Interacial & Cross-Cultural Therapy for Black Women in California
What if the relationships we choose aren’t random, but invitations to grow?
For many Black women partnered with someone from a different racial or cultural background, love often opens new terrain—around identity, belonging, safety, family, and the stories you’ve carried about what partnership “should” look like. These relationships can bring joy and expansion, while also surfacing layered questions about visibility, loyalty, lineage, and how to stay connected to yourself inside difference.
This isn’t about conflict or crisis.
It’s about depth.
Whether you're in the early stages of commitment or years into a partnership that now feels ready for its next evolution, therapy offers space to explore what is emerging between you—without shrinking, code-switching, or over-functioning to maintain harmony. Love can be a place where your history, softness, boundaries, clarity, and brilliance are not only welcomed but strengthened.
Growth and discomfort can be part of intimacy, but they should never come at the cost of emotional or physical safety. Together, we’ll support connection and understanding while also discerning when a moment calls for repair, renegotiation, grounding, or simply more honest conversation.
My approach blends attachment-focused couples therapy (informed by PACT and EFT) with culturally attuned dialogue. We slow down your nervous systems, deepen your emotional literacy as a couple, and build the capacity to navigate racial, cultural, and relational differences with more clarity, compassion, and steadiness—together.
As a Black licensed psychologist, I bring both clinical expertise and lived cultural understanding to this work — especially the ways identity, lineage, and partnership intersect for Black women.
What We Can Explore Together
Love across racial and cultural lines can be expansive, tender, and deeply meaningful—yet still bring moments where you and your partner bump into difference, misunderstanding, or old narratives you’ve each carried for years.
In our work together, we slow things down so both of you can hear what’s happening underneath the surface—emotionally and culturally. Some couples come to explore new layers of commitment; others want to strengthen what’s already working.
Together, we may work on:
• Navigating cultural or racial differences with more ease and honesty
Noticing when identity or lineage influences how each of you interprets a moment.
• Understanding your nervous systems as a pair
Learning how your bodies read safety or threat.
• Strengthening communication that honors both emotional and cultural realities
Moving beyond surface-level problem-solving to the deeper meaning and histories that shape your interactions.
• Exploring family expectations, boundaries, and belonging
Especially important for Black women whose partnerships may be read differently within family or community contexts.
• Deepening connection without losing yourself
Honoring your values, voice, and history while also fostering a relationship that feels mutually supportive.
This is not about fixing one partner or “solving” difference.
It’s about creating a relationship where both people can stay connected, honest, and attuned—even in moments that feel unfamiliar or emotionally charged.
How Our Sessions Work (Attachment, Culture, and the Nervous System)
In couples therapy, we aren’t just talking about problems — we’re paying attention to the emotional and cultural forces shaping how you relate to one another. Sessions move at a slower, more intentional pace than everyday conversations, so both of you can feel what’s happening beneath the surface rather than reacting from old habits, identity defenses, or survival strategies.
We work with three things at once:
1. Your Attachment Patterns
Every couple brings a unique mix of early experiences, family expectations, and relational blueprints into partnership.
Together, we notice:
what helps you feel connected
what activates frustration, distance, or shutdown
how each of you reaches for safety or pulls away from it
This gives you both language — and compassion — for patterns you couldn’t previously name.
2. Your Cultural and Racial Context
Your relationship doesn’t exist in a vacuum.
It is shaped by:
lineage
community expectations
differing ideas about communication or emotion
the realities of being a Black woman loved by someone from another cultural background
Rather than avoiding these conversations, we bring them in with respect and grounded clarity.
This allows you both to understand not just each other’s words, but the histories beneath them.
3. Your Nervous Systems in Real Time
When conversations get heated or tender, your body often reacts before your mind does.
In session, we slow your physiology:
breath
pace
tone
proximity
facial cues
felt safety
This helps you stay connected even when the conversation is emotionally charged.
Over time, you learn how to regulate together — creating a more secure emotional ecosystem for your relationship.
A Session Might Look Like…
exploring how a recent moment activated old narratives
noticing when one partner feels unseen or misunderstood
understanding how cultural difference shapes meaning
practicing new ways of reaching for one another
finding language for needs you’ve never expressed out loud
creating rituals of safety and connection you can use outside of therapy
This is not about assigning blame or deciding who is “right.”
It’s about learning how to stay open, curious, and connected — even when the topic touches something deep.
Common Dynamics Interracial & Cross-Cultural Couples Navigate
Every couple has places where they feel deeply connected and places where they feel misunderstood. In interracial or cross-cultural partnerships, those tender spots sometimes reflect more than personal preference—they can reflect history, identity, lineage, or unspoken cultural expectations neither partner realized they were carrying.
You don’t need to be struggling to explore these dynamics.
You just need to be willing to look with honesty and care.
Here are some of the themes that often arise in this work:
• Communication styles shaped by culture or family systems
What feels “direct” or “respectful” to one partner may feel overwhelming, vague, or emotionally distant to the other. Mapping these patterns helps you understand the meaning beneath the message.
• Emotional availability and vulnerability across cultural lines
Some partners grew up in families where feelings were named openly; others learned to be self-reliant or guarded. Therapy helps you meet each other without judgment.
• Different interpretations of conflict, repair, and accountability
How you address tension may be inherited—through culture, gender roles, or lived experience. Understanding these layers reduces blame and builds clarity.
• Navigating race-based stress, safety, and visibility
For Black women, moments of misunderstanding can feel tied to lineage or identity rather than a single incident. Helping your partner understand this context makes connection steadier and more grounded.
• Family expectations, boundaries, and belonging
Questions about inclusion, respect, cultural rituals, holidays, and extended family relationships often arise in mixed-heritage partnerships. These conversations can open new paths toward mutual understanding.
• Feeling “different” in public or social spaces
Interracial couples sometimes feel the world watching—or misreading—their relationship. Therapy creates space to process how that impacts each partner emotionally and somatically.
• Balancing individuality with shared identity
You are two people coming from different worlds, building something that belongs to both of you. That takes intention, not perfection.
None of these dynamics mean something is wrong.
They mean your relationship is layered, meaningful, and worthy of thoughtful care.
FAQs
Do we need to be in crisis to start couples therapy?
Not at all. Many couples come to deepen connection, strengthen communication, or explore identity and cultural dynamics before they become sources of tension. Therapy can be a proactive, grounding space—not just a response to conflict.
Is this only for couples who are dating or engaged?
No. I work with couples in early commitment, long-term partnerships, and relationships that are evolving into new chapters. Marriage doesn’t have to be the goal; the goal is clarity, connection, and emotional honesty.
Does my partner have to be Black for this therapy to be relevant?
No. This work supports Black women partnered with anyone—regardless of race or cultural background. The space centers your lived experiences while helping both partners navigate difference with more attunement and understanding.
What if my partner is nervous about therapy or unsure what to expect?
That’s completely normal. Sessions move at a thoughtful pace, and both of you will be guided gently into the work. My approach focuses on slowing down your interactions so each person feels seen, supported, and not blamed.
Do we need to attend sessions together every time?
Most sessions are joint sessions, but I occasionally meet with partners one-on-one when it supports the work. This is always done with transparency and care for the relationship as a whole.
Do you work with LGBTQ+ couples?
Yes. My practice is inclusive of all genders, identities, and relationship configurations.
What if cultural, religious, or family expectations are part of our tension?
This is incredibly common in cross-cultural partnerships. We’ll explore these layers with respect, curiosity, and grounding—helping you understand how identity, belonging, and lineage influence your relationship.
Is online couples therapy effective?
Yes. Research shows online couples therapy can be just as effective as in-person sessions. Virtual sessions often give couples more emotional regulation, comfort, and flexibility.
How long do couples usually work with you?
It varies. Some couples come for 6–10 sessions to deepen communication; others engage in longer-term work to rebuild emotional foundation or expand intimacy. We move at a pace aligned with your goals.
What if we’re unsure whether we want to stay together?
You don’t need to have the answer before you begin. Therapy can help you slow down, understand what’s driving your uncertainty, and make decisions from a grounded—not reactive—place.
What are your fees, and do you take insurance?
I am an out-of-network provider and do not accept insurance, but I can provide superbills. Fees and scheduling details are available through my booking page.
Why Black Women Seek This Kind of Support
For many Black women, partnership across racial or cultural lines can bring both expansion and complexity. You may love your partner deeply and still find yourself carrying questions about belonging, identity, safety, or how to stay connected to yourself while navigating difference. None of this means you’re “too sensitive” or “overthinking.” It means your lived experience is layered—and your relationship is tapping into history, legacy, and emotional truths that deserve space.
Black women often seek this kind of support because:
• You want a relationship where you don’t have to translate yourself.
You’re tired of filtering, softening, or overexplaining parts of your identity to maintain harmony.
• You want your partner to understand what race, lineage, or culture mean in your daily life.
Not in theory, but in the emotional, embodied ways these realities shape safety, belonging, and visibility.
• You carry the weight of being “the strong one.”
In relationships, this often shows up as overfunctioning, carrying emotional labor, or holding the relationship steady at the cost of your own needs.
• You want to feel seen without shrinking or code-switching.
You’re ready for a partnership where authenticity feels possible—and supported.
• You’re navigating family, community, or cultural expectations.
Even when things are going well, there may be questions about acceptance, respect, or how to honor your roots while building something new.
• You want to grow, not collapse under pressure.
Therapy gives you tools to deepen connection without losing yourself, especially in moments where cultural or racial dynamics surface unexpectedly.
This isn’t about choosing sides—your identity or your relationship.
It’s about creating a space where both can coexist, thrive, and expand with intention.
When Black women feel supported, understood, and emotionally safe, their relationships often grow in ways that feel steadier, more honest, and more deeply connected.
What Makes My Approach Different
Couples therapy is not one-size-fits-all—especially for relationships shaped by race, culture, and the emotional labor Black women often carry quietly. My approach centers depth, presence, and the lived realities of both partners so you can build a connection that feels grounded rather than performative or fragile.
Here’s what makes this space different:
• We work with your nervous systems, not just your words
Most conflict isn’t intellectual—it’s physiological.
I help couples notice how breath, tone, posture, and pacing shape connection. When your bodies feel safer, communication becomes clearer and more compassionate.
• We name culture, race, and lineage without tiptoeing
Your identities matter.
Your histories matter.
Rather than avoiding these themes, we explore them with respect and clarity so neither partner feels erased or misunderstood.
• We slow down interactions to reveal what’s underneath
Fast conversations often hide tenderness, fear, or longing.
By slowing the moment, you gain access to what you’re really trying to say—and to the parts of you that want connection but don’t know how to communicate it.
• We honor the emotional labor Black women often carry
You may be used to reading the room, smoothing conflict, and holding steady for everyone else.
In this space, those patterns are seen, validated, and explored—not taken for granted.
• We focus on repair, not blame
The goal isn’t to decide who is “right.”
It’s to help both partners stay open and engaged, even when the conversation touches old wounds or cultural friction.
• We build new relational patterns you can use outside of therapy
Across sessions, you’ll learn how to co-regulate, communicate across cultural lines, and understand each other with more nuance. These are sustainable skills, not temporary fixes.
This work is not about changing who you are—it’s about helping your relationship feel more honest, more grounded, and more connected, with both partners supported in their full identities.
What You Can Expect to Feel Through This Work
Couples therapy isn’t just about understanding each other better—it’s about feeling different inside your relationship. As the work unfolds, most partners begin to notice subtle but meaningful shifts in how they relate, communicate, and hold one another through moments of vulnerability or tension.
Here are some of the changes couples often describe:
• More emotional space for both of you
Instead of reacting quickly or shutting down, you learn to slow the moment enough to understand what’s really being felt or asked for.
• A deeper sense of safety in your conversations
Even difficult topics feel more navigable. You both know how to stay grounded and connected rather than becoming overwhelmed or defensive.
• Feeling more understood—not just heard
Your partner begins to pick up on emotional cues, cultural context, and the layers beneath your words. You feel less alone inside the relationship.
• More clarity about your needs and boundaries
As you attune to your own body and emotions, it becomes easier to express what you need without guilt or fear of being misunderstood.
• Greater tenderness and curiosity toward each other
Moments that once spiraled now open into connection. You feel more like a team, even when you disagree.
• Relief from carrying the emotional load alone
Especially for Black women, sharing the weight of identity, lineage, and cultural complexity can feel like an exhale you didn’t know you needed.
• A relationship that feels more intentional, less reactive
You both learn how to co-regulate—how to settle, pause, repair, and stay emotionally present with one another.
This work doesn’t make your relationship perfect.
It makes it truer, steadier, and more aligned with the life you’re building together.
Who This Work Is For
This work is for couples who want to grow with intention—not just “fix” something that feels broken. Many of the couples I support are not in crisis; they’re in evolution. They’re navigating identity, deepening commitment, or feeling the natural friction that comes when two people with different histories build a shared life.
You might feel aligned with this work if:
• You’re in an interracial or cross-cultural partnership and want to strengthen understanding
You love each other, and you also know that cultural difference shows up in subtle ways you’d like to explore with more clarity and care.
• You’re early in your relationship and want a grounded foundation
You’re not looking for “premarital counseling,” but you are building something meaningful and want the emotional tools to support its growth.
• You’ve been together for years and feel ready for a deeper, more honest chapter
Nothing is falling apart—but you sense there’s more depth, connection, or ease available to you.
• You’re navigating identity, belonging, or visibility as a Black woman in partnership
You want a space where these layers are understood and centered, without having to translate or minimize your experience.
• You want to improve communication without losing yourselves
You’re seeking ways to be more open, more regulated, and more attuned to one another—even in moments of tension.
• You want guidance that honors your relationship’s complexity, not a script or a set of rules
Your partnership isn’t generic. Your therapy shouldn’t be either.
This work is not about perfection or performing a certain type of relationship.
It’s about creating more space for honesty, compassion, and connection—at whatever stage of partnership you’re in.
Begin With a Free Consultation
Relationships evolve in layers, and sometimes the next step isn’t pushing harder — it’s pausing long enough to listen. If you and your partner are ready to slow down, deepen understanding, and strengthen your connection across cultural or racial lines, I’d be honored to support you.
A free consultation is a gentle first step.
No pressure, no expectations — just space for us to meet, understand what’s bringing you in, and see whether this work feels like a good fit for both of you.
Begin with a free 15-minute consultation
You’ll choose a time that works for you, and after scheduling, you’ll complete a brief intake form so I can understand your goals and make sure this is the right space for your relationship.
Your connection matters. Let’s give it room to grow.
PROFESSIONAL FEES: Individual psychotherapy sessions are $280. I periodically raise my fees. You will be notified well in advance of any changes.
If you’re seeking free or low-cost therapy options, you can find a list of resources here.
FREQUENCY: If we are a fit, I require weekly sessions for the first 12 weeks. This is to ensure stabilization in the work.
INSURANCE: I am an out-of-network provider and can provide a superbill for you to submit to your insurance company. Many clients have out-of-network benefits and receive partial reimbursement. I encourage you to contact your insurance provider to understand your specific coverage.
TELEHEALTH: Sessions are held by phone or video. I provide therapy to residents of California only.
FEES AND POLICIES
CANCELLATIONS AND MISSED APPOINTMENTS: Your scheduled session time is reserved specifically for you, and the full fee is required whether or not you attend. Each client is allotted one courtesy cancellation per 52-week period for each weekly session they hold (e.g., clients in twice-weekly therapy receive two courtesy cancellations per year).
If you need to cancel, you are welcome to schedule a make-up session during the week before, the week of, or the week after your missed appointment, if our schedules align. I will make every effort to find a time that works.
I typically take the third week of each month for professional development and do not hold sessions that week. I also observe all U.S. holidays and encourage clients to take vacations and holidays therapy-free. You are never charged for sessions I cancel.
If you cancel your appointment, the session fee will be charged by the end of that day.
LENGTH OF TREATMENT: The length of therapy varies from person to person. Research from the American Psychological Association (APA) shows that many clients begin experiencing meaningful improvement within 12–18 weekly sessions, especially for acute concerns. Some evidence-based models are designed for about 12–16 sessions, while others continue longer depending on your goals, history, and the depth of the work.
In practice, many clients choose to stay beyond the initial 3–4 months to support more complete healing, integrate new skills, or continue deeper emotional and mind–body work. We will check in together about your progress and adjust the pace as needed to support sustained growth.