Relationships Are My Specialty
Dr. Kipenzi Herron, LMFT & Founder, Couples Chat Therapy
I specialize in helping partners across diverse relationship structures understand the emotional patterns underneath conflict so they can stop repeating the same painful conversations and build relationships that feel safer, clearer, and more connected.
Why Partners Seek Me Out?
Many therapists work with relationships as one part of their practice. My practice is dedicated exclusively to relationship-focused work.
My clinical and research interests have centered on high-conflict relationships, attachment injuries, trust repair, step-couple relationships, and consensually non-monogamy. My doctoral research examined resilience and relational satisfaction in step-couples, providing specialized insight into the unique challenges blended families face, including loyalty binds, co-parenting stress, role ambiguity, and family integration.
My Approach
My clinical style is direct, attachment-focused, and relationally honest. I am not here to referee surface-level arguments. I am listening for the pattern underneath the argument, the attachment injury underneath the anger, and the unmet need that keeps getting missed.
My work integrates Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), EMDR, Gottman Method principles, and trauma-informed care to help partners understand what keeps them stuck and create meaningful, lasting change.
Credentials & Background
- Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Couples and Family Therapy, Alliant International University
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (CA# 154306)
- 2024-2025 Minority Fellowship Program Fellow with the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT)
- Specialized Training: Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), EMDR trained, and Gottman Method (Level 1)
A Little About Me
I’m a proud Jersey girl living in San Diego. Outside of therapy, I'm a classically trained chef who loves cooking, 90s hip-hop, and spending time with my two dogs, who are the best co-therapists I could ask for.
Before becoming a therapist, I spent over two decades in corporate environments and earned an MBA. That experience continues to inform my coaching work, especially around career clarity, leadership pressure, boundaries, and navigating complex professional systems with integrity.
My Goal
I want you to understand what is happening in your relationship, why the same patterns keep taking over, and what it will take to change them. The goal is not a conflict-free relationship. It is a relationship with greater emotional safety, trust, and the capacity to repair when things do wrong.
