San Diego Institute for Couples & Families

San Diego Institute for Couples & Families Repairing, Rebuilding and Restoring Relationships. Our mission is to help our clients, whether it be individuals, couples, family or children.

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Located in Mission Valley & Scripps Ranch Repairing, Rebuilding and Restoring Relationships

Relationships are our focus at the San Diego Institute for Couples and Families. Our mission is to help our clients repair, rebuild, restore and revitalize their significant relationships. We know it is better not to be alone and connection with others makes us stronger and healthier. We work with children, adults, couples and families using proven, effective methods which help decrease relational distress and deepen connection. Our therapists also provide educational workshops, retreats and training. We have offices in Mission Valley and Scripps Ranch.

02/15/2026

“Most of us have experienced some very difficult and possibly traumatic experiences. A lot of times we keep the experiences inside us under lock and key. When we choose to open-up and share our painful experiences, it can transform moments of intense pain into one of connection and healing.

Give yourself time to process your feelings and start talking to someone you trust who is responsive and nonjudgmental to your pain. It is so important to find others we can share our feelings with and to take time to listen to their stories of difficult times as well. We all need help and when we help others it can help us to heal as well.”

- Mary Cipriani, LMFT, SDICF Director

Read more about getting through traumatic times here: sdicouples.com/sdicblog/2019/10/11/getting-through-difficulttraumatic-times-in-your-life

We know how to help you!

02/08/2026

Good mental health isn’t just deep, serious, or expensive. It can be improved by little choices you make every day. Consider putting some of the tips below into practice and seeing how your mental health improves!

Sunlight before screens – even 5 minutes outside resets your circadian rhythm and mood.

Move your body a little – walk, stretch, dance to one song. Motion tells your brain “we’re okay.”

Name the feeling – literally say “I’m anxious / bored / overwhelmed.” Naming emotions lowers their intensity.

Hydrate + protein early – mental fog is often just dehydration or low blood sugar.

For more mental health support, connect with us at sdicouples.com!

We know how to help you!

02/01/2026

Meet SDICF Therapist, Alan Harmeza!

“I approach therapy with the understanding that life includes suffering, but that suffering can be the starting point for transformation. I help clients face their pain directly, uncover meaning in the midst of hardship, and begin to build a life worth living—one rooted in values, relationships, and personal growth. My work centers on creating a safe, nonjudgmental space where clients can move from survival to purpose.”

Learn more about Alan at sdicouples.com/therapists #/alan-harmeza

We know how to help you!

01/26/2026

“I want you to know that while the idea of forgiveness is pretty straightforward, it is anything but a straightforward process. And I want to emphasize the word process. As a therapist who is a Christian, I work with many Christian clients who have been harmed by others and who have been pressured by well-meaning people to forgive. This pressure then results in feelings of guilt and shame for lingering anger and pain, which becomes another wave of pain to wade through. My belief is that forgiveness is the result of a process of letting go, and it cannot be rushed or demanded. Forgiveness is both a choice and an experience. Lasting forgiveness that sticks is the result of processing your pain and letting go.”
- Sharon Meins, APCC

Read Sharon’s blog post: sdicouples.com/sdicblog/2024/10/18/3-myths-about-forgiveness-that-keep-you-from-actually-forgiving

We know how to help you!

01/18/2026

Meet SDICF Therapist, Taylor Dietz!

“I believe that healing and transformation happen in the context of safe, trusting relationships. At the heart of my work is a deep passion for helping children, couples, and families build secure connections within themselves and with others. Whether you are working through relationship conflicts, trauma, behavioral challenges, anxiety, depression, or shame, I am passionate about providing a space where people can be fully seen, deeply heard, and compassionately supported.”

Learn more about Taylor at sdicouples.com/therapists #/taylor-dietz

We know how to help you!

01/11/2026

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today and creates a vision for tomorrow.

- Melody Beattie

The San Diego Institute for Couples and Families never forgets that couples and families consist of individuals! Individuals come to us for a variety of difficulties encompassing emotional issues, relational problems, spiritual issues, addictions, trauma, life transitions, and abuse issues. We want you to know that you are not alone, we are here to help you start to heal and feel like yourself again.

Schedule an appointment with us at sdicouples.com/individual-therapy

We know how to help you!

01/04/2026

Meet SDICF APCC, Sharon Meins!

Sharon’s heart is to help people restore their most precious relationships and to heal from the inside out. She is currently under supervision to become a certified Emotionally Focused Couples Therapist and has a level three certification in Trauma Informed Stabilization Treatment. A former special education and elementary school teacher and mother of four, Sharon has her own lived experiences in the trenches and would be honored to walk with you in yours.

Learn more about Sharon, and schedule an appointment, at sdicouples.com/therapists #/sharon-meins

We know how to help you!

A funny reminder that the busiest (and jolliest) people you know may be struggling with stress and sadness this holiday ...
12/27/2025

A funny reminder that the busiest (and jolliest) people you know may be struggling with stress and sadness this holiday season. Make the time to check-in on one another and spread some holiday cheer, love and support. Our well-trained therapists are here to meet you where you’re at and help bring joy back to your holidays.

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays from SDICF!

Connect with us at sdicouples.com

12/21/2025

“Researcher John Gottman found that people who are happily married believe that deep down their spouse is still a good person regardless of their flaws. Anyone who has ever lived with someone or been married knows we all have flaws. Gottman goes on to say that those who nurture their “fondness and admiration” for each other are better able to accept each other’s flaws. If you don’t have fondness and admiration, then you will not be protected against feeling contempt for your spouse which can, over time, break down the bonds of your relationship.”

- Mary Cipriani, LMFT, SDICF Director

Read more about flaws, fondness, & admiration at sdicouples.com/sdicblog/2019/10/11/flaws-fondness-and-admiration

We know how to help you!

Address

2831 Camino Del Rio South, #201 And 10065 Old Grove Road, #102
San Diego, CA
92108

Opening Hours

Monday 7am - 9pm
Tuesday 7am - 9pm
Wednesday 7am - 9pm
Thursday 7am - 9pm
Friday 7am - 9pm
Saturday 7am - 5pm

Telephone

+16195421052

Website

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Repairing, Rebuilding and Restoring Relationships Relationships are our focus at the San Diego Institute for Couples and Families. Our mission is to help our clients repair, rebuild, restore and revitalize their significant relationships. We know it is better not to be alone and connection with others makes us stronger and healthier. We work with children, adults, couples and families using proven, effective methods which help decrease relational distress and deepen connection. Our therapists also provide educational workshops, retreats and training. We have offices in Mission Valley and Scripps Ranch.