Oliver Drakeford Therapy

02/18/2026

The "Divorce Iceberg": 5 Dark Reasons Marriages Actually End In Divorce

Most couples think their marriage is ending because of "communication issues," "money," or simply "growing apart." But after 8,000 hours of couples therapy, ...

01/14/2026

As a psychoanalytically trained supervisor, I teach the MASK Framework to help therapists identify the protective parts driving these reactions:

Mirror-Seeking: The hidden, desperate need for validation that disguises itself as cold self-reliance to avoid rejection.

Admiration Cycle: A seductive trap of mutual idealization ("us against the world") that inevitably collapses into devaluation.

Superiority: A protective power struggle where dismissing your expertise serves to keep the client’s fragile parts hidden.

Keep-Away: An emotional withdrawal defense that turns the therapy room into a disconnected safety cocoon to prevent pain.

What do you do when you're suddenly counseling narcissistic clients? I mean, nobody warns you in grad school about how to deal with the client who rejects yo...

01/08/2026

I’m a couples therapist in West Hollywood California and I love helping people grow great relationships, build emotional intimacy and communicate effectively. I send out a weekly relationship email that I’d love for you to join - https://subscribepage.io/westhollywood

01/07/2026

I’m a couples therapist in West Hollywood California and I love helping people grow great relationships, build emotional intimacy and communicate effectively. I send out a weekly relationship email that I’d love for you to join - https://subscribepage.io/westhollywood

01/06/2026

I’m a couples therapist in West Hollywood California and I love helping people grow great relationships, build emotional intimacy and communicate effectively. I send out a weekly relationship email that I’d love for you to join - https://subscribepage.io/westhollywood

01/05/2026

I’m a couples therapist in West Hollywood California and I love helping people grow great relationships, build emotional intimacy and communicate effectively. I send out a weekly relationship email that I’d love for you to join - https://subscribepage.io/westhollywood

01/05/2026

https://youtu.be/6OfVsQHN5QE?si=ojwyeA8tcaCQ28nR

Therapy for non-monogamous relationships often misses one key reality: over 20% of people have been in a non-monogamous relationship, and that number is even...

01/04/2026

I’m a couples therapist in West Hollywood California and I love helping people grow great relationships, build emotional intimacy and communicate effectively. I send out a weekly relationship email that I’d love for you to join - https://subscribepage.io/westhollywood

01/03/2026

Don’t do this if you’re fighting! I’m a couples therapist in West Hollywood California and I love helping people grow great relationships, build emotional intimacy and communicate effectively. I send out a weekly relationship email that I’d love for you to join - https://subscribepage.io/westhollywood

01/02/2026

I’m a couples therapist in West Hollywood California and I love helping people grow great relationships, build emotional intimacy and communicate effectively. I send out a weekly relationship email that I’d love for you to join - https://subscribepage.io/westhollywood

12/27/2025

Five Things I've Realized About Relationships

I’ve been a couples therapist in Los Angeles for over a decade, and I thought I understood the patterns:

12/18/2025

Get my free couples therapy resources here - https://preview.mailerlite.io/forms/1474000/166811677426190064/share
I'll send you links to both The 7-Day Relationship Rescue Workbook and The CARE & Intimacy Quiz For Couples
Find out more about me here https://www.oliverdrakefordtherapy.com/
and find me on google maps https://www.google.com/maps/place/?q=place_id:ChIJxwSi1VK5woARc1dw0Z-oZuY