Couples Therapy in Lake Forest, CA | Marriage & Relationship Counseling
I provide emotionally focused, culturally grounded therapy in Lake Forest, CA for first-generation Latinas, multicultural professionals, and couples who feel emotionally disconnected but still deeply committed to their relationship. My work supports partners who are navigating attachment wounds, cultural pressure, communication breakdowns, and the quiet tension of trying to honor both family expectations and personal growth. In Lake Forest, where life often feels stable and family-centered, I offer a space where you can slow down and speak honestly without minimizing your emotional reality.
For years, I have supported clients across South Orange County, including many who live near Foothill Ranch, along El Toro Road, or in neighborhoods close to Lake Forest Sports Park. Lake Forest carries a grounded, residential rhythm. Many families here are raising young children, commuting toward Irvine or Mission Viejo, and managing structured routines that leave little room for emotional processing. On the surface, things may look settled. Beneath that stability, first-generation identity, financial responsibility, and generational expectations can create pressure that quietly shapes how couples relate to one another.
Couples and individuals in Lake Forest often reach out when they notice that conflict feels cyclical or that emotional closeness has become harder to access. They are not looking for quick communication fixes. They want to understand why certain triggers feel so intense and how family history influences their reactions. They choose this work because it respects culture without romanticizing it and helps relationships feel secure, intentional, and emotionally safe rather than fragile
How it works

Step 1
A thorough intake session where we explore your relationship history, cultural backgrounds, and current struggles so we can understand the deeper patterns behind the disconnection.

Step 2
Emotionally focused sessions to help you with clarity, begin repairing trust, and rebuild emotional safety.

Step 3
Ongoing, guided sessions with personalized homework, where we break unhelpful cycles, strengthen connection, and practice healthier ways of relating so your relationship feels more like a true partnership.
Explore my therapy services and specializations
You might be managing long days, family responsibilities, traffic, and all the routines that come with building a life near the foothills, while feeling like your relationship has become another source of stress. When home no longer feels like the calm place, it can be hard to know where to begin.
Many clients start to feel relief when the tension is named with care instead of blame. There can be more patience, more honesty, and a growing sense that difficult conversations do not have to end in distance every time.
Sessions often explore communication patterns, trust, intimacy, resentment, parenting, and the moments where connection gets lost. Couple therapy can help you create a relationship that feels safer, steadier, and more supportive near you.
Individual Therapy
You might be moving through long days near the foothills, managing work, family, traffic, and responsibilities while quietly feeling like your own needs are always last. Maybe you are tired of being the strong one, tired of keeping peace, or tired of wondering why certain relationship patterns keep repeating.
Clients often experience a practical and emotional shift when they stop carrying everything alone. Individual therapy can offer a steadier place near you to untangle guilt, build self-awareness, and begin trusting your voice again.
Sessions tend to explore boundaries, relationship wounds, self-worth, family roles, grief, cultural pressure, and the emotional weight that has made it hard to feel free. The work is about helping your life feel more aligned with who you really are.
Anxiety Therapy
You might be managing long days near the foothills, traffic, work, family needs, and responsibilities that do not seem to slow down. Anxiety can make all of it feel louder, turning simple tasks into pressure and quiet moments into space for worry to take over.
Clients often experience relief when they realize anxiety is not a personal failure. Anxiety therapy can offer a steady place near you to understand the stress, soften the urgency, and rebuild trust in your ability to handle what comes next.
Sessions tend to explore worry, panic feelings, perfectionism, boundaries, burnout, relationship tension, and the habits that keep your nervous system working overtime. The work helps life feel more manageable, grounded, and less exhausting.
Premarital Counseling
You may be preparing for marriage while managing work, family, traffic, life near the foothills, and all the practical details that come with building a shared future. It can be easy to focus on logistics while deeper conversations about expectations, stress, and emotional needs wait in the background.
Clients often feel relief when the future starts to feel less assumed and more intentionally chosen.
Premarital counseling can offer a steady place near you to strengthen communication, understand differences, and build more confidence in how you will face life together.Sessions tend to explore trust, conflict, family dynamics, finances, intimacy, household roles, values, and how each partner responds under stress. The work supports a marriage that feels emotionally safe, practical, and built to last.
Grief Counseling
You might be driving the same routes near the foothills, managing work and family, and doing what needs to be done while grief sits just underneath the surface. Some losses make the world feel quieter, and some make everything feel harder to hold.
There can be relief in not having to translate the pain into something simple. Grief counseling can offer a steady place near you where sorrow, anger, exhaustion, love, confusion, and even moments of peace are all allowed to exist together.
Sessions often explore the parts of your loss that others may not understand, the routines that feel empty now, the physical tiredness grief can bring, and the slow process of building a life that still honors what you lost.
Immigration evaluations
Immigration Evaluations are available for individuals in Lake Forest, CA who need psychological assessments for immigration relief cases. If you are navigating asylum, hardship waivers, or other immigration petitions, you may feel overwhelmed by the documentation process. Searching for immigration evaluations near you should lead to care that feels safe and thorough.
Sessions are conducted in person in Irvine or virtually across California, with comprehensive clinical reports prepared for immigration attorneys.
I serve first-generation women of color in Lake Forest, CA
I provide therapy services to individuals and couples in Lake Forest and surrounding South Orange County communities, supporting first-generation Latinas, professionals of color, and multicultural families navigating attachment wounds, anxiety, grief, relational conflict, and generational expectations. My office, located at 4 Venture Suite 355, Irvine, CA 92618, is approximately a 9-minute drive from central Lake Forest, and I also offer virtual sessions throughout California for added flexibility. I have served Orange County for several years, working with high-achieving professionals and family-oriented households who often manage responsibility well while quietly carrying emotional pressure underneath.
My approach is emotionally-focused, culturally-responsive, and grounded in attachment-based therapy. In a community known for its established neighborhoods, proximity to Foothill Ranch, and strong family-centered values, many residents prioritize stability, long-term planning, and professional growth. I remain committed to offering care that prioritizes emotional safety and sustainable healing rather than surface-level coping. I serve clients throughout Lake Forest as well as nearby areas including Mission Viejo, Laguna Hills, Aliso Viejo, and Irvine, providing a steady and culturally-aware space for local residents seeking deeper emotional clarity and relational wellbeing.
Testimonials
Dama's approach to therapy is marked by empathy, insight, and a profound commitment to fostering positive change. I can confidently attest to her exceptional skills and unwavering dedication to the well-being of her clients.
Depression/Anxiety ~ Hyland & Associates
Dama is a colleague & a professional that truly cares about her clients & their therapeutic journey. She is highly skilled in Emotionally Focused Therapy helping individuals & couples navigate & strengthen their emotional connections within relationships.
Jan Covyeau
As a former US military officer, I can see Dama being a great therapist for active-duty members, families, and veterans. I confidently recommend clients to Dama because she cares and has clients' best interests in mind.
Angela Chwe

I'm Dama Perez, founder of Casa Therapy offering therapy in Lake Forest, CA
I serve first-generation women of color processing anxiety, grief, or relational hurt. Whether you're near Baker Ranch, Foothill Ranch, or Lake Forest Sports Park, I provide online support that blends emotional clarity with culturally informed care.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use insurance for therapy?
I am currently an out-of-network provider. However, I can provide a superbill for you to submit to your insurance for possible reimbursement. Many PPO plans offer partial reimbursement checks with your provider to confirm your benefits.
Do you offer a sliding scale?
Yes! I offer two sliding scale spots for clients with financial need. If cost is a concern, please reach out. I'm happy to discuss options during your consultation.
What does the therapy process look like?
We start with an intake session to explore your relationship history, communication patterns, and goals. From there, we’ll meet regularly to uncover deeper emotional patterns, build new tools for connection, and work toward the relationship you want to create. Therapy is always tailored to your unique story and pace.
What if I need to cancel or reschedule a session?
Life happens! I ask for at least 48 hours’ notice for cancellations or reschedules. Sessions canceled with less than 48 hours’ notice may be subject to the full session fee. No-shows or missed appointments without prior notice will be charged the full session rate, as that time is reserved specifically for you.
How does virtual therapy work?
Sessions are held through a secure, HIPAA-compliant video platform. You’ll receive a private link before each session. All you need is a quiet and confidential space, a reliable internet connection, and a device with a camera and microphone.
What if I don’t feel like we’re a good fit?
It’s completely normal to wonder if therapy is the right match for you. Building trust and feeling comfortable with your therapist is essential for meaningful growth. If at any point you feel unsure about our connection or approach, please let me know. We can talk openly about it and decide together whether to adjust our work or explore other options. Your comfort and progress are my top priorities, and I’m here to support you every step of the way whether that means continuing together or helping you find the best path forward.
Good Faith Estimate (No Surprises Act)
This Good Faith Estimate shows the costs of services that are reasonably expected for the expected services to address your mental health care needs. The estimate is based on the information known to us when we did the estimate.
The Good Faith Estimate does not include any unknown or unexpected costs that may arise during treatment. You could be charged more if complications or special circumstances occur. If this happens, federal law allows you to dispute (appeal) the bill.
If you are billed for more than this Good Faith Estimate, you have the right to dispute the bill.
You may contact the contact listed above if billed charges are higher than the Good Faith Estimate. You can request an update to the bill to match the Good Faith Estimate, ask to negotiate the bill, or ask if there is financial assistance available.
You may also start a dispute resolution process with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). If you choose to use the dispute resolution process, you must start the dispute process within 120 calendar days (about 4 months) of the date on the original bill.
There is a $25 fee to use the dispute process. If the agency reviewing your dispute agrees with you, you will have to pay the price on this Good Faith Estimate. If the agency disagrees with you and agrees with the health care provider or facility, you will have to pay the higher amount.
To learn more and get a form to start the process, go to: www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call CMS at 1-800-985-3059.
For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate or the dispute process, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises or call CMS at 1-800-985-3059 .
This Good Faith Estimate is not a contract. It does not obligate you to accept the services listed above.