Many major insurance plans accepted, and a sliding fee scale for private pay.
When the same fight keeps coming back — grow stronger together, not apart.
Listed by GuideDoc among marriage counselors serving San Diego, September 2026.
I work with husbands and wives, including premarital couples. I use my Four Quadrants framework. I help with anger and conflict in marriage.
California telehealth for adults — husbands and wives, including premarital. Christian Counseling is available. Sessions are by video. I am practical and direct. Counseling since 1998. California LMFT since 2008 (license 45318).
What we work on
Anger and conflict in marriage — The same argument on repeat, and the distance that grows when nothing gets resolved.
Anger rises. You can feel the fight coming before the words start. Tone rises. Someone shuts down. The topic may change, but the pattern does not.
In session we slow the loop down. We name what each of you is protecting, then practice a cleaner way through the moment instead of another round of the same fight.
Betrayal — Broken trust, secrecy, and the hard work of telling the truth again.
Betrayal can be an affair, a hidden habit, or a promise that did not hold. Trust does not snap back because someone says sorry.
We work in the open: what happened, what it cost, and what honesty looks like going forward — paced carefully, without skipping the wound.
Disconnection — Living side by side, missing each other, and wanting to feel like a team again.
Some couples stop fighting and start drifting. Schedules fill. Conversations stay on the surface. The friendship thins out.
We look at how you lost each other in the week-to-week, then rebuild small points of contact that are real — not forced closeness.
Communication — Saying what you mean without starting a war, and hearing what your spouse actually said.
Hard talks go sideways when tone, timing, and assumptions take over. One of you pushes. One of you retreats. Neither feels heard.
We practice cleaner starts, clearer requests, and the skill of staying present when the other person is hurting.
Agreements — Clear commitments you can both keep, instead of vague hopes that keep failing.
Many couples argue about the same chores, money, parenting, or boundaries because the agreement was never clear — or never realistic.
We write agreements in plain language: who does what, by when, and how you repair it when someone misses.
How I work
There is a host of skills taught for your Marriage and Family. Radar Skills means staying aware of three things at once — what is happening inside you, how you land on your spouse, and whether this is the same loop again.
The work is practical and direct.
Premarital couples are welcome. The same skills help you start strong: grow stronger together, not apart.
Radar Skills
- Self-Awareness — Knowing what is happening inside you: your feelings, your triggers, and the story you tell yourself.
- Impact Awareness — Seeing yourself through your spouse’s eyes. How does my tone and my face land on the person I love?
- Situational Awareness — Stepping back and reading the moment. Have we had this exact fight before?
Read more about Relationship Radar.
What a first session is like
- Meet and get a clear picture of what brought you both in.
- Name the pressure on the relationship in plain language.
- Pick one next step you can try before the following session.
Common Questions
Do you see couples anywhere in California?
Yes. Sessions are by secure video, so couples anywhere in California can work with me.
Is this Christian marriage counseling?
Christian Counseling is available.
What happens in marriage counseling?
The work is built on the Four Quadrants: Emotion, Communication, Agreement and Radar Skills. Couples learn skills to work on instead of one argument to keep having.
How do I start?
Use the booking link on this page to choose a time.
If one of you is leaning out of the marriage, read marriage counseling when one spouse wants out.
Insurance & cost
Couples sessions are 200 dollars and run 53 to 60 minutes, billed one session at a time. See Insurance and Fees for plans I accept.
Questions about insurance? Read Does insurance cover marriage counseling in California?
Sessions are 53 to 60 minutes by video.
Full fee: 200 dollars per couples session.
Insurance: many major plans are accepted. The booking link checks your plan before your first session. See how it works with your plan: Kaiser Southern California, TRICARE, Sutter Health, MHN, Sharp, Aetna, or Blue Shield of California.
A sliding fee scale is available. The sliding fee scale can be discussed after your first session, or write to info@marriageandfamily.com.
Private-pay clients receive a written Good Faith Estimate before the first session.
Looking for one-on-one help? See Individual Counseling.
What couples say
This review is long over-due as my husband and I have been seeing Mark since September 2013. We recently celebrated our 21 first wedding anniversary, a milestone I did not think we would reach 8 months ago, and I felt it imperative to let others know how helpful Mark has been for our marriage and continues to be for our family.
I discovered Mark by chance, here on Yelp, having separated with my husband just days earlier. Mark recognized the urgency of my situation and was able to see me within 24 hours. Mark listened as I told him the crisis my marriage and my family were in and was able to dissect the situation and give me the first piece of advice in order to try to save my marriage.
Since that first meeting, my husband and I have transitioned from seeing Mark separately, to joint sessions and ultimately we reconciled and my husband returned home after less than a month of seeing Mark. Mark was able to listen to both my and my husband’s issues where our marriage was concerned and give us tools for not only discussing those issues but also overcoming them once and for all. We continue to see Mark once a month for “maintenance” (at our request, not his) and I simply cannot thank him enough for all he has done. Having been married for 20 years, my husband and I thought we knew the “secret” to a long marriage, however; seeing Mark opened our eyes and he gave us tools we never knew existed and we are now able to have HAPPY, mutually fulfilling marriage that sets a positive example for our 3 children.
Tiffany B.
We were looking for faith based family counseling in San Diego….. my wife found him and scheduled an appointment. We are so happy to have found Mark. He’s got us to focus on the issues, giving step by step instructions to identify our blind spots. We weren’t necessarily on the verge of divorce…..but definitely needed help in communicating and understanding each other! I couldn’t recommend Mark any more…. We thank God for him!
Eric R.
Yes, he is THAT good. Marriage counseling is not easy. Mark makes it as easy as it can possibly be. He is open, honest, direct, funny, compassionate, supportive and just plain good at what he does. My husband and I needed some help talking about difficult topics. Mark helped us. I can’t say enough good things.
Maureen S.
Your coverage is checked before your first session.
Have one of the plans on the plan list? Pick it there and book directly.
If you are in crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or call 911.
Licensed by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences · LMFT 45318
