Couples Therapy &
Marriage Counseling
Erik Anderson, LMFT
In-person in Playa Vista +
telehealth across California
Couples come to me when they're looking for someone who looks at the relationship’s dynamic instead of picking sides.
Most come to therapy because the negativity is outweighing the positivity. They haven’t stopped caring but they’re stuck in patterns of resentment or feeling like roommates and talking about it on their own isn’t working.
Sometimes couples therapy means slowing down to see what's really happening in the dynamic. Other times, it's about learning new ways to talk, listen, and understand each other while learning to let go of misunderstanding, anger and resentment.
I'm a couples therapist who is direct, active, and willing to mediate real-time, in session so you make progress instead of repeating conflicts.
Couples Come to Me For:
Having the same arguments on repeat
Broken trust
Feeling distant
Struggling with communication
Facing a major life event
Missing intimacy
Unsure their next step
You don't need to have the right words.
Therapy is where we figure them out together.
How Couples Therapy & Marriage COunseling With Me Works
Couples therapy isn't about assigning blame. It's about understanding the system you've built together, the patterns, assumptions, and reactions that keep you stuck, and then learning how to change them.
We'll focus on what's happening between you in real time. When tension builds in the room, I help mediate the conversation, slow things down, and point out what's really driving the conflict so you can learn different patterns in the moment.
I use a mix of evidence-based approaches tailored to how you both communicate and connect:
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Looks at how each partner's background and family patterns shape the relationship + helps couples understand the dynamics they've recreated and how to shift them.
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Identifies the unheard emotions and needs underneath conflict. EFT helps both partners feel understood rather than attacked.
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Offers structured tools to de-escalate fights, repair trust, and bring back appreciation and respect.
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Explores the deeper meaning, desire, and individuality within relationships; helps you reconnect with curiosity and intimacy.
My approach is straightforward: Understand what's happening, intervene where it matters, and help you both make changes that lasts.
After This Therapy, Couples Report:
Fewer fights, faster recovery
Communicating with honesty, empathy and improved understanding
Improved intimacy
Remembering why their relationship is "worth it"
Clarity on the future
Feeling more like a team again
No relationship is perfect but all good relationships have the skills to handle conflict and still choose each other.
About Me
Hi, I'm Erik Anderson, LMFT.
Across my career in New York and Los Angeles, I've worked with couples at every stage, from those in long-term conflict to those deciding whether to stay together. I've worked with gay and straight couples in private practice, in hospitals and in substance use treatment settings while helping partners reconnect, rebuild trust, and regain clarity.
I like working with couples because having both of you in the room shows how your relationship actually functions. I can see the patterns as they happen, and we can shift them in the moment.
Before becoming a therapist, I studied modern literature, taught math and science, and trained in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. The mix of curiosity, precision, and structure shapes how I approach therapy today.
If you're ready to start rebuilding your connection, I'd be glad to help.
Education, Credentials, & Trainings
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, California
M.S. in Counseling, California State University, Long Beach
B.A. in Modern Literature, University of California, Santa Cruz
Advanced training in psychotherapy outcomes research (Scott D. Miller, PhD)
Post Graduate training in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy
Active in the Rationality community, curates the Astral Codex Ten Psychiat-list
Getting Started in 3 Steps
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Reach out via the contact form. No pressure to explain everything perfectly.
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We'll talk for 15 minutes to see what brings you in, see if it's a good fit and answer your questions.
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We'll dig into what's happening, identify the key issues, and start making progress.
Let's make this the start of things getting better.