Blog Posts
Practical insights on relationships, couples therapy, and emotional well-being—written by our team of EFT-trained therapists in Danville, CA.
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- Emotionally Focused Therapy
- Affair Recovery
- Couples Therapy
- Premarital Counseling
- Separation and Divorce Therapy
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How Childhood Wounds Can Shape Adult Relationships
The ways we learned to seek comfort as children tend to follow us into adulthood, and unmet needs...
Rediscovering Your Identity Beyond Your Relationship
When a relationship ends, many people find that the loss reaches much further than the partnership...
Screens and Relationships: Staying Connected in a Digital World
Technology promises to keep couples close, offering constant text access, video calls across...
How to Overcome Trust Issues in a Relationship
Trust issues can develop after infidelity, dishonesty, broken boundaries, emotional disconnection,...
Is Being Too Selective in Dating Keeping You Single?
Many people who are single wonder whether their own standards have become the very thing keeping...
Codependency vs. Interdependency: Key Differences Explained
Close relationships thrive on connection, but healthy connection does not require either partner...
What Is an Avoidant Attachment Style in Relationships?
Many people notice a pattern in their relationships where closeness starts to feel uncomfortable...
ADHD and Your Relationship: Understanding Common Challenges
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, is often thought of as a condition that affects...
How to Heal After a Breakup: Signs You’re Ready to Move On
Going through a breakup is one of the most disorienting experiences a person can have. The grief,...
How Disconnection in Relationships Can Affect Mental Health
Emotional connection is one of the most fundamental human needs and one of the most powerful...
How Childhood Wounds Can Shape Adult Relationships
The ways we learned to seek comfort as children tend to follow us into adulthood, and unmet needs...
Screens and Relationships: Staying Connected in a Digital World
Technology promises to keep couples close, offering constant text access, video calls across...
Codependency vs. Interdependency: Key Differences Explained
Close relationships thrive on connection, but healthy connection does not require either partner...
What Is an Avoidant Attachment Style in Relationships?
Many people notice a pattern in their relationships where closeness starts to feel uncomfortable...
What Progress Looks Like in Emotionally Focused Therapy
Many couples arrive at therapy feeling stuck in the same painful patterns. Perhaps you've noticed...
Understanding Attachment Styles with Emotionally Focused Therapy
Have you ever wondered why you react in certain ways in relationships? Do you question why some...
Emotionally Focused Therapy: How Do You Know If Its Working in Your Relationship?
Maybe you and your partner have been attending counseling sessions for Emotionally Focused Therapy...
What to Know About Separation Anxiety
Separation anxiety can take a serious toll on relationships. An individual can experience an...
Embracing Openness: Ways to Practice Emotional Vulnerability
Do you get nervous about expressing yourself honestly? Being emotionally vulnerable isn’t easy....
The Lasting Effects of Unmet Childhood Needs on Adult Relationships
If you did not have your needs met by your caregivers when you were a young child, it can have a...
Coping with Infidelity: How to Heal and Move Forward
Uncovering infidelity in your relationship—whether emotional, physical, or digital—can feel like...
Drawing the Line: What Is the Difference Between Emotional Infidelity and Friendship?
Perhaps your partner has expressed concerns about your relationship with a close friend. You see...
Infidelity in Relationships: Just How Widespread Is It?
Many people struggle with infidelity in their relationships. Perhaps you have been cheated on in...
Infidelity: What to do After Discovering an Affair
Has the discovery of an affair rocked your relationship? Does it feel like the rug has...
How to Overcome Trust Issues in a Relationship
Trust issues can develop after infidelity, dishonesty, broken boundaries, emotional disconnection,...
ADHD and Your Relationship: Understanding Common Challenges
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, is often thought of as a condition that affects...
How Disconnection in Relationships Can Affect Mental Health
Emotional connection is one of the most fundamental human needs and one of the most powerful...
The Hidden Influence of Online Culture on Modern Relationship Expectations
Social media has quietly moved from something we check occasionally to something that shapes how...
Parents.com: Feel Guilty Leaving the Baby? Here’s Why That Romantic Getaway Is Actually Worth It
In a recent article from Parents, Stephanie is featured discussing the guilt many new parents feel...
Common Myths About Love That Are Affecting Relationships
Love is one of the most meaningful experiences in human life. It can bring deep joy, comfort, and...
Simple Communication Tips to Strengthen Your Relationship
"Communication is the key to any relationship." You've probably heard this phrase countless times,...
What Happens When Your Partner Won’t Go to Couples Therapy?
You've been thinking about couples therapy for weeks, maybe months. You finally work up the...
Work-From-Home Relationships: Surviving and Thriving in 24/7 Togetherness
More couples than ever are navigating the unique challenge of working from home together. While...
Care.com: How to prioritize your partnership when parenting gets overwhelming
In a thoughtful new article on Care.com, Stephanie Saari, LMFT, highlights how parenting often...
Premarital Communication: How to Get on the Same Page Before Saying “I Do”
Engagement is one of the most exciting seasons a couple can share. There are venues to book, guest...
Marriage Expectations vs. Reality: What Every Newlywed Should Know
Marriage is often painted as the ultimate "happily ever after." In popular culture, it’s...
Merging Lives: A Practical Guide for Newlyweds
For newlyweds, merging lives can be challenging. You and your spouse might be excited about this...
Navigating Pre-Wedding Anxiety: A Helpful Guide
Everyone says your wedding is supposed to be the happiest day of your life. Yet with the big day...
Wedding Planning? 5 Ways To Plan To Stay Married Forever
You’ve dated, fallen in love, gotten engaged and are now meticulously planning for the “big day”....
Rediscovering Your Identity Beyond Your Relationship
When a relationship ends, many people find that the loss reaches much further than the partnership...
How to Heal After a Breakup: Signs You’re Ready to Move On
Going through a breakup is one of the most disorienting experiences a person can have. The grief,...
How Divorce Triggers Anxiety and Panic Attacks (and What Helps)
Divorce is one of life's most emotionally disruptive experiences, even when it feels like the...
Understanding and Addressing Complicated Grief Post-Divorce
If you’ve recently divorced your spouse, you might feel like you’re still stuck on an emotional...
How to Recover from Divorce
Ending a relationship can be a difficult and devastating process, but when children are involved,...
Is Being Too Selective in Dating Keeping You Single?
Many people who are single wonder whether their own standards have become the very thing keeping...
How to Heal After a Breakup: Signs You’re Ready to Move On
Going through a breakup is one of the most disorienting experiences a person can have. The grief,...
Quick Nervous System Reset: 10-Minute Practices for Anxiety Relief
Anxiety doesn't always arrive with a dramatic event. Sometimes it sneaks in during a busy workday...
How Self-Esteem Shapes Interpersonal Dynamics and Communication
Healthy relationships are deeply connected to how people see themselves. Self-esteem, or one’s...
Care.com: When your senior loved one has social anxiety, here’s how to help
In a recent article from Care.com on anxiety in older adults, Stephanie is featured as an expert...
Why You Overwork to Avoid Your Emotions (And How to Break the Cycle)
Our culture has a complicated relationship with busyness. Packed schedules are worn like badges of...
Anxious Attachment Style: 5 Tips for Making Dating Easier
If you've ever caught yourself checking your phone obsessively after a first date, worrying that a...
How Body Image Struggles Can Affect Your Relationship—And What to Do About It
Body image is deeply personal, yet it doesn't exist in a vacuum. The way you see and feel about...
Understanding the Difference Between Healthy and Unhealthy Guilt
Guilt is a normal human emotion. Sometimes, it sends us a valuable signal that our actions have...
The Basics of Psychodynamic Therapy: How It Works and What to Expect
Maybe you’ve been struggling with your mental health, and you’re open to working with a counselor....
