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.
- Family Therapy with Adult Children: Breaking Intergenerational Patterns That Have Been Building for Years - April 20, 2026
- Thinking About a Couples Therapy Intensive? Not All Are Created Equal! - March 25, 2026
- What Is Relationship Cringe? Why Caring About Your Partner Can Feel Embarrassing - March 5, 2026
Own Who You Are and What You Want in a Relationship
If you really want to be in a serious relationship, why pretend you don’t to appease someone else? It’s okay to make that known.
Pretending to be interested in only casually dating or portraying yourself as someone who is willing to hook up without a commitment when that isn’t who you are is not going to serve you in relationships. You send mixed messages to both the new partner and yourself by accepting less than you want. The right person for you will find it refreshing and attractive that you are willing to own who you are, and state your expectations about what you are looking for regardless of whether or not the other person agrees or validates you.
If you want to learn the tools about how to ask for your needs in relationships, we can help. Schedule your consultation today! We’re here to help.