Certified Gottman Therapist
Licenses:
California LMFT #99008 | Texas LMFT #205614
Dr. Dana McNeil is a licensed marriage and family therapist and the founder of The Relationship Place, a San Diego couples therapy practice specializing in high-acuity relationships, emotional disconnection, conflict repair, and intimacy concerns. She has achieved the highest level of training in the Gottman Method Couples Therapy and is known for her compassionate, direct, and practical approach to helping couples rebuild trust, communication, and closeness.
She is also the founder of Therapy Getaway, a structured couples intensive model designed for couples seeking deep, focused relationship repair. Dana has specialized expertise in midlife marriage challenges, empty nest transitions, and gray divorce, and provides training and professional education for therapists, including work connected to the Gottman Institute.
Her expertise has been featured in national publications including Oprah Daily, Martha Stewart Living, Men’s Health, Bustle, and SELF Magazine.
She is passionate about helping couples move from feeling like roommates to rebuilding emotional and physical connection.
- Why Couples Sometimes Work Against Therapy Without Realizing It - May 20, 2026
- Becoming a Mom Again in Your 40s: What Feels Different (and Why That Can Be a Good Thing) - May 17, 2026
- Family Therapy with Adult Children: Breaking Intergenerational Patterns That Have Been Building for Years - April 20, 2026
Political views can sometimes tear relationships apart, even for couples. Our founder, Dr. Dana McNeil Ph.D. shared her expert thoughts on this which were published in an article by Glam.
Most couples think that having political differences may mean they don’t share anything in common. But in these situations, Dr. McNeil stressed the importance of having shared values.
“The ideal way to talk about political differences as a couple involves both partners sitting down and talking about the dreams and goals you have in common,” Dana McNeil, Ph.D., a San Diego-based licensed marriage family therapist, tells Today. “This creates an atmosphere of finding similarities and shared values. The goal is to find ways that you will navigate the major issues without tearing down the other person’s character.”
This article was written by Annie Johnston. To read more, click here.