy and Connection
Over time, couples may experience a decline in their emotional or physical intimacy due to stress, busy schedules, or unresolved conflicts. Therapy can help partners reconnect by fostering vulnerability, improving emotional attunement, and reigniting passion.
Whether addressing differences in sexual desire or emotional attachment, couples counseling can help partners rediscover closeness.
Trust and Infidelity
Betrayal, whether emotional or physical, can severely damage a relationship. Rebuilding trust after infidelity requires time, patience, and professional guidance.
Dr. Thomas provides a safe space for both partners to process their emotions, understand the underlying issues that contributed to the breach of trust, and work toward reconciliation.
Parenting and Family Dynamics
Raising children introduces new challenges, from differing parenting styles to balancing family responsibilities. Disagreements over discipline, household duties, or financial priorities can strain a relationship.
Dr. Thomas can assist partners in aligning their parenting approaches, setting boundaries, and maintaining a strong partnership amid the demands of family life.
Life Transitions, External Stressors, and More
Significant life changes—such as career shifts, relocation, health issues, or caring for aging parents—can test even the strongest relationships.
Therapy helps couples navigate these transitions by improving coping strategies, building mutual support, and working to ensure that external pressures do not erode their connection.
This list is by no means exhaustive. If you feel that your relationship could use even a little bit of help, Dr. Thomas is more than happy to assist.
Couples Counseling in Los Angeles: The Benefits
Just as every relationship is different, so too will be the benefits both parties experience. For many, these include:
Improved Conflict Resolution Skills
Many couples struggle with recurring arguments that follow the same unproductive patterns. Therapy teaches partners how to disagree respectfully, find compromises, and resolve conflicts in ways that strengthen rather than damage the relationship. Learning these skills can help prevent minor disagreements from escalating into major rifts.
Greater Emotional Understanding
Couples often assume they understand their partner’s perspective, only to discover unmet needs or unspoken emotions beneath the surface. Counseling encourages deeper empathy and emotional attunement, helping partners recognize and validate each other’s feelings. This understanding can lead to a more supportive and nurturing relationship dynamic.
Renewed Commitment and Connection
For some couples, therapy serves as a powerful reminder of why they chose each other in the first place. By addressing unresolved grievances and rekindling positive interactions, partners can reignite their emotional and physical connection. It may take time and hard work, but many couples through therapy can end up feeling more united and optimistic about their future together.
Preventative Maintenance for Healthy Relationships
Even couples in stable relationships can benefit from therapy as a form of preventative care. Regular check-ins with a therapist can help partners address minor issues before they become major problems, ensuring long-term relationship health.
Dr. Thomas is ready to help.
What to Expect in Couples Counseling with Dr. Yvonne Thomas
Couples counseling, contrary to what some may believe, isn’t just Dr. Thomas talking the entire time. Instead, couples counseling is a collaborative process designed to meet the specific needs of each partnership. Her therapeutic approach is tailored to the couple’s goals.
During initial sessions, Dr. Thomas identifies strengths, challenges, patterns of interaction, and much more. This allows her to identify recurring conflicts, emotional disconnects, and underlying issues that may be contributing to distress. Rather than assigning blame, she helps couples recognize how their individual behaviors and communication styles influence the relationship dynamic.
Then, all of this helps her create a customized treatment plan that may include techniques from several therapy modalities.
As sessions progress, Dr. Thomas guides couples through conversations that encourage vulnerability and active listening. Many partners discover that their disagreements stem from unmet emotional needs or misinterpretations of each other’s intentions. By slowing down these interactions in therapy, couples can learn to express themselves more clearly and respond with empathy rather than defensiveness.
Throughout the process, Dr. Thomas provides a neutral and compassionate perspective, guiding couples toward greater self-awareness and mutual understanding.
Couples who do therapy with Dr. Yvonne Thomas also can learn to rebuild their connection and develop healthier patterns of interaction. Drawing upon her extensive background as a psychologist specializing in relationship dynamics, Dr. Thomas employs techniques tailored to each couple’s unique needs.
From Conflict to Connection
A central focus of Dr. Thomas’s approach is improving communication—not just by teaching techniques but by helping couples understand the emotions driving their interactions.
Many arguments escalate because partners react to surface-level words without recognizing the deeper fears, insecurities, or longings beneath them. Dr. Thomas helps couples identify these emotional undercurrents and reframe their discussions in a way that can further mutual understanding.
For example, a partner who says, “You never listen to me,” might truly be expressing, “I feel unimportant when my thoughts are dismissed.” Dr. Thomas helps individuals articulate their needs in a way that invites collaboration rather than defensiveness.
Breaking Negative Cycles
Many couples fall into predictable but harmful patterns—such as one partner wanting to keep discussing things while the other withdraws, or both partners escalating conflicts with criticism and contempt. Dr. Thomas helps couples recognize these cycles and understand how each person’s reactions inadvertently keep the pattern going. Through counseling, partners learn to interrupt these automatic responses and replace them with constructive behaviors.
For instance, a partner who tends to shut down during conflict might work on expressing their need for a brief pause rather than indefinitely being non-communicative with their significant other, while the other partner may learn to tolerate the brief pause without interpreting this as rejection. Over time, Dr. Thomas can help couples create new, healthier interaction skill sets.
Practical Tools for Lasting Change
Couples often drift apart not because of major betrayals, but due to gradual neglect of their bond—whether from busy schedules, unresolved resentments, or simply falling out of touch with each other.
She helps partners explore how their personal histories, attachment styles, or unresolved traumas may be influencing the relationship.
For example, someone who grew up in a household where emotions were dismissed might struggle to express vulnerability, while another with a fear of abandonment may become overly clingy during disagreements. Understanding each of the partners’ roots can allow couples to break free from their reactive patterns and respond to each other with greater awareness.
A Non-Judgmental Space for Relationships
Dr. Thomas’s practice welcomes couples who are in different relationship stages, whether dating, engaged, married, or considering separation or divorce. Her approach is flexible, adapting to the couple’s pace and goals.
Some partners seek short-term tools to address a specific issue, while others engage in longer-term work to transform deeply entrenched dynamics. Regardless of the path, her focus remains on empowering couples to create a relationship that feels secure, respectful, and fulfilling.
Lesser-Known Signs It May Be Time for Couples Counseling in Los Angeles
Relationships naturally encounter challenges, but certain patterns or persistent issues may indicate that professional guidance could be beneficial. Recognizing these signs early can prevent further emotional distance and help couples rebuild a stronger, healthier connection.
Common issues already mentioned on this page include communication issues, trust/fidelity, parenting, and life transitions. Other issues that Dr. Thomas has assisted with many times include:
Feeling Stuck or Uncertain About the Relationship
When one or both partners feel disconnected, unhappy, or unsure about the future of the relationship, therapy can provide clarity. Some individuals may question whether to stay together, while others may feel hopeless about improving their dynamic.
Dr. Yvonne Thomas can help couples assess their relationship honestly, explore their needs, and see if compromise can be attained so that the couple can decide whether to recommit or part ways amicably.
Individual Issues Impacting the Relationship
Personal struggles such as anxiety, depression, past trauma, or unresolved family dynamics can spill over into a partnership. If one partner’s emotional or mental health challenges are affecting the relationship, therapy can address both individual and relational healing.
Dr. Thomas has helped many relationships over the years. She can assist with the partners understanding how personal issues influence the couple’s interactions, and help develop strategies for each of the partners to emotionally support each other.
Different Visions for the Future
Diverging goals—whether about marriage, children, career paths, or lifestyle choices—can create tension if not addressed. If partners avoid discussing their long-term expectations or discover they have incompatible desires, therapy can help them explore compromises or make informed decisions about their future together.
When One Partner Is Reluctant to Attend Therapy
It’s common for one partner to be hesitant about counseling, whether due to stigma, fear of judgment, or skepticism about its effectiveness. However, even reluctant individuals often find that therapy provides valuable insights and tools.
Dr. Yvonne Thomas creates a neutral and non-judgmental space where both partners can express themselves freely, making it easier for hesitant individuals to engage in the process.
Many couples wait until their relationship is in crisis before seeking help, but therapy can be just as beneficial—if not more so—as a preventative measure.
Partners who attend counseling before major issues arise often develop stronger communication skills, deeper emotional bonds, and greater resilience against future challenges.
Does My Relationship Have to Be in Trouble for Couples Counseling?
Absolutely not. Couples therapy is not solely for relationships in crisis; it can also benefit partners who wish to enhance their connection, deepen emotional intimacy, or prepare for major life transitions such as marriage, parenthood, or retirement.
By engaging in couples counseling, partners can develop healthier patterns of interaction, strengthen their emotional bond, and prevent minor disagreements from escalating into larger conflicts.
Many couples face difficulties at some point in their relationship, no matter how long they’ve been together.
While some couples may attempt to resolve these issues on their own, professional couples counseling with Dr. Thomas can provide the structured guidance needed to facilitate meaningful change.
Unlike informal advice from friends or family, therapy with a licensed psychologist like Dr. Yvonne Thomas offers techniques designed to address the root causes of relationship distress.
Taking the First Step Toward a Healthier Relationship
Choosing the right therapist is a crucial step in the journey toward relationship improvement. Couples should seek a licensed psychologist with specialized training in relationship dynamics, such as Dr. Yvonne Thomas.
Factors to consider include the therapist’s experience, approach to treatment, and ability to create a safe and non-judgmental space for both partners.
Dr. Thomas provides a warm and professional experience where partners can explore their challenges openly.
Deciding to pursue couples counseling is a significant and often courageous step. It demonstrates a commitment to the relationship and a willingness to grow both individually and as partners.
Whether a couple is facing significant distress or simply wishes to enhance their connection, Dr. Thomas can provide the tools and insights needed for more durable and positive change.
For those in Los Angeles seeking professional guidance, Dr. Yvonne Thomas offers the expertise and compassionate support necessary to navigate relationship challenges successfully. Couples counseling in Los Angeles can be the catalyst for renewed understanding, deeper intimacy, and a more fulfilling partnership. By deciding to be in therapy, couples take an active role in shaping a healthier, happier future together.
Dr. Thomas strongly believes that finding the RIGHT Couples Counselor is the key to producing the best therapy results and experience. Schedule a free consultation today.
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