Couples Therapy · Walnut Creek
Couples therapy
for Walnut Creek.
You used to be a team. Somewhere between the second kid, the second startup job, and the second pandemic, you stopped feeling like one. You're not fighting more. You just aren't really finding each other anymore. We see this couple in Walnut Creek almost every week, and there's a way back.
Evidence-based couples work for partners along the 680 corridor. We use the Gottman Method, Emotionally Focused Therapy, and attachment-based work. Telehealth across California, plus in-person with Tina Masoudi, AMFT #155851 (supervised by Christina Mathieson, LMFT #115093), at our Walnut Creek office.
Who we see in Walnut Creek
The pattern, named.
Here's the pattern we see again and again in Walnut Creek: two people who love each other, doing everything right on paper (kids, careers, the house in Parkmead or up in Northgate), and neither of you has had a real conversation that wasn't logistical in eight months. One of you misses the other, the other misses being missed, and neither of you knows how to say that without it turning into the same fight about the dishwasher.
It's not unusual. In a town where everyone is running 110%, the relationship is usually the first thing that gets quietly underfunded. The promotion got attention, the kids got attention, the remodel got attention. The two of you got whatever was left, which most weeks was nothing.
The relief, when couples sit down in a session and finally let the shoulders drop, is one of the most consistent things we see in this work. Not because anything is fixed yet, but because someone is finally paying attention to the us of it.
How the work goes
Structured, not vague.
We start with a full intake: the story of the relationship, what's happening now, what each of you most wants from the work. Some couples do this together. Others start with a brief individual session each so we can hear both sides without interruption.
From there, the backbone is the Gottman Method. Structured tools for conflict, friendship, and intimacy, based on 40+ years of research on what actually predicts relationship outcomes. We integrate Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) to work the emotional pattern underneath the content of your fights (the pursue/withdraw cycle, the protect/protest dance). Sex therapy comes in when desire, pleasure, or intimacy is part of what needs attention.
Most Walnut Creek couples we see meet weekly for the first stretch, then taper as things settle. Telehealth is the default. It's easier for getting both people on the calendar. In-person is available at our Walnut Creek office when it's the right call.
Who you'd work with
The team for Walnut Creek couples.
Christina Mathieson
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) #115093
Founder and lead clinician. Gottman Method Level 2 trained, with comprehensive sex therapy training from the Buehler Institute. That means couples work and sexual connection get held in the same room, not split between two specialists. Telehealth across California.
Read Christina's full bio
Tina Masoudi
Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist (AMFT) #155851
Registered Associate Professional Clinical Counselor (APCC) #19568
Supervised by Christina Mathieson, LMFT #115093
Tina is the clinician on our team who offers in-person couples sessions at our Walnut Creek office, by client request or clinical recommendation. Integrative, trauma-informed, and faith-integrated for clients who want it.
Read Tina's full bioFAQ
Common questions from Walnut Creek couples.
Is couples therapy available in person in Walnut Creek?
+
Yes. In-person couples sessions are available with Tina Masoudi, AMFT #155851 (supervised by Christina Mathieson, LMFT #115093), at 1460 Maria Ln, Suite 300, Walnut Creek, by client request or clinical recommendation. Telehealth is the default across the rest of our team, and it works just as well for couples. Most Walnut Creek and 680-corridor couples we see choose video sessions to fit around commutes and childcare.
How long does couples therapy take?
+
Honest answer: most couples we see start to feel something shift within four or five sessions. Not 'we're fixed,' but 'oh, that's what's happening between us.' Real change tends to land somewhere between session 8 and 12. If you're carrying a betrayal or years of disconnection, give it longer. What we'll promise: if nothing's moving by week six, we'll say so out loud. We don't sit in stuck.
We tried couples therapy before and it didn't work. Why try again?
+
Two things usually go sideways the first time around. Either the therapist isn't trained in a structured couples model (a lot of generalists do supportive listening, not couples work), or the fit was off. Our couples lead, Christina Mathieson, LMFT #115093, is Gottman Method Level 2 trained. That's a structured framework with 40+ years of research behind it on what actually predicts whether couples make it. The free consult exists so you can sense fit before booking real sessions.
Do you work with LGBTQ+, non-monogamous, or kink-involved couples?
+
Yes, affirmingly. No teaching required and no translation needed. The work follows the same evidence-based frameworks; your relationship structure is held as part of who you are, not something to fix. Michelle Cortez, AMFT #146795 (supervised by Christina Mathieson, LMFT #115093), particularly specializes in ethical non-monogamy and attachment work across configurations.
What if my partner won't come?
+
You can still do meaningful relationship work in individual therapy. Many clients start there, shifting their own patterns and getting clearer about what they want, and the partner often joins later. Sometimes the work is about deciding whether to stay. Either way, you don't need both partners on board to begin.
References & further reading
- Gottman Method — research overview — The Gottman Institute
- Brené Brown on Empathy (RSA Short) — Brené Brown / RSA
- Brené Brown on Blame (RSA Short) — Brené Brown / RSA
- Come Together — Emily Nagoski, PhD — Emily Nagoski, PhD
Ready to talk it through?
Free 15-minute call. We'll figure out if we're the right fit, talk through telehealth or in-person with Tina, and match you with the right person on our team.
Book a Free Consult