Fanshen Thompson, LCSW

I offer virtual couple and individual therapy in California that is warm, direct and collaborative, focused on change: empowering you to create a relationship that feels safe, supportive, and deeply connected—where intimacy, trust, and emotional closeness can be rebuilt—and created anew.

We all have parts of us that developed over our lifespan, and most often from our younger years, that once served as protective mechanisms, but as we have gotten older begin to interfere with our relationships.

A common one is our need to defend ourselves when we feel misunderstood. But in relationships, this often leads to a repetitive cycle of fighting and misunderstandings, rather than closeness and connection.



As we begin to understand these patterns, we can start to soften and become more vulnerable and open to our partners, creating connection and closeness.

My work is not about blaming, fixing, or deciding who’s right — it’s about uncovering what’s really happening underneath, and finding new ways to connect that feel safe, authentic, and real.

My approach is both intuitive and practical.

I don’t shy away from conflict or intensity — there’s nothing you can bring into our sessions that I can’t sit with. At the same time, I’ll gently redirect you back to yourself, so instead of staying stuck in “they need to change,” you discover the power of “what can I do differently to bring us closer?”

Through this process, couples move from disconnection and overwhelm to self-awareness, emotional regulation, and genuine connection.

Many of my clients feel a shift after just one session — lighter, clearer, more hopeful. Over time, those small breakthroughs grow into lasting change.

n addition to my intuitive way of working, drawn from years of experience, I weave together elements of the Gottman Method and Emotion Focused Therapy for Couples, Polyvagal Theory (nervous system work), and Parts Work (which helps us see the parts of us acting to protect, but are no longer serving us) for both Couples and Individuals.

This unique blend allows me to ground our work in the present moment while honoring that we all carry old wounds. These wounds — and the stress of our relationships — shape our nervous systems, and when we bring awareness, care, and healing to them, real transformation becomes possible.