Relationship Therapist in Los Angeles CA
Casen Psychology | Sara Casen, PhD
Many of my clients come to therapy because …
Something in their relationships keeps repeating, even when they have spent a great deal of time thinking about what they want to do differently.
They may notice themselves becoming anxious when someone pulls away, overanalyzing communication, struggling to say what they mean during conflict, or choosing relationships that eventually begin to feel familiar in frustrating ways. Others find that closeness itself can become uncomfortable, especially when a relationship starts to feel more serious.
I provide relationships and dating therapy for adults navigating dating, romantic relationships, and long-standing relational patterns. I work primarily with people in their 20s and 30s, including college and graduate students and professionals in demanding fields. Sessions are available in person in West Los Angeles and by telehealth throughout California and New York.
As a licensed psychologist with a doctorate from Fordham University, I draw from attachment-focused therapy, psychodynamic psychotherapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT. My approach aims to combine greater understanding of relational patterns with practical ways of responding differently when those patterns arise.
Understand why relationship patterns repeat
Relationship patterns can develop through many experiences over time. Early relationships may contribute to what someone comes to expect from closeness, conflict, trust, and emotional vulnerability, but they are rarely the only factor.
In therapy, we may explore the patterns that seem to repeat across different relationships and situations. This can include noticing what happens when another person becomes more distant, when conflict begins, when someone wants more closeness, or when it becomes difficult to communicate a need directly.
Some clients describe becoming increasingly anxious when a relationship feels uncertain. They may reread conversations, look for signs that something has changed, or work hard to maintain the connection.
Others notice a different response. As emotional closeness increases, they may become more guarded, less communicative, or unsure why they suddenly want more distance.
There is no single explanation that applies to everyone. The goal is to understand the particular pattern that has developed for you and how it is affecting your current relationships.
For some people, dating anxiety becomes especially noticeable during periods of uncertainty, such as waiting for a response, moving from casual dating toward greater commitment, or trying to interpret mixed signals.
What can relationship therapy focus on?
Relationship therapy can create space to slow these experiences down and look more closely at what is happening.
Depending on what brings someone to therapy, our work may focus on:
Recognizing relational patterns earlier, rather than only understanding them after the fact
Communicating needs more clearly during difficult conversations
Understanding reactions to closeness, rejection, conflict, or uncertainty
Exploring how previous experiences may be influencing current expectations
Developing practical ways to respond when familiar patterns begin to emerge
Building greater awareness of how thoughts, emotions, and behaviors interact in relationships
The objective is not to create conflict-free relationships. Instead, therapy can help people understand their own responses more clearly and develop additional options for navigating difficult relational moments.
How I approach relationship therapy
My approach is integrative and typically draws from several frameworks.
Attachment-focused therapy can help us explore how earlier experiences may be influencing expectations around closeness, trust, reassurance, conflict, and independence.
Psychodynamic psychotherapy allows us to look more closely at patterns that may have developed over time and the meaning those patterns have taken on.
CBT can be useful for examining the thoughts and behaviors that accompany relationship anxiety, avoidance, communication difficulties, or recurring conflict.
Sessions are goal-directed, but that does not mean therapy follows a fixed formula. We identify what you want to understand or change and reflect on movement toward those goals as the work progresses.
I may also suggest reflection exercises, experiments, or strategies between sessions when they are relevant to what we are exploring.
My background and clinical training, including doctoral training at Fordham University and experience in a range of clinical settings, inform an approach that combines reflection with active therapeutic work.
What happens in the first few sessions?
The first sessions help me understand the relationships, experiences, and patterns that feel most relevant to what is happening now.
We may talk about current dating or relationship concerns, previous relationships, family dynamics, communication patterns, and situations in which you notice yourself responding in ways you would like to understand better.
From there, we begin developing goals for therapy together.
You do not need to arrive with a complete explanation for why a pattern is happening. Part of the work can be understanding that more clearly.
Questions people ask before booking
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No. People often begin relationship-focused therapy while single, dating, between relationships, or in a relationship. The work can focus on relational patterns regardless of your current relationship status.
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No. I provide individual therapy. We focus on your experiences, responses, relational patterns, and goals rather than working with both partners together.
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It varies. The length of therapy depends on what you would like to work on, the complexity of the concerns, and how the work develops over time. We set goals and reflect on progress as therapy continues.
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Previous therapy can give us useful information. We can discuss what felt helpful, what did not, what you were hoping for, and whether a different therapeutic approach or fit may better support your current goals.
Finding the right support is a journey.
If any of this resonated, a consultation call is a low-pressure way to continue to explore if my approach feels like the right fit for you.