Couples Therapy in Santa Ana, CA | Marriage & Relationship Counseling

I provide emotionally focused, culturally rooted therapy in Santa Ana, CA for first-generation Latinas and multicultural couples who feel emotionally disconnected yet deeply committed to love. My work supports individuals and partners navigating generational trauma, attachment wounds, cultural loyalty, and the quiet pressure of being the strong one in the family. In Santa Ana, where culture, community, and identity are deeply woven into daily life, I create a space where you do not have to shrink yourself to maintain harmony.


For years, I've worked with clients across Orange County, including those living near Downtown Santa Ana, Floral Park, and neighborhoods along Bristol Street and Main. Santa Ana carries a different rhythm than surrounding cities. It is culturally rich, historically layered, and community-rooted. Many first-generation women here are balancing professional growth with strong family expectations, often translating emotionally and literally between worlds. Loyalty runs deep. So does silence. That tension can quietly shape how you show up in love.


Individuals and couples in Santa Ana often reach out when conflict feels reactive or when emotional closeness feels fragile despite shared history. They are not looking for someone to dismiss culture or pathologize family dynamics. They want to understand how grief, immigration stories, and generational roles influence their relationship patterns. They choose this work because it honors where they come from while helping them build connection that feels safe, mutual, and emotionally secure.

How it works

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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.

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Step 2

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

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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 carrying family expectations, work pressure, cultural dynamics, financial stress, or old wounds that no one really has time to unpack. When love is still there but conversations feel loaded, it can be painful to keep pretending things are okay.


A local couple therapy space can help you feel less alone in the tension. Clients often experience more clarity, more emotional safety, and less fear around saying what they actually feel. The relationship can begin to feel less like a battlefield and more like a place for repair.


Sessions often explore communication, trust, intimacy, family influence, conflict patterns, and the needs that get buried under survival mode. The work supports a connection that feels more honest, grounded, and sustainable near you.


Individual Therapy

You may be carrying family expectations, cultural pressure, work stress, financial responsibility, or the weight of being the one who holds everything together. When you are always translating, adapting, or keeping peace, it can become hard to know what you actually want.


Many clients begin to feel relief when they have a space where their story, identity, and emotional truth are not judged. With individual therapy near you, there can be more clarity, stronger self-trust, and less guilt around choosing what honors you.


Sessions often explore relationships, family roles, cultural identity, boundaries, self-worth, grief, and the patterns that made you feel small or unseen. The work supports healing that feels grounded, personal, and respectful of where you come from.


Anxiety Therapy

You may be carrying family expectations, cultural pressure, financial stress, work demands, or the responsibility of holding things together for others. Anxiety can make that weight feel constant, like you are always preparing, translating, adapting, or bracing for something to go wrong.


Many clients begin to feel relief when their stress is understood within the full context of their life. With anxiety therapy near you, there can be more emotional safety, clearer boundaries, and less shame around needing support.


Sessions often explore worry, identity, family roles, cultural expectations, relationship stress, panic feelings, and the pressure to stay strong. The work helps you feel more grounded while honoring where you come from and what you have carried.


Premarital Counseling

You may be preparing for marriage while carrying family expectations, cultural traditions, financial pressure, work demands, and the responsibility of bringing two worlds together. The wedding may involve many voices, but your relationship also deserves a space where both of you can speak honestly.


Many clients begin to feel relief when they can talk about the future with more openness and less pressure. With premarital counseling near you, couples often gain clarity around values, boundaries, communication, and the kind of home they want to create.


Sessions often explore family roles, culture, finances, faith or values, conflict, intimacy, trust, and expectations that may not have been fully named yet. The work supports a marriage that honors where you come from while making room for what you are building together.


Grief Counseling

You may be grieving while also carrying family expectations, cultural traditions, work pressure, and the responsibility of being strong for others. In some families, loss is surrounded by prayer, silence, duty, or practical needs, and your own feelings may not have had much room.


Many clients feel relief when grief is understood in the context of their family, culture, and lived experience. With grief counseling near you, there can be space for sadness, anger, love, guilt, and the pressure of being the one who keeps going.


Sessions may explore how your community grieves, what you were taught about showing pain, how the loss changed family roles, and how to honor both your roots and your own emotional truth.


Immigration evaluations

Immigration Evaluations support individuals in Santa Ana, CA seeking psychological documentation for immigration relief cases. Many clients are applying for asylum, VAWA, hardship waivers, or related petitions and need clear, professional documentation. If you are searching for immigration evaluations near you, this process centers cultural sensitivity and emotional safety.


Evaluations are conducted in person in Irvine or virtually across California, with comprehensive reports prepared for legal submission.

I serve first-generation women of color in Santa Ana, CA

I provide therapy services to individuals and couples in Santa Ana and surrounding 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 13-minute drive from central Santa Ana, and I also offer virtual sessions throughout California for added flexibility. I have served Orange County for several years, working with multigenerational families and career-driven individuals who often balance cultural loyalty, responsibility, and emotional strain beneath the surface.


My approach is emotionally-focused, culturally-responsive, and grounded in attachment-based therapy. In a community known for its strong cultural roots, family-centered values, and landmarks such as the Santa Ana Civic Center and Bowers Museum, many residents prioritize resilience and long-term stability. I remain committed to offering care that prioritizes emotional safety and sustainable healing rather than surface-level coping. I serve clients throughout Santa Ana as well as nearby areas including Tustin, Fountain Valley, Anaheim, and Irvine, providing a steady and culturally-aware space for local residents seeking deeper emotional clarity and relational wellbeing.

Testimonials

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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

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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

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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

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I'm Dama Perez, founder of Casa Therapy offering therapy in Santa Ana, CA

I walk with first-generation women of color learning how to carry their stories without losing themselves in survival mode. Whether you're near the Artists Village, Logan neighborhood, or Santiago Park, I offer virtual sessions that center emotional expression and cultural 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.