For couples ready to
Pacific Couples Center Hermosa Beach, CA
Relate
When you want to understand each other more clearly and respond with more care.
Repair
When trust has been damaged by betrayal, hurt, resentment, or repeated conflict.
Reconnect
When distance has taken the place of closeness and intimacy.
Rebuild
When you are ready to build something stronger, more honest, and more sustainable than what you had before.
Recommit
When you have done the work and are ready to choose each other again.
Reevaluate
When you are at a crossroads and want to make the decision with clarity.
Restore
When physical intimacy and desire have faded and you are ready to find your way back to each other.
The Practice

I'm glad you're here. This practice is devoted exclusively to couples, and that focus is intentional.

After years of focused work with couples, I've learned that relationship distress is rarely simple. It shows up as constant conflict, emotional distance, betrayal, sexual disconnection, or the painful experience of circling the same argument for years. Those are the presenting problems. What is driving them is often deeper than the argument itself, and it takes both clinical precision and real experience to identify it. This work is not about offering generic advice. It is about understanding what is actually keeping two people apart, and knowing how to help them change it.

Couples therapy requires a different type of expertise.

It requires specific training, a different clinical lens, and the ability to remain steady when emotions are high and the relationship feels uncertain. My training includes Emotionally Focused Therapy, the Gottman Method, Relational Life Therapy, Accelerated Resolution Therapy, advanced mediation and dispute resolution, and doctoral coursework in clinical sexology. That combination allows me to work with both the emotional depth of relationship distress and the practical realities of helping two people communicate, de-escalate, and move forward.

Years of focused couples work have also sharpened my ability to quickly recognize what matters most beneath the conflict on the surface. Clients trust me to work through complex relationship problems with compassion, directness, and skill.

Before clinical practice, I spent 17 years as an investment banker, attorney, and technology executive. Many of the couples who come here are carrying the weight of demanding professional lives privately. I understand those pressures from the inside, and I bring that perspective into the room.

You can expect to be in good hands, knowing you are working with a highly skilled professional who combines deep clinical training with practical experience.

Whatever brought you here, you are in the right place.

Regina Abayev JD, LMFT  ·  Pacific Couples Center

"The quality of your life is determined by the quality of your relationships."

Esther Perel
Areas of Focus

This practice works with couples at every stage, from those hoping to strengthen a good relationship to those facing serious questions about what comes next.

01 Communication & Conflict You keep having the same argument, and nothing seems to resolve it. We identify what is driving the cycle and help you respond differently. → 02 Emotional Intimacy The closeness between you has faded. We explore what happened and what it will take to rebuild connection. → 03 Physical Intimacy & Desire Desire and physical connection matter. Mismatched desire, faded intimacy, and the distance that follows are among the most common and least discussed reasons couples seek help. We address them directly, thoughtfully, and without avoidance. → 04 Trust & Repair Betrayal, resentment, dishonesty, or repeated hurt can change a relationship in lasting ways. We work through what has happened and what repair can realistically look like. → 05 Discernment Counseling One or both partners are uncertain about the future of the relationship. We help you move toward a clear and honest decision. → 06 Premarital Counseling Every person brings history, habits, and expectations into marriage. We help you build a strong foundation before making that commitment. → 07 High-Conflict Dynamics When the relationship has become defined by escalation, the pattern itself becomes the problem. We work to understand what is driving it and how to interrupt it. → 08 Co-Parenting The romantic relationship may have changed, but the responsibility to your children remains. We help you make decisions that keep their needs at the center. → 09 Life Transitions Parenting shifts, career pressure, relocation, or blended families can destabilize even strong relationships. We help couples stay connected through the disruption. → 10 Financial Conflict Money is rarely just about money. We work through the disagreements on the surface and what is actually driving them. → 11 Couples Intensives For couples who cannot wait for weekly sessions. Half-day and full-day formats are available by inquiry. →
How I Work

If you have tried couples therapy before and found it passive, you will find this practice different.

Direct & Active

I am fully engaged, direct, and present in every session. I share observations, challenge what is not working, and offer perspective grounded in clinical training and real experience with the full range of what couples bring in.

Depth-Focused

The more clearly two people understand what is actually driving the distance between them, the more likely they are to change it. We work to understand the dynamics, the history, the fears, and the unspoken needs.

Results-Oriented

Sessions are focused and productive. You leave with a clearer sense of what is happening and what each person can do differently.

Trust & Discretion

When navigating a relational crisis, privacy is a functional necessity. This is a protected space where both of you can speak without editing or fear of judgment.

Work With Me
Client Experience

"She helped us through one of the hardest points in our relationship. She created a space where we could both be fully honest, then helped us understand what was keeping us stuck and how to do things differently. It is clear that this work is deeply meaningful to her, and she brings real care to each person in the room."

Couples Client
Regina Abayev, JD, LMFT

A different kind of background.
A different kind of presence in the room.

After more than 15 years in law, finance, and tech, I bring a deep understanding of complex people, high expectations, and the pressure that comes with demanding lives. Much of that work was about reading what was happening beneath the surface, understanding needs versus wants, and knowing how to move forward when the stakes were high. That same skill set now helps the couples I work with move past repetitive patterns, communicate more clearly, and make decisions that reflect what they truly need.

Clients trust me to work through complex relationship problems with compassion, directness, and skill. You can expect thoughtful, highly skilled care from someone who brings both clinical depth and practical experience to every session.

Education JD, University of Michigan · MA, Marriage and Family Therapy, Pepperdine · PhD Candidate, Clinical Sexology
License Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist #148775
Training EFT · Gottman Method · Relational Life Therapy · ART · Advanced Mediation & Dispute Resolution
Full biography →
The Office  ·  Hermosa Beach, California

A private practice space designed for serious work, with a view of the Pacific.

Begin

Ready when you are.

Sessions held in person in Hermosa Beach and via telehealth throughout California.

Work With Me Pacific Couples Center  ·  Hermosa Beach, CA  ·  info@reginaabayev.com