Dr. Jocelyn Pijpaert, PhD, LMFTCultivating Connectedness
Healing happens in connection.
Couples, family and individual therapy with a doctoral-level Marriage & Family Therapist. A warm, sincere space to reflect deeply and grow closer to yourself and the people you love.
“Therapy is about combining expertise with authenticity, creating an environment where healing & growth happen naturally.”
— Dr. Jocelyn Pijpaert
How I can help
Couples Therapy
Using Transformative Couples Therapy (TCT), we build a secure base together so you can feel safe, connected and truly heard by each other.
Learn about TCT →Individual Therapy
Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP), which I’ve studied and practiced since 2017, for trauma, life transitions, self-esteem and coping skills.
Family Therapy
Attachment-based support for families and parents through change, including parenting, postpartum, and fertility & reproduction concerns.
Military Families & Veterans
Support for military couples, families and veterans from a therapist who has lived military family life for over 40 years.
Learn more →Areas of focus · serving adults 18–64
Meet Dr. Jocelyn
Maybe you never imagined your life would look like this. You feel torn between what you ought to do and what you really want, and you wonder whether something about you is part of the problem. Or maybe you long to feel closer to the people you love, but history, pain and disappointment leave you feeling more alone than accompanied.
I know that place. I once wrote a blog called “In pieces while trying to stay whole.” Over time, uncertainty slowly fragmented me until I questioned who I was and what I was supposed to do. I grew anxious and depressed. I found my way back to solid ground through spirituality, alternative healing and mind-body practices like yoga, and by learning to seek my own path.
In our work together, you are the expert on your life. I don’t pathologize your struggles. I believe part of you is always whole, and I help you connect with it to find your own answers. Rather than only talking about change, we slow down so you can feel it happening within you. Clients often tell me they feel truly seen and understood.
I’m a doctoral-level Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist (California License 87678) with 15 years of experience. I have a gift for deep listening, reflecting, noticing patterns in relationships and unpacking the old stuff. I’m a Therapist of Color, Asian-American, in an interracial marriage of 20 years, and a mom of four. Everything I do comes from love, care and curiosity.
Education & credentials
- PhD, Couples & Family TherapyAlliant International University, California School of Professional Psychology, Irvine, CA
- MA, Counseling & PsychologyUniversity of Mary Hardin-Baylor, Texas
- BS, Business AdministrationLoyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, CA
- Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, California License 87678
- Graduate, Army Chaplain Family Life Training Center
Your first full session
After your free consult, we’ll talk about your background, and you’ll also begin to feel what it’s like to experience yourself (or your partner) in a way that feels safe and genuine.
Is this a good fit?
You’re ready to work, reflect deeply and seek a transformative relationship with yourself and others. My goal is to help you get where you need to go, not to keep you in therapy forever, and you’re always welcome back for a tune-up.
Transformative Couples Therapy (TCT)
TCT is the evolution of AEDP for couples. It helps partners build a secure base, feel safe and connected, and speak to each other more consciously and lovingly. Everyone in the room gets to feel the experience of love.
“The TCT method is my couples therapy modality home and it’s the most moving form of couples therapy I’ve encountered.”
- Research clinician on the TCT research study with James Madison University and Eastern Mennonite University. For two years, developer David Mars and I were the researchers representing California, and I’m listed on the TCT Research Team (California).
- TCT Experiential Assistant, now pursuing TCT certification.
TCT & AEDP training
- AEDP for Couples Core Training (2018)
- TCT Intermediate/Advanced Course, Hong Kong (2022)
- Experiential Assistant, TCT Experiential Skills Course (2024, 2025 & 2026)
- TCT Experiential Skills Course (2025)
Serving those who serve, and the families beside them
Military life isn’t just something I’ve studied. I’ve lived it for over 40 years as an Army brat, an Army spouse and a civilian, growing up between Germany, Georgia and Hawaii. Supporting military couples and families is my passion.
Experiences with trauma, TBI, PTSD and depression, both personally and as a clinician, have deepened my empathy for this community. I’m also a graduate of the Army’s Chaplain Family Life Training Center.
I’ve also supported active-duty service members in high-demand special operations environments, so I understand the unique stresses on them and their families.
The Debrief Project
I serve as Healing Advisor on the advisory board of The Debrief Project, a veteran nonprofit that helps combat veterans share their stories as a path to healing and self-discovery.
View the Debrief Project advisory board ↗Will and War
Dr. Jocelyn is a speaker on Will and War, a podcast where a military couple looks back on their experiences together, draws meaning from them, and makes conscious choices about the life they want now with their children.
Watch the Will and War episode ↗What clients say
“We realize that we only saw you for about six sessions. Yet we had a transformational outcome.”
“I wish I could check more of the options because Dr. Pijpaert is all of them. I’ve had some of my biggest insights in years within only a few sessions with her. I feel seen, heard, understood, respected, and cared for. Thank you Jocelyn!”
“After seeing various other therapists, I can say Jocelyn is thoughtful and insightful in helping me tell my story and processing what can be going on and sitting with my feelings. She gives me a safe space but also challenges me to think past the original story in my head.”
The two client reviews directly above are verified via Grow Therapy.
Investing in your relationships
I primarily work with private-pay clients, which gives us the freedom to shape therapy around your needs.
Individual Session
Couples Session
Your first step is a free 15-minute consult, so we can see whether we’re a good fit before you commit. A sliding scale is available. I also accept insurance through Grow Therapy, and I can provide superbills if you’d like to use out-of-network benefits.
Ready to begin?
Start with a free 15-minute consult. We’ll talk about what brings you here and whether we’re a good fit. I’d love to hear from you.
Office: 580 Broadway St, Suite 204, Laguna Beach, CA 92651 · Google Maps ↗
In-person and online sessions · Private pay with a sliding scale · Insurance through Grow Therapy