About

Hi, I'm Oliver

I'm Oliver Drakeford, a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT #104987) and certified group psychotherapist (CGP) in West Hollywood, California. I write Deepening Date Night, and I approve every question before it reaches your inbox.

I've been practicing therapy for more than eleven years, and most of my week is spent in a therapy room with couples and families. I'm British, which shows up more in my writing than in my accent.

Where the questions come from

In couples therapy I spend a lot of time asking the questions a couple has stopped asking each other. Most couples talk every day about schedules, kids and who's picking up dinner. The questions about what someone hopes for or worries about right now tend to fall away.

Deepening Date Night puts those questions back on the calendar. Each week's set starts gentle and ends on the most challenging one, and either of you can pass on anything.

My background

I hold a master's in clinical psychology from Antioch University, with specializations in LGBTQIA+ affirmative psychology and depth psychology. I trained at the Maple Counseling Center in Beverly Hills and the Los Angeles LGBT Center, and later worked as clinical director of a residential treatment center that specialized in family systems therapy.

In my couples work I draw on Emotionally Focused Therapy, the Gottman Method and family systems thinking. I work with all kinds of couples, including gay couples and couples preparing for marriage.

Want more than questions?

Some couples need more than five questions on a Friday night. I see couples in person in West Hollywood and by telehealth anywhere in California. You can read about my practice at OliverDrakefordTherapy.com.

Where to start

If you're new, start with What Is Emotional Intimacy?, or pull a few cards from 112 date night questions for married couples.

What it isn't

Deepening Date Night is education, not therapy. If you and your partner want support beyond conversation prompts, a couples therapist licensed where you live can help.

Until the next time, Oliver