Licensed Clinical Psychologist with 10+ years of experience helping women navigate relationship transitions
Specialized expertise in anxiety, trauma, and attachment patterns that impact dating
Evidence-based approach combining EMDR, ACT, and emotion-focused therapy for lasting change
Culturally-centered, intersectional feminist perspective that honors your whole identity
Warm, authentic therapeutic style that combines professional expertise with genuine connection
Convenient Irvine location serving Orange County professionals, with flexible telehealth options
Creating space to connect
Does dating feel exhausting? Do you feel stuck? Over it? Tired of swiping and not finding the connection you crave? I'm here to help you build the healthy relationship you've been looking for.
Top-Rated Orange County Dating Therapist
Meet Dr. Adrianna Holness
Expert Dating Therapist in Orange County, CA
Hello! I'm Dr. Adrianna Holness, licensed clinical psychologist and founder of Worth and Wellness Psychology. For over a decade, I've had the privilege of helping women navigate the complex world of dating and relationships in Orange County. As someone who believes that our worthiness isn't tied to relationship status or dating success, I'm passionate about helping women build authentic connections while honoring their whole selves.
My approach to dating therapy combines evidence-based techniques with a deep understanding of how our various identities–including race, ethnicity, gender, and culture – shape our dating experiences. I practice from an intersectional feminist lens, which means I get curious about how all aspects of your identity influence your journey to finding meaningful connections. Whether you're dealing with dating anxiety, healing from past relationships, or struggling with self-worth in the dating world, I provide a safe, non-judgmental space to explore these challenges.
What sets my practice apart is my commitment to meeting you exactly where you are. Some days that means celebrating a breakthrough in your dating life, and other days it means sitting with difficult emotions or unpacking patterns that no longer serve you. I bring warmth, authenticity, and even humor to our sessions, while drawing from proven therapeutic approaches including EMDR, ACT, and emotion-focused therapy. Together, we'll work on transforming your relationship with yourself while building the skills for healthy, fulfilling relationships with others.
My Approach to Dating Therapy in Orange County
Therapy for dating can help you identify your internal narratives, spot your relational patterns, and help you build the skills for the healthy relationship that you deserve!
The first step is improving the relationship that you have with yourself. From that space, you will notice the way you talk about dating and yourself and will learn to spot and shift the way that you show up in this space. For some, that may mean exploring why you’re drawn to unavailable partners or why you accept less than you deserve. For others, it may be sitting with why it’s hard to be on your own. Together we will focus on healing, self-worth, and values to help you build strong and meaningful relationships.
Dating Therapy Can Help You:
Explore your needs
Identify your values
Practice asking for what you need
Learn more about your attachment style
Challenge your self-worth and dating scripts
Deepen your emotional connections
“Daring greatly means having the courage to be vulnerable. It means to show up and be seen. To ask for what you need. To talk about what you’re feeling. To have the hard conversations.”
- Brené Brown
Begin Therapy for Dating in California Today!
Inspired to begin creating meaningful connections? Here at Worth and Wellness, we work with you to help change your dating patterns and explore your relationship with yourself. Begin therapy for dating in California with our skilled relationships and dating therapists, and see how much your life can change. To get started, follow these simple steps:
Step 1
Contact Worth and Wellness
Step 2
Learn more about your dating and relationship therapist
Step 3
Start seeing success in your relationships, dating skills, and options.
Why Start Dating Therapy?
Dating is… _____?
Exhausting? Impossible? Disappointing? These are just a few emotions that my clients have often experienced while dating.
The way we view dating and ourselves as daters impacts how we show up in that space. What’s your dating script? Maybe you show up to dates with the expectation that:
You won’t be liked
That you’ll need to hide the true you
Or that you have to make your wants and needs small.
These scripts didn’t start with your first crush, first date, or first relationship. Therapy for dating in California will help you explore and challenge these patterns.
Does any of this sound familiar?
I don’t have the time.
I’m over situationships.
Dating apps don’t work.
I just want to find someone kind.
It’s never going to happen for me.
Maybe I’m too much.
I missed my chance.
Maybe I’m not enough.
All the good ones are taken.
I’m going to end up alone.
More About Dating Therapy
Who is dating counseling for?
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You’ve learned to go with the flow. You minimize your needs and avoid rocking the boat. You’re always up for what the other person wants even if you’re not. You just want to feel seen and valued for who you are. However, the struggle to show up as yourself feels impossible at times.
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You would be out there dating…. if only you had the time. Your life is full. You’re rocking it at work, you have plenty of scheduled time with friends and/or family. However, you can’t seem to figure out how to make time for something you value.
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You crave connection and a meaningful relationship, but you’re not sure that you’re worthy of having that. While you often settle for breadcrumbs and frustrating situationships, you want something more.
Why can’t I figure this out?
You’ve mastered the recipe for success academically and professionally. You know how to put in the work and be intentional in creating the life you want. When you want something, you know the steps to take and it’s been effective in most areas of your life… except for dating.
What can I change?
Change happens when we learn to nourish ourselves, tune into what we want, and honor what we need by establishing boundaries that create healthy relationships. Therapy for dating in California is a space where you can challenge yourself to identify what you value, and what you deserve, so you can practice having hard, vulnerable, and important conversations in a safe space. After all, you know this is what you need to create healthy relationships.
Dating Therapy FAQs
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Dating therapy and couples therapy serve different needs and focus on different aspects of relationships:
Dating Therapy:
Individual therapy focused on your personal relationship with dating
Addresses patterns and challenges in your overall dating experience
Helps you develop a stronger sense of self while dating
Works on healing past relationship wounds that impact current dating
Builds skills for future relationships
Perfect for singles or those in early dating stages who want to create healthier patterns
Couples Counseling:
Involves both partners in an established relationship
Focuses on the dynamics between two or more specific people
Addresses current relationship challenges and communication
Works on building shared understanding and connection
Helps partners navigate specific relationship issues together
Best for established couples working on their existing relationship
Dating therapy at Worth and Wellness focuses on helping you develop a healthy relationship with yourself first, which creates the foundation for meaningful connections with others. Whether you're actively dating or taking a break from dating, our work together centers on your growth, emotional well-being, and sense of self-worth.
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A dating therapist serves as your ally in creating healthier, more fulfilling dating experiences. Here's how I can help:
Pattern Recognition and Transformation
Identify recurring dating patterns that aren't serving you
Understand your attachment style and how it influences your dating choices
Recognize and heal from people-pleasing and perfectionist tendencies in dating
Emotional Support and Skill Building
Develop tools for managing dating anxiety and uncertainty
Build confidence in expressing your needs and boundaries
Learn to trust your intuition when choosing potential partners
Self-Worth Development
Strengthen your relationship with yourself while dating
Challenge internalized beliefs about your worthiness in relationships
Create a dating approach that honors your whole identity
Practical Dating Support
Navigate modern dating challenges like app fatigue and ghosting
Develop authentic communication skills for dating situations
Create sustainable dating practices that align with your values
Still not sure if dating therapy is right for you? Schedule your free consultation today to learn more.
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The most effective dating therapy is personalized to your unique experiences and challenges. In my work with clients, I often integrate multiple evidence-based approaches including:
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help you date according to your values while managing dating anxiety
Emotion Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT) to understand and transform your emotional patterns in relationships
EMDR Therapy to address past relationship trauma that may be impacting your current dating life
Mindfulness-Based Approaches to stay present and authentic in dating situations
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to challenge unhelpful dating beliefs and patterns
The "best" approach often combines these modalities to address both immediate dating challenges and deeper patterns. We'll work together to find the therapeutic path that resonates most with your needs and goals.
Start Your Journey Toward More Meaningful Connections
If you're struggling with the mental and emotional component of navigating the dating scene, you're not alone. Therapy can be a safe, supportive space to reflect on your own personal goals for dating, learn more about how to build a healthy and fulfilling relationship, and the most helpful dating insight for your unique situation.
Other Therapy Services at Worth & Wellness Psychology in Los Angeles, CA
Outside of dating therapy, we specialize in anxiety treatment, EMDR therapy, and trauma therapy. We also provide therapy for individuals, therapy for therapists, and therapy for women of color. Our online therapy format also allows us to be more accessible to clients. To learn more about our practice, visit us and get the help you deserve today!
