Couples Therapy in San Francisco
Reconnect, repair, and grow together — without leaving home.
Weekly 50, 75, or 90-minute sessions · Secure video sessions · Serving San Francisco residents and clients across California
Couples therapy that meets San Francisco where it lives.
San Francisco is a city of acceleration — career-driven, intellectually demanding, romantically complicated, and culturally shifting. Whether you're a tech worker burning out, a couple navigating the city's dating and partnership dynamics, or a partnership working through identity, intimacy, and connection, the city has a way of compressing everything at once. The pressure is real, and the relationships and inner lives held inside it deserve real care.
Online therapy was made for San Francisco's pace. Sessions between meetings, before the commute home, or from your apartment when the city finally gets quiet. No Muni transfers, no parking in the Mission, no rushing across town. Whether you're in the Castro, Pacific Heights, SOMA, Noe Valley, or anywhere else — your home is the office.
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.
When one of you is back in the office in SoMa and the other works from a one-bedroom in the Inner Sunset, mismatched schedules and shared square footage put real pressure on a relationship. Gottman-informed couples sessions over video mean you both show up from wherever you actually are — no negotiating who reschedules their commute.
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
Weekly 50, 75, or 90-minute sessions
- All sessions held online via secure HIPAA-compliant video
- Cancellation policy: 24 hours
- Currently accepting new San Francisco clients
Why online sessions are a good fit for San Francisco
San Francisco is only seven miles across, but anyone who has ridden the N Judah from the Outer Sunset at rush hour knows that getting anywhere can swallow an evening. If you're keeping a hybrid schedule — in the office in SoMa or Mission Bay some days, home in the Richmond or Bernal Heights the others — adding a cross-town trip for a weekly appointment is often the thing that quietly doesn't happen. Online therapy removes that trade-off. You meet from your apartment, your parked car, or a private room at work, over secure, HIPAA-compliant video, and the session actually fits inside a San Francisco week. It also fits the city's realities: apartments shared with roommates, demanding tech and healthcare jobs, and the particular loneliness that can live alongside a dense, busy city. I'm based across the Bay in the East Bay and licensed throughout California — so wherever in the city you are, fog or sun, we can begin.
- No travel time across Mission, Castro, Pacific Heights
- Sessions fit into work-from-home schedules
- Privacy and discretion — sessions from your own home
- Available evenings and select weekend hours
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.
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 cancelled with less than 24 hours' notice are charged in full.
Can you see clients in San Francisco?
Yes. I see clients in San Francisco and across California via secure video sessions. There's no need to come to an office — sessions happen from wherever you're comfortable in San Francisco.
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.