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[![Fanshen Thompson, LCSW](/assets/logo-mark-DCWEUPFA.png)Fanshen Thompson LCSW ](/)

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1.  [Home](/)› 
2.  [Services](/services)› 
3.  [Couples Therapy](/services/couples-therapy/berkeley)› 
4.  Berkeley

ONLINE THERAPY · SERVING BERKELEY, CA

# Couples Therapy in _Berkeley_

Reconnect, repair, and grow together — without leaving home.

Weekly 50, 75, or 90-minute sessions · Secure video sessions · Serving Berkeley residents and clients across California

[Book a Free 20-Minute Consultation](/contact)[Learn more about my approach →](/about)

THERAPY FOR BERKELEY COUPLES

## Couples therapy that meets Berkeley where it lives.

Berkeley brings together a unique mix — UC academics, tech professionals, longtime artists, and families building lives in one of the Bay Area's most thoughtful communities. The pace here is intellectual, the conversations are deep, and the pressures are real. Dual-career households, demanding work, and the steady undercurrent of high-functioning stress can quietly shape the way couples and individuals show up — at home, with partners, and within themselves.

Online therapy fits naturally into the Berkeley lifestyle. Sessions from your home in the Berkeley Hills, near campus, in Elmwood, or anywhere your week already pulls you — no parking on College Ave, no rearranging the day around a downtown commute.

## About Couples Therapy

Couples therapy that meets you where you are — in the relationship, in your life, and in your home. I work with couples navigating disconnection, conflict, intimacy challenges, life transitions, and the slow drift that happens when partnership is on autopilot. Together we slow down, get curious about what's actually happening between you, and rebuild the connection from the ground up.

Many Berkeley couples are balancing two demanding careers — one partner on campus or at the Lab, the other commuting under the Bay — and finding a single hour when both can be in the same office is its own negotiation. Online couples sessions let you meet together from home, even on the weeks your schedules barely overlap.

### What to expect

-   An initial 90-minute intake where I meet both of you and we map what's going on 
-   Weekly sessions of your chosen length — 50, 75, or 90 minutes 
-   A blend of structured tools (communication, repair, attachment work) and open exploration 
-   Real homework between sessions — the work doesn't happen only in the room 
-   A pace that follows your lead — I'm here to support, not push 

### Common reasons people come in

-   — Communication patterns that feel stuck or escalate quickly 
-   — Loss of emotional or physical intimacy 
-   — Major life transitions — parenthood, career shifts, blending families 
-   — Trust ruptures, including affairs and betrayals 
-   — Resentment, distance, and the feeling of being roommates 
-   — Differences in sex drive, desire, or sexual expression 

SESSIONS

Weekly 50, 75, or 90-minute sessions

-   All sessions held online via secure HIPAA-compliant video
-   Cancellation policy: 24 hours
-   Currently accepting new Berkeley clients

[Book a Free 20-Minute Consultation →](/contact)

### Why online sessions are a good fit for Berkeley

Berkeley is a city where people tend to know each other. You run into a colleague at Berkeley Bowl, a neighbor on Solano Avenue, a fellow parent in the Elmwood — the interwoven community is one of Berkeley's gifts, and one reason many people here prefer therapy without a waiting room. Online sessions offer genuine privacy in a town this connected. They also fit Berkeley's actual schedules: transbay commuters riding BART from Downtown Berkeley, North Berkeley, or Ashby into San Francisco; UC Berkeley faculty, staff, and graduate students living by the academic calendar; researchers keeping long hours at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory up the hill. When your day already stretches across the Bay, a cross-town drive and a hunt for parking is often the reason therapy keeps getting postponed. Meeting by secure, HIPAA-compliant video — from your home in Westbrae, the Berkeley Hills, or South Berkeley — removes that barrier while keeping the work just as personal.

-   No travel time across Elmwood, North Berkeley, Berkeley Hills 
-   Sessions fit into work-from-home schedules 
-   Privacy and discretion — sessions from your own home 
-   Available evenings and select weekend hours 

ABOUT FANSHEN

## A relational, depth-oriented therapist serving California.

I'm Fanshen Thompson, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) based in California. I work with couples, individuals, and partnerships navigating intimacy, identity, and the slower work of becoming.

I am a certified Gottman trained couples therapist and draw from Emotionally Focused Therapy, Internal Family Systems, attachment theory, and somatic practices. But more than any single modality, I bring myself: a real human who has done — and continues to do — this work.

My practice is online and serves clients across California. The work is honest, grounded, and paced to what you can actually carry.

[Read more about Fanshen →](/about)

## Frequently asked questions

### How do online sessions work?

We meet over a secure, HIPAA-compliant video platform. You'll receive a link before each session and join from a private space at home — no app downloads or special equipment beyond a device with a camera and a stable internet connection.

### Do I need a special app or platform?

No. The video platform runs in your browser. I'll send a link a few minutes before our session — you click, and we begin.

### Is this covered by insurance?

I'm an out-of-network provider. I can provide a superbill you can submit to your insurance for potential out-of-network reimbursement. I'd encourage you to call your insurance and ask about your out-of-network mental health benefits.

### How long does it take to see results?

Most people begin to feel something shift within the first several weeks — a little more clarity, a little less alone in it. Real, lasting change is a longer arc, often months of consistent weekly work. I'll be honest with you about what I see along the way.

### What is your cancellation policy?

My cancellation policy is 24 hours. Sessions canceled with less than 24 hours' notice are charged in full.

### Can you see clients in Berkeley?

Yes. I see clients in Berkeley and across California via secure video sessions. There's no need to come to an office — sessions happen from wherever you're comfortable in Berkeley.

OTHER SERVICES FOR BERKELEY RESIDENTS

[

Individual Therapy in Berkeley

Online sessions for Berkeley residents.

](/services/individual-therapy/berkeley)[

Sex Therapy in Berkeley

Online sessions for Berkeley residents.

](/services/sex-therapy/berkeley)

COUPLES THERAPY IN NEARBY CITIES

[

Couples Therapy in Oakland

Online sessions for Oakland residents.

](/services/couples-therapy/oakland)[

Couples Therapy in Albany

Online sessions for Albany residents.

](/services/couples-therapy/albany)[

Couples Therapy in Emeryville

Online sessions for Emeryville residents.

](/services/couples-therapy/emeryville)

Begin

## Ready to start? Let's talk.

Book a free 20-minute consultation. We'll talk about what's going on and whether working together feels right. No pressure, no commitment.

[Book a Free Consultation →](/contact)

![Fanshen Thompson, LCSW logo](/assets/logo-mark-DCWEUPFA.png)

Relationship therapy for people who are ready for real change.

Licensed Clinical Social Worker · LCSW #25004

[](https://www.psychologytoday.com/profile/971893)

Affiliations

![Gesher Community Care affiliate provider](/__l5e/assets-v1/7e4684e6-648d-48d4-892e-5c8678e89c88/gesher-community-care.png)

Online Therapy

Sessions held via secure video for clients across California.

Hours

Tue–Fri, 9am–6pm PT

Contact

[fanshen@fanshenthompson.com](mailto:fanshen@fanshenthompson.com)[Book a Free 20-Minute Consultation](/contact)

[](https://www.linkedin.com/in/fanshen-thompson-lcsw-672425216/)[](https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086164215212)[](https://pin.it/5enxDfD)

Explore

-   [About](/about)
-   [Therapy](/therapy)
-   [Therapy for Couples](/therapy/couples)
-   [Therapy for Individuals](/therapy/individuals)
-   [Sex Therapy](/therapy/sex-therapy)
-   [Coaching](/coaching)
-   [Notes](/blog)
-   [FAQ](/faq)
-   [Resources](/resources)
-   [Relationship Therapy in Berkeley](/relationship-therapy-berkeley)
-   [Find an Online Sex Therapist](/how-to-find-an-online-sex-therapist)
-   [Contact](/contact)

Specialties

-   [Infidelity & Affair Recovery](/specialties/infidelity-affair-recovery)
-   [Desire Discrepancy](/specialties/desire-discrepancy)
-   [Sexual Shame](/specialties/sexual-shame)
-   [Communication Breakdown](/specialties/communication-breakdown)
-   [Anxious Attachment](/specialties/anxious-attachment-couples)
-   [Parenting Conflict](/specialties/parenting-conflict)

In crisis?  If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, call or text [988](tel:988) (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or call [911](tel:911). This site is not a substitute for emergency care.

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Contacting this practice does not establish a therapist–client relationship.

Individual outcomes vary. Nothing on this site guarantees a specific clinical result.

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Photography by Allison Busch

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