Couples Chat Therapy
  • Home
  • Specialties
    • Relationship Conflict
    • Rebuilding Trust
    • Intimacy and Desire
    • Step-Couple Therapy
    • Open and Polyamory
    • Dating and Cohabitation
    • Stay or Separate
  • Why Couples Chat Therapy
  • Meet Dr. Kipenzi
  • Fees and Insurance
  • Couples Chat Blog
  • Resources
    • Relationship Tools
    • Somebody Lied When
    • Therapy FAQs
    • Crisis and Emergency Help
  • More
    • Home
    • Specialties
      • Relationship Conflict
      • Rebuilding Trust
      • Intimacy and Desire
      • Step-Couple Therapy
      • Open and Polyamory
      • Dating and Cohabitation
      • Stay or Separate
    • Why Couples Chat Therapy
    • Meet Dr. Kipenzi
    • Fees and Insurance
    • Couples Chat Blog
    • Resources
      • Relationship Tools
      • Somebody Lied When
      • Therapy FAQs
      • Crisis and Emergency Help
Couples Chat Therapy
  • Home
  • Specialties
    • Relationship Conflict
    • Rebuilding Trust
    • Intimacy and Desire
    • Step-Couple Therapy
    • Open and Polyamory
    • Dating and Cohabitation
    • Stay or Separate
  • Why Couples Chat Therapy
  • Meet Dr. Kipenzi
  • Fees and Insurance
  • Couples Chat Blog
  • Resources
    • Relationship Tools
    • Somebody Lied When
    • Therapy FAQs
    • Crisis and Emergency Help

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. 

Schedule a COnsultation

Research

Few therapists specialize in step-couple relationships. As both a clinician and researcher, my work examines what helps these relationships remain resilient, connected, and satisfying while navigating the complexities of blended-family life.


My doctoral research examined resilience and relationship satisfaction in step-couples, with particular attention relational safety, adaptive regulation, and intentional partnership.  My work considers the unique context of remarried step-couples, including prior relationship histories, co-parenting across households, loyalty binds, role ambiguity, and the ongoing process of building trust and a shared partnership. This research continues to inform my clinical work with step-couples and people navigating complex family systems.


My broader research interests include:

  • Step-couple and blended family dynamics
  • Attachment, emotional safety, and relational resilience
  • Decolonizing psychotherapy and culturally responsive care
  • The Strong Black Woman schema and relational well-being
  • Intersectionality and relationship health
  • Consensual non-monogamy and complex relationship systems


I am passionate about bridging research with the realities of everyday relationships. My goal is to translate research into practical, meaningful insights that help people understand their relationship patterns and build healthier, more secure, and more fulfilling connections. 

View Dissertation on ProQuest


Professional Affiliations & Credentials

The Real VIPs of Couples Chat Therapy

Outside the therapy room, my two dogs are often nearby offering moral support, supervising paperwork, and reminding me to take breaks. 


Blade is a Maltese mix and the wise senior of the crew. He loves sitting in the sun, taking in the world at his own pace, and going for gentle walks by the water. Blade brings a calm, steady presence that reminds everyone to slow down and breathe.


Bullet is a Chiweenie full of puppy energy. He loves sticks, squeaker toys, treats, and chasing anything that moves. Bullet’s playful spirit and enthusiasm bring warmth and levity. 


Together, Blade and Bullet add a few tail wags and barks to Couples Chat Therapy.

Couples Chat Therapy

Specialized relationship therapy in San Diego and online throughout California.


Dr. Kipenzi Herron, LMFT
California License #154306


3103 Falcon Street, Suite J · San Diego, CA 92103
hello@coupleschattherapy.com


 

Couples Chat Therapy is the private practice of Kipenzi M. Herron, PhD, LMFT.

Copyright © 2025-2026 Kipenzi Herron, PhD, LMFT. - All Rights Reserved.

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