Nina L. Marikian, MA, AMFT
Registered Associate Marriage & Family Therapist #147716
Supervised by Monica M. Huston, LMFT 118825
Break the Patterns Keeping You Disconnected
Sometimes you know what needs to change, but somehow you keep ending up in the same place. Maybe you feel disconnected from your partner, struggle to rebuild trust after being hurt, avoid difficult conversations, or find it hard to talk openly about sex and intimacy. Or maybe you are trying to figure out who you are, what you want, and how to stop doubting yourself. My approach is collaborative, practical, and conversational. Together, we can understand what keeps happening, what you want to be different, and what steps can help you move toward greater confidence, connection, and fulfillment.
Young Adults & Teens
In-Person & Telehealth
Emotion-Focused Therapy
Person-Centered
Attachment-Based
Optional
Armenian
What I Help With
Sex, Intimacy & Sexual Concerns
Sex and intimacy can become difficult to talk about, even with the person closest to you. I work with adults navigating sexual concerns, intimacy difficulties, and sex or pornography-related compulsive behaviors. Prior to joining IFC, my experience in this area included training and supervision from a certified sex therapist. Therapy offers a private, sex-positive space to better understand what is happening and explore healthier ways of relating to yourself and others.
Couples, Trust & Infidelity
Relationship problems are rarely just about one argument. Couples may feel disconnected, repeat the same conflicts, avoid difficult conversations, or struggle to rebuild trust after infidelity or another relational injury. I help couples better understand these patterns, communicate more openly, strengthen emotional connection, and explore what rebuilding trust may look like for their relationship.
Teens, College & Finding Your Direction
High school and college can bring intense pressure around grades, friendships, relationships, career choices, social media, identity, and expectations from other people. Before joining IFC, I spent five years working as a counselor and success coach in public high school and community college settings, supporting students with academic stress, social anxiety, low self-esteem, and personal challenges.
Real conversations.
Deeper change.
My work is primarily psychodynamic, which means I'm interested not only in what's happening right now, but also in the deeper patterns, relationships, and experiences that may be shaping it.
I begin with the therapeutic relationship itself. Feeling genuinely cared for, understood, and safe enough to be vulnerable matters to me, because meaningful therapy requires more than simply exchanging advice.
Depending on what you need, I may also draw from CBT, DBT, and emotionally focused approaches. My style is warm, curious, relational, and sometimes humorous. Life can be heavy. We can take what you're experiencing seriously without pretending every minute of therapy has to feel painfully serious.
"You don't have to figure this out alone."
A space to be real, explore, and grow.
At our first meeting, I'll introduce myself, review informed consent, and take time to understand what brought you in, what feels difficult right now, and what you hope might feel different.
Some people arrive with a lot to say. Others aren't sure where to begin. Both are okay.
During the first few sessions, I focus on getting to know the person behind the problem, building trust, understanding your history and patterns, and developing treatment recommendations together.
Education & Training
Loyola Marymount University
MA in Counseling, Clinical Mental Health Counseling (2023)
BS in Chemistry - 2016
Newport Psychoanalytic Institute
Infants, Children, Adolescents Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Certificate — 2026
Additional Training
- Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFIT) – Level I & II
- Emotionally Focused Family Therapy (EFFT) – Level I
- Training through the International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy.
Common Questions
There is no set timeline because each person and their goals are different. Some people benefit from shorter-term work around a specific concern, while others want more time to explore deeper patterns and relationships. We’ll discuss your goals and the direction of therapy together.
We’ll talk about what brings you to therapy and whether my experience and approach fit your needs. I believe in being honest about the limits of my experience. If another provider or level of care would be more appropriate, I’ll discuss that with you and help identify a more suitable resource.
It depends on what brings you to therapy and what each person needs. Individual therapy can offer space to understand your own emotions, needs and relationship patterns. For others, starting together in couples therapy makes sense. We can discuss which starting point may fit your situation.
Faith Can Be Part of Therapy
I offer optional Catholic and Christian faith integration when requested by the client. Faith, spirituality and religious experiences can be explored when they are meaningful to you and relevant to your goals. They do not have to be part of therapy.
A Little More About Me
I’m a therapist, published author, and someone deeply interested in faith, psychology and psychoanalytic thinking. I love comedy shows and the symphony, and I’m equally happy exploring life’s deeper questions or laughing at something completely ridiculous. Compassion and humor both have a place in how I connect with people.
Therapy should feel like a real conversation.
My approach combines Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Person-Centered Therapy, Emotion-Focused Therapy, and attachment-based principles, while sometimes drawing from psychodynamic perspectives to understand how past experiences and relationship patterns may still be shaping the present. In everyday terms, that means I want to understand your perspective, help you recognize patterns that may be keeping you stuck, and work with you on practical ways to approach things differently. We can explore where a pattern came from without losing sight of what you can do differently in your life today.
You don’t need to know where to start.
If you have never been to therapy before, it is completely okay to arrive unsure of what to say or exactly what you want to work on. We will talk about what has been happening, what has been difficult, and what you would like to feel different. I also want to know who you are beyond the problem, including the things you enjoy and what matters to you. We will review informed consent and confidentiality, discuss your goals, and develop a plan together that can evolve as we better understand what you need.
A safe place to be real, explore, and grow.
Faith Can Be Part of Therapy
For clients who want it, I offer Christian counseling and can include faith and spiritual values as part of our conversations. Faith does not need to be part of therapy, and it will never be imposed. The goal is to make room for the beliefs and values that are meaningful to you when they are relevant to the work.
A Little More About Me
I’m a kid at heart and an old soul at the same time. I love music from the ’70s and ’80s, classic films, collectible figurines, nostalgic toys, board games, dancing, and the arts. I enjoy connecting with creative people, including actors and performers, and I appreciate people who see the world a little differently. I can be playful and have a laugh, but I am just as comfortable having a deep and meaningful conversation. I’m a therapist, but I’m also human. You do not have to leave your personality at the door, and neither do I.
Education & Training
University of Southern California
- Master of Science in Marriage and Family Therapy
2024
University of California, Irvine
- Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Social Behavior
2019
Common Questions
I do not accept insurance directly. I can provide a superbill that you may submit to your insurance company for possible out-of-network reimbursement, depending on your plan.
Therapy takes time and consistency, and there is no guaranteed timeline. I generally recommend beginning with weekly sessions and adjusting the frequency when it is clinically appropriate based on your needs and progress.
Yes. Low-cost sliding-scale options may be available. IFC can help you determine whether an available option fits your situation.
Let’s Start With What’s Happening Now.
You do not need to have everything figured out before reaching out. Tell us a little about what you are experiencing and what you hope will feel different. You may request Nina specifically, and IFC can help determine whether her experience and approach are a good fit for what you need.
