TRAUMA-INFORMED COUPLES THERAPY &
ACCELERATED RESOLUTION THERAPY IN CALIFORNIA
Meet Regina Bernius
In-Person in Orange County · Online Across California
Hello, I am Regina.
I am a trauma-informed therapist with a clinical focus on two areas of healing: integrative couples therapy and Accelerated Resolution Therapy. My work is evidence-based and deeply relational, bringing both structure and warmth to every session. My style is collaborative yet direct, empowering clients to find their own wisdom through precise clinical guidance.
Two Distinct Specializations, One Intentional Practice:
Integrative Couples Therapy & Accelerated Resolution Therapy
My clinical practice draws from several renowned models, with these four forming the primary foundation: Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Gottman Method Couples Therapy, Relational Life Therapy (RLT), and Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART). Each approach offers a distinct lens (some focused on relational patterns, attachment, and skill-building, others on trauma resolution and nervous system regulation), creating a flexible, integrative framework tailored to clients’ unique needs.
Why Couples Therapy & Marriage Counseling
Early in my career, I chose to focus specifically on couples and relationship therapy, which allowed me to deepen expertise in this area. As a wife and a mother, I understand firsthand not only the joys but also the challenges of committed relationships and family life. That personal lens deepened something I started recognizing in my clinical work: couples and marriage counseling often does not stay contained to two people.
From a systemic perspective, there is a strong potential for a broader positive impact, a ripple effect that reaches far beyond those who came in for a session. Specifically, when married partners raising children strengthen their relationship, parenting tends to shift, the family environment becomes more secure, and everyone's wellbeing is inevitably supported. In that sense, at least in my view, one couple's relationship counseling has the ability to impact not only personal and relational healing, but also promote a healthier society as a whole.
Drawing from my extensive training in leading couples therapy approaches, your treatment benefits from the expertise of a Gottman therapist, an EFT therapist, and an RLT therapist within a single, intentionally integrated session. Combined with trauma work where needed, these theories help clients interrupt painful conflict cycles, reduce shutdown and reactivity, improve day-to-day communication, and build emotionally connected bonds.
Why Accelerated Resolution Therapy
The more I worked with couples and individuals, the more confirmed I felt that the difficulties we face now often have roots in the past. As an attachment-based clinician, I began to see how childhood experiences and attachment wounds quietly drive internal reactions that become loud externally, impacting current relationships and daily life. I started looking into somatic training, hoping to support deeper intrapsychic layers and nervous system responses, to work with what lies beneath the surface. That is how I found Accelerated Resolution Therapy.
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) is an evidence-based somatic therapy that supports nervous system regulation and the processing of pain and distressing memories. Using guided eye movements and structured protocols, ART targets trauma, phobias, panic, anxiety, and triggers rooted in personal history.
For couples, ART can address the underlying triggers and unresolved experiences that fuel reactivity and conflict, taking the relational work deeper and supporting each partner's personal well-being and the overall health of the relationship.
For individuals, ART offers a direct path to resolving what traditional talk therapy may not reach. Whether addressing a specific phobia, panic, performance anxiety, single-incident trauma, or even more complex issues, ART works with the nervous system to process and release tension, emotional pain, and unresolved experiences. Clients often find that what has affected their emotional states and daily functioning for years can shift meaningfully in a concentrated number of sessions.
Credentials & Additional Training
• Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy, summa cum laude (2023) • Registered Associate Marriage and Family Therapist, #144460 (current and active) • Psychological First Aid (2021) • Collaborative and Proactive Solutions (2021) • Gottman Method Couples Therapy, Level 1: Bridging the Couple Chasm (2022) • Gottman Method Couples Therapy, Level 2: Assessment, Intervention, and Comorbidities (2022) • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Fundamentals (2022) • Solution Focused Brief Therapy (2022) • Solution Based Counseling Practitioner (2022) • Therapy and Polyamory (2022) • Internal Family Systems Immersion: Integrating Internal Family Systems Across Clinical Applications (2022) • Transforming Trauma with Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (2023) • Introduction to Discernment Counseling (2023) • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: 2-Day Intensive Training (2023) • Emotionally Focused Therapy with Neurodiverse Couples (2023) • Gottman Method Couples Therapy, Level 3: Practicum Training (2023) • Emotionally Focused Therapy Externship (2023) • Coparenting Plan Mediator Certificate Course: Create a Peaceful, Effective Coparenting Strategy for Divorcing or Separating Clients (2023) • Emotionally Focused Therapy Core Skills (2024) • The Flash Technique: Basic Principles and Protocols (2024) • Accelerated Resolution Therapy - Basic (2025) • Relational Life Therapy - Level 1 (2025) • Relational Life Therapy - Level 2 (2025) • Accelerated Resolution Therapy - Advanced (2026)
Beyond Methods: What Matters to Me
I am deeply passionate about my work, while also striving for a healthy work-life balance that treasures time spent with loved ones, especially in nature. Living in Southern California, I often seek out moments at the beach. Spending time with family, watching the waves, and breathing in the fresh, salty air truly allow me to recharge and reflect with appreciation on what matters most.
I see personal and relational healing as fundamental human needs, but meaningful growth is not about achieving perfection. Whether I am supporting an individual working through painful experiences and phobias, or helping a couple build a secure, lasting bond, I am honored to walk alongside my clients with authenticity, mindful gratitude, and professional expertise.
Reach out when you are ready. I am here to support you.
My happy place...
"Let us rise up and be thankful,
for if we didn't learn a lot, at least we learned a little,
and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick,
and if we got sick, at least we didn't die;
so, let us all be thankful."
— Buddhist reflection