Relationship Counseling
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About Adult Psychotherapy
Relationship Counseling in Santa Monica & Los Angeles
Every relationship goes through difficult seasons. Whether you’re navigating a painful conflict, a slow drift apart, a breach of romance and sex is missing, or simply a sense that you’ve lost the ease and closeness you once had — couples counseling can help.
Dr. Sally Hackman, PhD, MFT, has been helping people with all kind of relationship in Santa Monica and Los Angeles rebuild communication, deepen understanding, and rediscover connection since 1986. She brings more than 35 years of clinical experience and advanced psychoanalytic training to work — along with the genuine belief that it is rarely too late to change the dynamic between two people who are willing to try.
Often, couples come to Dr. Hackman feeling hopeless, convinced they’ve tried everything. With the right guidance, you’ll learn to understand yourself and each other better, and to communicate in ways that actually work. It’s never too late to start.
Compassionate Care, Expert Guidance.
Personalized Solutions
No two couples carry the same history or struggle with the same dynamics. Dr. Hackman tailors her approach to your specific relationship — listening carefully to both partners, understanding each person’s background and needs, and working collaboratively toward the changes that matter most to you.
Proven Expertise
Board-licensed since 1992 with post-doctoral training in psychoanalytic therapy and decades of Relationship work, Dr. Hackman brings a sophisticated understanding of what drives relationship dynamics — and what changes them. She integrates attachment theory, relational approaches, and evidence-based communication techniques.
OUR COMMITMENT
Your Relationship Matters.
Couples counseling is not about finding out who is right. It is about helping both partners understand each other more deeply — including the patterns, histories, and needs that neither of you may fully see yet.
Dr. Hackman creates a space where both partners feel heard, respected, and safe enough to be honest. From there, real change becomes possible.
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Years of Relationship Counseling Experience
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Serving Santa Monica Continuously
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Confidential — Always
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First Session Free If You Don't Return
Key Points
What Couples Counseling Can Help With
Empowering Resilience
Learn to navigate conflict without it becoming destructive, understand each other's attachment needs, and build the skills to weather future challenges as a team.
Healing Space
Sessions available in-person in Santa Monica or via Zoom — a neutral, confidential space where both partners are equally welcomed and supported.
Transformative Support
From communication breakdown to infidelity to growing apart — Dr. Hackman has helped couples navigate the full range of relationship challenges and emerge with stronger, more honest connections.
AREAS COVERED
Relationship Counseling Areas
- Communication Breakdown
- Conflict Resolution
- Trust and Infidelity
- Growing Apart / Loss of Connection
- Parent and Adult child issues
- Adult sibling problems
- Friendship struggles
- coworkers
- Any Relationship between two or three people
- Parenting Differences
- Pre-Marital Counseling
- Life Transition Stress as a Couple
FAQ
Common Questions About Relationship Counseling
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Essentially yes — the terms are often used interchangeably. Dr. Hackman works with committed couples of all kinds, married or not, LGBTQ+ or straight, at any stage of their relationship.
Often, yes. Many couples come to Dr. Sally feeling hopeless, convinced they've tried everything. With the right guidance, you'll learn to understand yourself and each other better. It's never too late to start.
The ideal is for both partners to participate. However, individual therapy for the willing partner can still make a significant difference — and sometimes, when one partner changes, the dynamic between both shifts.
Yes. Couples counseling via Zoom is available and works well for many couples, especially those with busy schedules or who live across a wider area of Los Angeles.
Yes, counseling is confidential. Therapists are bound by ethical guidelines to keep your information private. However, there are exceptions, such as if there’s a risk of harm to yourself or others or legal requirements.