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Couples therapy & marriage counseling in Hermosa Beach

Hello, I'm Dr. Jené Verchick, a licensed clinical psychologist with over 26 years of experience working with couples in Hermosa Beach and the South Bay.

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You probably didn't plan for your relationship to feel this hard. Between demanding careers, competing priorities, and the pressure to keep everything together, it's easy to lose sight of each other. By the time most couples reach out to me, they've been running on fumes for a while — snapping at each other, avoiding the real conversations, or just going through the motions.

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If that's where you are, this is a good time to do something about it. Not later. Now.

How I Work With Couples

I'm not a passive therapist. I don't sit back while you have the same circular argument you've been having at home.

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I get involved. When I see the dynamic happening — the shutting down, the blaming, the talking over each other — I stop it and help you try something different right there in the room. You don't just talk about your patterns. You practice breaking them.

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This is what my clients say makes the biggest difference. If you've done therapy before and it felt like venting to a referee, this won't feel like that.

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What Brings South Bay Couples to Therapy

I work with couples across Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, and the broader South Bay. The specifics are different, but certain themes come up again and again:

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• Both partners working demanding jobs and having nothing left for each other at the end of the day

• Moving fast through life milestones — engagement, marriage, mortgage, kids — without slowing down to check in on the relationship

• Fights that escalate quickly over small things because the real issue never gets addressed

• Feeling like you're great co-managers of a household but terrible at being a couple

• Trust has been broken and you don't know how to repair it

• You're not sure if this relationship is working anymore but you're not ready to walk away
   

You don't have to have it figured out before you call. Most people don't.

Your Privacy Matters

Many of my clients value discretion. Sessions are held via secure, confidential video. Nothing is shared with anyone — no reports, no records released without your consent. I use Signal.  Therapy is a private space, and I treat it that way.

Premarital Counseling

Getting engaged is exciting. It can also surface things you didn't expect — disagreements about money, family boundaries, timelines, and values that didn't seem like a big deal when you were dating. I help couples work through these conversations in real time, before they become the recurring fights of your marriage.  This is called premarital counseling and it's something I do with couples.

26+ Years of Experience

I've worked with couples for over two decades. The pattern I've seen consistently: the couples who make real progress are the ones whose therapist is active and direct — not just reflecting feelings back at them, but helping them change the interaction while it's happening.

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What Clients Say​

We were the couple everyone thought had it all together. Two good jobs, a great apartment, awesome social life. But behind closed doors we were barely speaking. Dr. Verchick called us on our avoidance in the first session and we've been doing real work ever since."

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"I didn't think we needed therapy — I thought we just needed a vacation. Turns out we needed someone to show us that the way we argued was the problem, not the things we argued about. Dr. Verchick did that in a way that didn't feel like blame. It felt like relief."

 

"We'd only been together two years but we were already stuck. Same fight every weekend. Dr. Verchick helped us see that we were both trying to be heard but neither of us was listening. Sounds simple but it changed everything."

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Frequently asked questions about couples therapy in Hermosa Beach

What approach do you use in couples therapy?

I take an active, direct approach. When I see a pattern happening between you, I name it and help you respond differently in real time. I draw on more than 26 years of clinical experience and integrate evidence-based techniques rather than following a single therapeutic framework.

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Do you work with couples across the South Bay?

Yes. I work with couples across the South Bay, including Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach, Palos Verdes, and El Segundo. The video format makes it easy to fit therapy around family schedules, school pickups, and demanding work hours.

 

What happens in the first session?

I meet with both of you together. I want to hear what brought you in, what has been happening in the relationship, and what you are hoping to change. I also start working with you right away. You will not leave the first session feeling like all we did was fill out paperwork.

 

How long does couples therapy with you typically take?

It depends on the couple. Some couples see meaningful shifts within a few sessions. Others work with me for several months, especially when there is a betrayal to repair or years of accumulated resentment to undo. I do not use a fixed program.

 

Can you start with just one partner?

Yes. I am happy to begin with one partner if the other is not yet ready. Often, when one person starts the work, the dynamic at home begins to shift, and the more reluctant partner becomes curious enough to join.

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Do you work with same-sex couples and unmarried couples?

Yes. The work is the same regardless of who is in the relationship or whether you are married. What matters is that you are both committed to engaging honestly.

 

What is the difference between couples therapy and marriage counseling?

Functionally, nothing. Couples therapy and marriage counseling describe the same work. I use both terms because people search for both, but the therapy itself is identical whether you are married, engaged, or in a long-term relationship.

 

How is couples therapy via video different from in-person?

For most couples, the work is the same. The therapeutic relationship still develops, the patterns still show up in session, and I can still intervene in real time. The practical differences are no commute, more flexibility for evening or weekend sessions, and complete privacy.