Sheila Khaleghian, Psy.D.

Sheila Khaleghian, Psy.D. Licensed Clinical Psychologist
Los Angeles, Ca

Individuals, Family, and Couple Psychotherapy

Work Experience & Specialization

Relationship Issues
Sexual Dysfunctions
Addiction and Substance Abuse
Sexuality (LGBTQ)
Anxiety and Depression
Parenting without Conflict
Family Conflict
Life Transitions
Issues of Adolescence


Fluent in English and Farsi

Conflict is inevitable in relationships. The way we handle it is what matters most.Unhealthy conflict keeps couples stuc...
05/28/2026

Conflict is inevitable in relationships. The way we handle it is what matters most.

Unhealthy conflict keeps couples stuck in cycles of blame, defensiveness, criticism, and emotional distance. The problem becomes bigger than the relationship itself. Over time, unresolved conflict can impact emotional safety, trust, nervous system regulation, and even physical health.

Healthy conflict looks different. It’s not about avoiding disagreement — it’s about learning how to stay connected while working through difficult emotions together. Healthy couples learn how to communicate with curiosity instead of control, accountability instead of blame, and repair instead of withdrawal. Instead of seeing each other as the enemy, they learn to work together against the problem, approaching challenges as a team rather than turning against one another.

Research consistently shows that successful relationships are not conflict-free relationships. They are relationships where both people feel emotionally safe, heard, respected, and willing to repair after disconnection.

Healing relational patterns often requires slowing down, increasing self-awareness, improving communication skills, and learning how to regulate emotional reactions before they escalate.

The goal isn’t perfection. The goal is connection.

Keeping intimacy alive in marriage isn’t about perfection or constant passion. It’s about continuing to emotionally choo...
05/28/2026

Keeping intimacy alive in marriage isn’t about perfection or constant passion. It’s about continuing to emotionally choose each other through everyday moments of connection, affection, curiosity, and care.

Research consistently shows that couples who maintain emotional responsiveness, physical affection, playfulness, and intentional quality time report higher relationship satisfaction, stronger emotional security, and greater long-term intimacy.

Over time, many relationships are impacted by stress, busy schedules, emotional exhaustion, parenting demands, unresolved conflict, or simply falling into routine. Disconnection often happens gradually — not because love disappears, but because connection stops being nurtured consistently.

Healthy relationships tend to prioritize:
• affectionate touch outside the bedroom
• open conversations about needs and emotions
• intentional quality time
• novelty and shared experiences
• emotional safety and responsiveness
• continued flirting, playfulness, and appreciation

Studies have found that physical affection can increase oxytocin, reduce stress responses, and strengthen emotional bonding. Research also suggests that novelty and new shared experiences can help reignite attraction and deepen connection in long-term relationships.

Communication is equally important. Couples who openly discuss intimacy, stress, emotional needs, and relationship dynamics tend to navigate conflict more effectively and maintain stronger trust and closeness over time.

Long-term intimacy is rarely automatic.
It is built through consistency, emotional presence, vulnerability, and continued investment in one another.

The strongest relationships are not the ones without challenges — they are the ones where both people continue showing up for the relationship even during stressful seasons of life.

At Dr. Khaleghian & Associates Therapy Group, we support individuals and couples in strengthening emotional connection, improving communication, rebuilding trust, healing attachment wounds, navigating life stressors, and creating healthier relationship patterns through evidence-based and holistic therapeutic approaches.

Relationships don’t lose connection overnight — emotional distance is usually built through the accumulation of small mo...
05/25/2026

Relationships don’t lose connection overnight — emotional distance is usually built through the accumulation of small moments: missed bids for attention, unspoken feelings, distractions, assumptions, and daily stress. The encouraging part? Emotional closeness is also rebuilt in small moments.

Research consistently shows that emotional connection is one of the strongest predictors of relationship satisfaction, security, and long-term relationship stability. Couples who intentionally create emotional safety through open communication, quality time, appreciation, curiosity, and shared experiences tend to report stronger relationships and greater overall wellbeing.

Strong relationships aren’t about perfection.

They’re about:

• Communicating openly and feeling safe enough to be vulnerable
• Putting away distractions and prioritizing meaningful time together
• Feeling seen, appreciated, and valued
• Continuing to learn who your partner is as they grow and evolve
• Building shared experiences and creating a stronger sense of “we”

Research from relationship science also suggests that couples who regularly respond positively to each other’s bids for connection (“Look at this,” “How was your day?” “I missed you”) create stronger emotional bonds over time. Often it isn’t the grand gestures that matter most — it’s the repeated experience of “I see you” and “I’m here.”

If your relationship feels disconnected, stuck in repetitive cycles, or like you’re living separate lives together, it doesn’t necessarily mean something is broken. Sometimes it means the relationship needs support, new tools, and a space to understand each other differently.

Connection is built every day. And small shifts can create meaningful change.

If you’ve been wanting to strengthen your relationship, deepen emotional intimacy, or break unhealthy patterns, couples therapy can help.

Communication patterns don’t usually become unhealthy overnight. Most couples aren’t struggling because they don’t love ...
05/22/2026

Communication patterns don’t usually become unhealthy overnight. Most couples aren’t struggling because they don’t love each other — they’re often stuck in cycles they never learned how to recognize or change.

If you notice these patterns in your relationship, it doesn’t automatically mean the relationship is failing. It may mean there are unmet needs, unresolved emotions, or communication habits that are keeping both partners disconnected.

• Conversations quickly become defensive rather than productive
• Needs are expressed through blame, criticism, or frustration
• Small disagreements repeatedly turn into major arguments
• Difficult conversations are avoided altogether
• Conflicts “end,” but the same issues continue to resurface

Many couples find themselves repeating the same argument with different details because the deeper issue underneath never gets addressed.

Couples therapy isn’t about proving who is right or wrong. It can help partners understand one another more clearly, communicate with intention, strengthen emotional safety, and create healthier patterns together.

Awareness is often the first step toward change.

The way we bring up problems in a relationship can either create distance or build deeper connection. Statements like “y...
05/21/2026

The way we bring up problems in a relationship can either create distance or build deeper connection. Statements like “you never listen to me” often feel like blame, put partners on the defensive, and can quickly escalate conflict. Over time, repeated communication patterns can create resentment, emotional disconnection, and feelings of not being understood.

Couples therapy helps partners recognize these patterns and learn healthier ways to communicate. It teaches skills like using “I” statements, expressing needs without criticism, listening with intention, and approaching challenges as a team rather than opponents. Small shifts such as moving from “you never…” to “I feel…” can reduce defensiveness and increase emotional safety.

Healthy relationships are not built by avoiding conflict — they are built by learning how to repair, collaborate, and feel heard by the person you love. Sometimes changing the conversation changes the relationship.

Early warning signs of mental health concerns can be subtle at first. They often show up as changes in how someone funct...
05/08/2026

Early warning signs of mental health concerns can be subtle at first. They often show up as changes in how someone functions, feels, relates, or copes.

Clinically, we often look at the “5 D’s”:

Dysfunction: difficulty concentrating, pulling away from responsibilities, struggling at work/school, changes in hygiene or daily routines.

Distress: persistent sadness, anxiety, irritability, emotional instability, fear, worry, or feeling helpless.

Duration: symptoms that do not pass after a few days, keep returning, or begin interfering with everyday life.

Deviance: thoughts, emotions, or behaviors that feel significantly different from the person’s usual baseline.

Danger: self-harm thoughts, suicidal thoughts, aggression, risky behavior, or feeling out of control.

Research has shown that changes in sleep, mood, anxiety, withdrawal, suspiciousness, and overall functioning can often precede worsening mental health symptoms or relapse. Early identification and intervention are associated with improved outcomes and earlier stabilization.

What to look out for:
Changes in sleep, appetite, mood, energy, hygiene, motivation, concentration, relationships, substance use, work performance, or increased isolation.

Who to consult:
A licensed psychologist, therapist, psychiatrist, primary care physician, or mental health treatment center. If there is concern for su***de, self-harm, violence, or immediate danger, contact 988, go to the nearest emergency room, or call emergency services.

You do not need to wait until things become severe to ask for help. Early support can make a meaningful difference.

When you said you didn’t want a snack… but lowkey hoped they’d still bring one 😅Here’s the truth most people don’t want ...
05/01/2026

When you said you didn’t want a snack… but lowkey hoped they’d still bring one 😅

Here’s the truth most people don’t want to admit:

We don’t always say what we need… but we expect to be understood anyway.

And that’s where relationships start to quietly break down.

Research consistently shows that when needs aren’t clearly expressed, it leads to misunderstandings, resentment, and emotional distance over time.

So why don’t people just say what they want?

• Fear of rejection or being “too much”
• Wanting to avoid conflict (even though avoiding it often makes it worse)
• People-pleasing patterns and over-accommodation
• The belief that “if they really love me, they should just know”

But your partner isn’t a mind reader. They’re responding to the information you give them.

Indirect communication (hinting, testing, staying quiet) often leads to the exact opposite of what you want: disconnection.

On the flip side, being clear about your needs is one of the strongest predictors of long-term relationship satisfaction. Couples who openly communicate expectations and needs tend to have more resilient, stable relationships.

Honest communication does a few powerful things:
• Builds trust and emotional safety
• Reduces anxiety and guessing
• Prevents resentment from building under the surface
• Creates a dynamic where both people feel seen and considered

Direct communication isn’t harsh — it’s actually a form of kindness. It creates clarity, and clarity creates connection.

Real intimacy isn’t about being mind-read…
It’s about being known.

And you can’t be known if you’re not expressed.

If this resonates, this is exactly the kind of work we focus on in therapy.

Before you say “I do,” the conversations you avoid matter more than the ones you have.Strong marriages aren’t built on c...
04/30/2026

Before you say “I do,” the conversations you avoid matter more than the ones you have.

Strong marriages aren’t built on chemistry alone—they’re built on alignment, clarity, and the ability to navigate differences without eroding connection.

Here are some of the most important topics to openly discuss before marriage:

• Finances: income, spending habits, debt, financial roles, long-term planning
• Expectations: emotional, sexual, lifestyle, and relational needs
• Parenting: whether you want children, parenting styles, values, discipline
• Religion & spirituality: beliefs, practices, and how they’ll show up in your home
• Family dynamics: boundaries, holidays, conflict with in-laws, loyalty tensions
• Mental & physical health history: transparency, support needs, coping patterns
• Goals & vision: career ambitions, lifestyle preferences, where and how you want to live

Research in relationship science consistently shows that marital success is less about avoiding conflict and more about how couples align and repair. Some of the strongest predictors of long-term relationship satisfaction include:

• Shared meaning and values (Gottman)
• Effective conflict management—not conflict avoidance
• Emotional responsiveness and secure attachment
• Financial agreement and low financial strain
• Sexual satisfaction and open communication
• Mutual respect and admiration

Couples who are “on the same page” about core life domains—or who can respectfully navigate differences—tend to experience higher relationship stability, deeper intimacy, and lower rates of divorce.

Avoiding these conversations doesn’t protect the relationship—it delays the stress.

Clarity builds safety.
Honesty builds trust.
Alignment builds longevity.

If you’re preparing for marriage, don’t just plan the wedding—prepare for the relationship.

“Ozempic personality” isn’t about personality… it’s about reward systems.We’re starting to see conversations around Ozem...
04/26/2026

“Ozempic personality” isn’t about personality… it’s about reward systems.

We’re starting to see conversations around Ozempic and other GLP-1 medications not just reducing appetite—but potentially dampening emotional and reward responses.

And this is where it starts to impact relationships.

When the brain’s reward circuitry is downregulated, it’s not just food that feels less appealing… it can be:
• connection
• intimacy
• motivation
• pleasure
• emotional responsiveness

What this can look like in relationships:

* You’re physically present, but emotionally flat or disengaged
* Less excitement or anticipation around time with your partner
* Decreased libido or intimacy without a clear “why”
* Feeling indifferent in situations that used to bring joy
* Your partner perceiving you as distant, cold, or “different”
* Less motivation to initiate plans, conversations, or affection

This isn’t about something being “wrong” with you.
It’s about understanding how neurobiology influences behavior and connection.

GLP-1s work in part by affecting dopamine pathways—the same systems involved in reward, pleasure, and reinforcement. So when food noise decreases, sometimes other forms of reward-seeking can shift too.

Clinically, this matters.

Because if food was previously:

* a coping mechanism
* a source of comfort
* or a primary reward system

…removing it without replacing it can leave people asking:
“Now what?”

And in relationships, that “void” can show up as disconnection.

This is where intentional work comes in:

* Rebuilding new reward pathways (connection, movement, purpose)
* Increasing emotional awareness and expression
* Being proactive about intimacy instead of waiting for it to “feel natural”
* Open communication with partners about what’s changing

Bottom line:
You’re not losing your personality.
Your brain is recalibrating—and your relationships may need to recalibrate with you.



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