Founder
Michael Harris
MS, LMFT 100204
Michael Harris is a good fit for young adults and adults who want a therapist who shows up with genuine warmth, listens deeply, and helps them work through life’s difficult moments.
Couples therapy in Avila Beach & San Luis Obispo County
Get help changing the pattern between you.
When the same argument, silence, or distance keeps coming back, couples therapy gives you a calmer place to slow down, understand what is happening, and practice a different way to talk.
Couples therapist fit blueprint
Choosing a couples therapist starts with the pattern.
A good couples therapy fit is not only about the topic you are arguing about. It is also about the kind of presence your relationship needs in the room.
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Name the cycle you keep getting pulled into
Start with the pattern: escalation, withdrawal, resentment, repair that does not hold, parenting stress, loss of closeness, or feeling unheard.
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Notice what kind of therapist presence may help
Some couples need warmth and patience. Some need more direct interruption of the cycle. Some need help slowing down enough to hear what is underneath the first reaction.
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Check the practical fit
Couples sessions are typically 90 minutes. Provider fit, fee, location, telehealth availability, and scheduling can all shape the first step.
Couples therapy fit
Therapists who work with couples and relationships
The list below starts with therapists who offer couples therapy. You can clear the filter or choose another service if you want to compare options.
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Co-founder
Melissa Campe
MS, LMFT 108234
For clients seeking a compassionate, mindfulness-based style for anxiety, mood, relationships, or confidence.
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Associate Marriage and Family Therapist
Spencer Marley
MS, AMFT #154954
Employed and supervised by Michael Harris, LMFT #100204
For couples, parents, and clients ready to name patterns and try something different.
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Associate Clinical Social Worker
Nathan Rubinoff
MS, ASW #137611
Employed and supervised by Michael Harris, LMFT #100204
For teens and clients who want a collaborative, transparent process.
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Therapist
Hans Kulla-Mader
MS, LMFT 162290
For people who want honest, relational therapy that feels human.
Not sure which therapist is the best fit for your relationship? Share a little about what is happening and the practice can help you sort through the options.
Contact the Practice
Is couples therapy the right place to start?
Ask about fit
It is not about deciding who is right.
Couples often reach out when the same conversation keeps ending in anger, shutdown, distance, or hurt. The issue may look different each time, but the pattern underneath can start to feel familiar.
Couples therapy gives the relationship a steadier room. The work is to slow the cycle down, understand what each person is protecting, and practice conversations that can hold more honesty without turning into the same fight.
What you can bring into couples therapy
Start with the pattern that keeps pulling you back in.
Couples come in for different reasons. These are common entry points into the work.
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Repeating arguments
The topic changes, but the fight feels the same
Money, chores, sex, time, family, or parenting may become the surface of a cycle that neither person knows how to stop.
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Distance
You are together, but not reaching each other
There may be less affection, fewer honest conversations, or a quiet feeling that you are living beside each other.
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Repair after hurt
Something happened that still shapes the room
Old hurt, betrayal, resentment, or disappointment can keep returning even when both people want to move forward.
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Communication shutdown
One person pushes, one person pulls away
Pursue-and-withdraw patterns can leave both people feeling alone, blamed, or misunderstood.
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Parenting & family stress
The relationship is carrying the household pressure
Busy seasons, blended families, teen years, or parenting disagreements can make the couple connection harder to protect.
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Relationship history
Old family patterns are showing up now
Couples work can help name the habits, defenses, and assumptions each person learned before this relationship began.
Getting started
What happens when you reach out
The first step is simple. Send a message to get started or ask whether couples therapy is the right fit for what is happening between you.
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Send an appointment request
Share your contact information and a brief note about what you are looking for. You do not need to explain the whole relationship history at once.
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Sort through fit and logistics
The practice can help you think through therapist fit, session length, location, availability, and whether in-person or telehealth sessions make sense.
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Begin with a 90-minute couples session
The first sessions are a place to understand the pattern, hear both people clearly, and decide what the work should focus on next.
More practical answers are available on the FAQs page.
Insurance & CenCal
We accept CenCal — therapy may be covered.
CenCal is the Medi-Cal managed care plan for Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. If you are a CenCal member, contact us to ask about therapist availability and how to confirm your coverage.
Locations
Choose the location that works best for you
Meet in Avila Beach or San Luis Obispo, with telehealth available when remote sessions are the better fit.
Primary office
Avila Beach
6627 Bay Laurel Pl. Bld 5, Avila Beach, CA 93424Free parking is available near the office.
Get Avila Beach directionsSan Luis Obispo office
San Luis Obispo
599 Higuera St, San Luis Obispo, CA 93401Ask about availability for this location when you reach out.
Get San Luis Obispo directions