Couples & Individual Therapy · Pasadena, CA
Therapy for relationships, attachment, and the patterns you’re ready to change.
Hi there! I’m Jennafer Maguire, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and the therapist behind Big Talk Therapy. I work with adults and couples who want to better understand themselves, their relationships, and why certain patterns keep showing up. My approach is warm, direct, and genuinely collaborative. We’ll make sense of the messy parts, create space for what’s difficult to understand, and work together to create something different.
I’m based in Pasadena, and I work with adults navigating relationship struggles, attachment patterns, and the ways past experiences shape present-day connection. I also work with couples, including those looking for a marriage counselor who looks at what’s underneath the argument, not just the argument itself.
I also offer online therapy throughout California, from Siskiyou to San Diego and everywhere in between! Maybe you’re working through conflict with a partner, trying to understand why the same patterns keep showing up, or carrying something from your past that still affects how you relate to yourself or others today. Maybe you understand where some of your patterns come from but still feel stuck. Wherever you’re starting, taking this step takes courage. You don’t have to have it all figured out before you get here.
Who It’s For
If you see yourself here, you’re welcome here.
You might be:
- Trying to understand your patterns—whether that looks like people-pleasing, overthinking, shutting down, anxious attachment, difficulty trusting, or constantly wondering where you stand.
- Feeling stuck in a relationship that feels more disconnected, conflict-filled, or more complicated than you want it to be.
- Navigating family dynamics that have shaped how you see yourself and relationships, including difficult childhood experiences, family conflict, or relational trauma.
- Someone who is tired of being told you’re “too sensitive,” “too much,” or that you just need to let it go. Your experiences deserve to be understood.
- Looking for a Pasadena therapist who is LGBTQ+ affirming and culturally responsive, and who understands that your identity, relationships, family, and lived experiences ALL matter.
Everybody!
Therapy isn’t only for a crisis or a diagnosis, it matters for everyone, at any point in life.
You don’t need to have a perfect explanation for why you’re here. You don’t even need to know exactly what you need. You just need to know that something isn’t working the way you want it to—and be willing to take a closer look.
Services
Whether you’re coming to therapy on your own, with your partner(s), or with family, the goal is the same: to understand what’s really happening beneath the surface and figure out what you want to do differently.
Individual Therapy
For adults working through anxiety, depression, trauma, life transitions, self-worth, attachment, and relationship patterns. Maybe you’re tired of overthinking, people-pleasing, or repeating the same patterns.
Couples Therapy
For couples who keep having the same argument, feel disconnected, or are struggling to find their way back to each other. We’ll get curious about what’s underneath the conflict.
Family Therapy
For adult family relationships that have become overwhelming, complicated, strained, or difficult to navigate. We’ll make space for different perspectives while working toward healthier communication, boundaries, and connection.
I offer all three services in person in Pasadena and online throughout California. Wherever we meet, the work is tailored to you.
What Makes This Practice Different
Big Talk Therapy is my solo practice, which means you’ll work directly with me—not a rotating group of providers or whoever happens to have an opening. I value the relationship we build in therapy, and I want that relationship to feel personal, consistent, and collaborative.
A big part of my work is rooted in attachment theory and parts work. I’m interested in more than just what’s happening on the surface. We’ll look at how your past experiences and relationships may have shaped the ways you protect yourself, connect with others, and respond when something feels difficult or threatening.
I also believe the parts of you that overthink, shut down, people-please, get defensive, or feel anxious aren’t something to be ashamed of or “fix.” They developed for a reason. We can get curious about them, understand what they’re trying to do for you, and create new ways of responding.
This is an intentional focus of my work. It can be especially helpful if you’ve been to therapy before and left feeling like you understood your symptoms but never quite got to the heart of what was happening underneath them.
Areas of Support
- Attachment patterns and relational trauma
- Anxiety, depression, and mood disorders
- Grief and major life transitions
- Trauma and post-traumatic stress
- Codependency, self-esteem, and body image
- Family conflict and communication breakdowns
- LGBTQ+-affirming care for bisexual, gay, lesbian, non-binary, queer, and transgender clients, and clients in polyamorous and ENM relationships
Meet Jennafer
I earned my master’s degree from Pepperdine University and have been practicing for over eight years.
As your therapist, I’ll bring warmth, curiosity, honesty, and a little humor into the room. You don’t have to perform, have the “right” answers, or make everything sound okay. You can come as you are, and we’ll start there.
Getting Started
We’ll start with a brief consultation! You can tell me a little about what’s bringing you in, ask me any questions about my approach and how I work, and get a feel for whether we might be a good fit.
You don’t need to know exactly what you need from therapy before we talk. And if we decide I’m not the right fit, that’s okay too! The goal is for you to feel comfortable with the person you’re trusting with your story.
There’s zero obligation to schedule a session afterward. Just a conversation to see if it feels like a good place to start!