Tami Chelew

Tami Chelew works with people who feel the ache of disconnection — couples stuck in cycles of blame and withdrawal, teenagers and parents unable to break through to one another, individuals whose unmet need for closeness has quietly redirected itself toward alcohol, substances, or sexual compulsivity. She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist based in San Diego, California, and her practice is rooted in Emotionally Focused Therapy, one of the most rigorously researched approaches to healing distressed relationships.

EFT works by moving beneath the surface hostility — the criticism, the shutting down, the endless circular arguments — to the hurt, fear, and longing that are usually driving them. When those deeper emotions can be expressed and received, something shifts: real empathy becomes possible, and with it the kind of safety that allows relationships to rebuild. Tami also supports clients navigating the aftermath of infidelity and sexual compulsivity, including those who scroll through their phones at midnight feeling utterly alone despite hundreds of unread notifications, a particular kind of isolation she recognizes in her work on attachment and emotional availability. Her clients include men, women, teens, and families, addressing relational breakdown, mood and depressive disorders, abuse, and addiction.

Tami sees healing as genuinely available to those who did not receive secure love early in life. She offers individual, couples, family, and group sessions, including online, and facilitates Hold Me Tight Couples Weekend Intensives throughout the year.