Couples Therapy in Irvine, CA | Marriage & Relationship Counseling
I provide emotionally focused, culturally attuned therapy in Mission Viejo, CA for first generation Latinas, multicultural professionals, and couples who feel stuck in painful communication cycles but still deeply care about their relationship. My work supports partners who are navigating resentment, emotional distance, attachment wounds, and the weight of family expectations while trying to build something stable and connected. In Mission Viejo, where life often looks calm and established from the outside, I offer a grounded space where you can speak openly without feeling judged or misunderstood.
For years, I have worked with clients across South Orange County, including many living near Lake Mission Viejo, along Marguerite Parkway, or in neighborhoods like Pacific Hills and Painted Trails. Mission Viejo carries a quieter pace than neighboring cities, but that does not mean the emotional pressure is lighter. Many couples here are raising young families, balancing commutes toward Irvine or Laguna Niguel, and managing the invisible expectations that come with upward mobility. Cultural loyalty, financial stability, and keeping the peace can quietly override emotional honesty.
Couples and individuals in Mission Viejo often reach out when arguments feel repetitive and intimacy feels strained, even though love is still present. They are not looking for someone to take sides. They are looking for a therapist who understands bicultural identity, generational trauma, and the tension between independence and family loyalty. They choose this work because it helps them move from defensiveness and distance toward clarity, emotional safety, and connection that feels sustainable.
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
Maybe your days are full with school runs, work, errands around The Shops, or trying to keep family life steady, but your relationship feels like it is running on old tension. You know something needs care, even if you are not sure how to talk about it without another argument.
A local space for couple therapy can help you feel less stuck and less alone in what has been happening. Many clients notice more calm, more clarity, and a softer way of understanding each other when the pressure to "fix it right now" starts to ease.
Sessions tend to explore recurring conflict, emotional distance, trust, parenting stress, intimacy, and the quiet hurts that build when life gets busy. The focus is on helping the relationship feel safer, more honest, and easier to come back to.
Individual Therapy
You may be keeping life steady with school routines, family responsibilities, errands around The Shops, and a calendar that leaves little room to check in with yourself. On the outside, you may look capable, but inside you might feel stretched thin, guilty, or disconnected from what you actually want.
Clients often notice a shift from constantly second-guessing themselves to feeling more emotionally clear. A local space for individual therapy can help you feel less alone with the pressure to be strong, agreeable, or available for everyone else.
Sessions tend to explore boundaries, relationship history, self-worth, guilt, grief, family roles, and the patterns that keep you over-functioning. The focus is on helping you move through your life with more steadiness, honesty, and room to breathe.
Anxiety Therapy
You may be keeping up with school routines, errands around The Shops, family responsibilities, and work while quietly feeling like you are one step away from overwhelm. Your life may look stable, but anxiety can make even ordinary decisions feel heavy, urgent, or hard to trust.
Clients often notice relief when they stop blaming themselves for feeling anxious and start understanding what is underneath the pressure. A local space for anxiety therapy can help you feel more grounded, less reactive, and more able to move through your day without constant tension.
Sessions tend to explore worry loops, perfectionism, family stress, emotional overwhelm, boundaries, physical tension, and the fear of disappointing others. The focus is on helping your inner life feel safer, calmer, and easier to live in.
Premarital Counseling
You might be building wedding plans around family schedules, work, errands near The Shops, and conversations about where life is headed next. Under the excitement, there may also be questions about communication, money, family roles, or how you will handle pressure once marriage begins.
Clients often experience relief when they can talk about the future without feeling like they are creating problems. A local space for premarital counseling can help you feel more prepared, more connected, and more honest about what each of you needs.
Sessions tend to explore conflict styles, expectations, family influence, emotional needs, finances, intimacy, faith or values, and the everyday habits that shape a lasting partnership. The goal is to help your commitment feel clear, safe, and deeply supported.
Grief Counseling
Between family routines, school pickups, errands around The Shops, and trying to keep the household moving, grief can become something you tuck away until the day finally gets quiet. You might feel like everyone needs you to keep going, even when part of you feels stuck in the moment everything changed.
Clients often feel a shift when they stop forcing themselves to grieve on someone else's timeline. A local space for grief counseling can help you feel supported in the messy, uneven parts of loss, including the days that feel ordinary and the days that suddenly do not.
Sessions often make room for the memories you replay, the conversations you wish you had, the family roles that changed, and the practical reality of continuing life while your heart is still adjusting.
Immigration evaluations
Immigration Evaluations are available for individuals in Mission Viejo, CA who need a psychological evaluation to support their immigration petition. Whether you are navigating asylum, extreme hardship, VAWA, or cancellation of removal, this process requires sensitivity and precision. If you are searching for immigration evaluations near you, this space provides professional documentation grounded in emotional safety.
I serve first-generation women of color in Mission Viejo, CA
I provide therapy services to clients in Mission Viejo and surrounding South Orange County communities, supporting individuals and couples navigating attachment wounds, grief, anxiety, relational conflict, and first-generation cultural expectations. Many residents in Mission Viejo balance professional responsibilities, family roles, and long-term partnership commitments while quietly feeling emotionally overwhelmed. My office, located at 4 Venture Suite 355, Irvine, CA 92618, is just a 11-minute drive from Lake Mission Viejo, and I also offer virtual sessions if you prefer care from home.
I have served Orange County for several years, working with high-achieving professionals, multicultural families, and first-generation Latinas who want deeper emotional clarity and relational safety. My approach is emotionally-focused, culturally-responsive, and grounded in attachment-based work. I am committed to providing care that goes beyond surface-level coping and instead supports sustainable healing rooted in emotional safety.
I serve clients throughout Mission Viejo and nearby areas including Lake Forest, Laguna Hills, Aliso Viejo, and Irvine. With neighborhoods centered around Lake Mission Viejo and a strong family-oriented culture, this community values stability, commitment, and long-term growth. My work supports local residents who want therapy that honors both their ambition and their emotional 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 Mission Viejo, CA
I support first-generation women of color navigating relationship stress, anxiety, and emotional exhaustion. Whether you're near Lake Mission Viejo, Saddleback College, or Oso Creek, I create a healing space rooted in trust, compassion, and cultural understanding.
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.