Therapy for Complicated Relationships
Saba Omidvar, LMFT
You can be capable, thoughtful, and self-aware and still have relationships that bring out a whole different side of you.
Individual and couples therapy
In Albany and online throughout California
RELATIONSHIPS HAVE A WAY OF GETTING TO US
You know yourself well.
So why does this still feel so difficult?
You’re thoughtful, capable, and probably accustomed to handling difficult situations well. You may even recognize the patterns that tend to show up in your relationships.
But insight doesn’t always change what happens in the moment.
You can understand a relationship pattern very well and still struggle to change what happens when you’re in the middle of it.
COME TOGETHER
Couples Therapy
When you keep having the same fight, can’t seem to reach each other, or aren’t sure how to move forward, sometimes the pattern between you needs the attention.
Learn to understand what happens when things go sideways and practice handling those moments differently.
COME ON YOUR OWN
Individual Therapy
Your relationship can be the reason you come to therapy, even if the other person never sets foot in the room.
Work on the reactions, boundaries, decisions, and patterns that are yours to change.
HOW WE’LL WORK
You probably don’t need more insight. You need help with what happens in the moment.
You may already know why you react the way you do. You can spot the pattern afterward. You might even know exactly what you “should” have done differently.
Knowing is useful. It just doesn’t always help when you’re hurt, angry, overwhelmed, or five minutes into a conversation that has somehow gone completely off the rails.
That’s where our work gets practical.
We’ll pay attention to what happens inside you and between you when relationships get hard. We’ll slow those moments down, figure out what keeps pulling you back into the same patterns, and work on ways to respond that actually fit the person you want to be.
And yes, we’ll talk about feelings. We’ll also do something with them.
DBT-informed individual therapy · Gottman-informed couples therapy · Practical tools you can use outside the therapy room.
HI, I’M SABA
Therapy can be serious without feeling so serious all the time.
I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who works with people when relationships get messy, emotions get big, and knowing better hasn’t necessarily made doing better any easier.
My style is active, practical, and pretty human. I’ll help you slow things down enough to understand what’s happening, but we won’t stop at understanding it. We’ll work on what you can actually do differently when you’re back in the moment and all those very reasonable things we talked about in therapy suddenly seem much harder to remember.
I’m warm and direct. I use humor. I’ll probably point out patterns you haven’t noticed yet, and I’m not going to sit silently and nod at you for 45 minutes.
THERE ISN’T ONE RIGHT RELATIONSHIP GOAL
Complicated can mean a lot of things.
Maybe you’re trying to repair a relationship. Maybe you’re trying to figure out whether you want to stay in one.
Maybe you love someone and are also incredibly angry with them. Maybe your parent can still make you feel 15 years old in approximately four minutes.
Maybe you’re navigating an ex, a coparent, a blended family, or a relationship where simply “communicating better” hasn’t exactly solved the problem.
Or maybe nothing is dramatically wrong. You’re just tired of feeling this way with someone who matters to you.
There doesn’t have to be one right goal for a relationship. We can start with understanding what’s happening and what you want to do differently.
Therapy that fits into your actual life.
In person in Albany
Meet with me at my Albany office if you’d rather be in the same room.
Online throughout California
Virtual individual and couples therapy for California residents.
Individual + couples therapy
Come on your own, or come together. Your relationship can be part of the work either way.
405 Kains Avenue, Suite 201
Albany, CA 94706
A few questions you might have.
Can I come to therapy about my relationship without my partner?
Absolutely. You don’t need someone else’s participation to work on how a relationship is affecting you, understand your own patterns, make decisions, set boundaries, or change how you respond.
What if we’re not sure whether we want to stay together?
You don’t have to arrive with that answer. Therapy can give you space to understand what’s happening, what each of you wants, and what needs attention before deciding what comes next.
Do you only work with romantic relationships?
No. Relationships with parents, family members, friends, coparents and other important people can be just as complicated. Individual therapy can focus on any relationship that’s having a meaningful impact on your life.
What happens on the intro call?
We’ll spend 15 minutes talking briefly about what brings you here, what you’re hoping for, and your questions about working together. There’s no pressure to book a session.
Your relationships can be complicated. Getting started doesn’t have to be.
We’ll use a free 15-minute call to talk briefly about what’s bringing you to therapy, answer your questions, and see whether working together makes sense.
Individual + couples therapy
Albany, CA · Online throughout California