Marriage and Relationship Counseling
Relationships, Partnerships & Polycules
Whether you are a party of two or a vibrant polycule, we believe that every relationship deserves a customized toolkit. We don’t do "one-size-fits-all" relationship advice. Instead, we help you navigate the unique dynamics of your chosen family.
In a world that often tries to tell us who to love and how to love them, choosing to build a relationship on your own terms is a radical act. Whether you are a monogamous couple, a triad, or a complex web of partners, your relationships deserve a space where they are celebrated.
At Calming Tides Therapy we provide that brave space for queer, trans, and intersectional folks to work through the messy, beautiful parts of being together across California, Florida, and Ontario.
“Because love doesn’t have a default setting.”
The Gottman Method: Adapted for Modern Love
We use the Gottman Method—a world-renowned, research-based approach—to help you strengthen your connection. But we do it with a twist. Traditional relationship therapy can sometimes feel a bit heteronormative, so we’ve deconstructed it to fit your relationship style.
Monogamous Partnerships: Helping you deepen your "Love Maps," manage conflict without the sting, and keep the spark alive through all of life’s transitions.
Poly & Ethical Non-Monogamy Dynamics: We provide a knowledgeable space for polyamorous, open, and ethically non-monogamous folks. We help with "polynavigating," boundary-setting, managing jealousy, and ensuring everyone’s needs are heard and honored.
Core Relational Support
Communicate with the Heart
Learn how to have the "hard talks" without criticism, contempt, defensiveness, and stonewalling interrupting.
Love Languages & Attachment
Identify you and your partner(s) Love Languages and Attachment Patterns as a starting point. This allows you all to have an understanding of how we each show and receive love and avoid trauma responses to show in response to attachment, abandonment and past wounds.
Specialty Support Areas:
Exploring Polyamory and
Ethical Non-Monogamy (ENM)
Navigate open relationships, triads, polycules, jealousy, and dynamic agreements with a therapist who understands non-monogamy without you having to explain the basics. Expanding your relationship structure is a journey of intentional design that requires moving beyond old scripts and into radical honesty. We help you navigate the "opening up" process by building a solid framework for boundaries, communication, and security, ensuring that every partner feels seen and supported as your connection evolves.
Kink-Affirming Sex Therapy & Relational Intimacy
Address intimacy mismatches, desire shifts, sexual communication, and trauma-informed healing to restore pleasure, safety, and deep connection in your relationship(s). We believe that a vibrant, fulfilling sex life is rooted in agency and the freedom to explore your desires without the weight of shame or societal norms. Whether you are navigating changes in intimacy, exploring kink, or aligning your sexual expression with your gender journey, we provide a celebratory space to deepen your connection to pleasure and your partners.
Trauma of Betrayal and Infidelity
“Rebuilding trust isn’t about forgetting what happened—it’s about deciding if and how you want to construct a new foundation.”
Discovering betrayal or infidelity within a relationship—whether monogamous or non-monogamous—can shatter your sense of emotional safety and ground underfoot. Betrayal trauma is real, and navigating it requires a gentle, structured approach that doesn't rush your healing or force premature forgiveness.
At Calming Tides Therapy, we help individuals, couples, and polycules slow down the emotional firestorm and navigate betrayal with clarity and care:
Processing the Shock & Trauma: Establishing emotional safety first, allowing room for grief, rage, and confusion without judgment or pressure.
Transparent Communication & Repair: Guiding honest, structured conversations to address what happened, set firm immediate boundaries, and stop destructive pain cycles.
Evaluating the Future: Helping you and your partner(s) discern whether rebuilding the relationship is the healthiest path forward—or how to transition apart with dignity and mutual respect.
Restoring Autonomy & Trust: Rebuilding self-trust first, so you can feel secure in your own intuition, decisions, and boundaries moving forward.