Couples Therapy in Encinitas, California and Online with Cristina Trette, LMFT

Loving relationships create a foundation for a meaningful life.

Even the strongest relationships can get stuck in conflict and tension. I specialize in helping couples strengthen communication, partnership and intimacy in Encinitas and online throughout California.

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Does This Sound Familiar?

  • You keep having the same disagreements and want to communicate better.

  • Simple conversations spiral into escalated arguments or days of withdrawal and tension.

  • You miss feeling connected and want to rediscover emotional and sexual intimacy together.

  • The demands of household duties and family life feel unbalanced and you want to create partnership.

  • You are facing the trauma of betrayal and want to begin the process of healing, alone or together.

  • You are on the brink of divorce and are seeking stability and clarity about the future of your marriage.

Focus Areas

  • Communication

    I help couples communicate clearly, so each person feels heard and understood, rather than getting pulled into patterns of fighting or avoiding conflict.

  • Intimacy

    I support couples to cultivate emotional and sexual connection and revitalize their love through honest and vulnerable dialouge and engaged conversations.

  • Partnership

    I guide couples to create a balanced and supportive partnership, navigate differences, share responsibilities, and work as a team.

  • Relational Trauma

    I help couples recognize how past trauma shows up in their relationship, and guide them to change protective patterns, and respond with care.

  • Infidelity

    I help couples process emotional pain, engage in honest conversations, rebuild trust, and move forward, whether they stay together or part ways.

  • Brink of Divorce

    I guide couples to slow down, explore options, and develop confidence and clarity on next steps when their relationship has reached a breaking point.

A woman in a light-colored shirt and dark pants sitting on a beige armchair, smiling during a conversation with two people whose backs are visible in the foreground in a cozy room with a bookshelf and plants.

Meet Cristina Trette, Couples Therapist

I have dedicated my career to helping couples and individuals communicate, heal the past, and cultivate a renewed sense of intimacy and connection.

My approach is rooted in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy and attachment theory, which offer a powerful way of understanding love and bonding. In EFCT, we go deep, to understand and transform the root causes of fighting and distance, rather than simply managing problems or addressing the symptoms on the surface.

I believe couples therapy should be directive, deeply compassionate, and highly engaged. I don't sit back and let couples fight, spend months rehashing the past, or simply listen and validate. I help my clients slow down the patterns that take over, understand each other better, and create new moments of understanding and connection in the room.

My goal is to help my clients create great relationships in which they can turn toward one another, repair when things go wrong, and learn how to nurture their bond.

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You have options when it comes to therapy. Here is why my approach is different.

Relationships Are My Specialty

Helping couples heal and grow in their relationships is at the heart of my practice. I am deeply experienced in the common challenges couples face, from communication struggles, loss of intimacy, and patterns of anxious pursuit and avoidant withdrawal. I am also well versed in relationship crises such as infidelity and the brink of divorce.

Extensive and Ongoing Training

I hold a Masters Degree in Marital and Family Therapy from the University of San Diego and am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with the California Board of Behavioral Sciences. I engage in ongoing training in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, one of the most researched and effective approaches to relationship healing, so the therapy you receive is thoughtful, current, and effective.

I Practice What I Teach

I know firsthand how challenging it can be to nurture a loving relationship while navigating the demands of children, family, business, and everyday life. The principles that guide my work with clients are prioritized within my own relationship, parenting, and family.

Professionalism and Maturity

I bring life experience, clinical depth, and direct guidance to help you understand the patterns that keep you stuck and guide you towards positive, meaningful, and lasting change.

Warm, Personal, and Engaged Care

Operating a solo boutique practice enables me to be accessible, responsive, and engaged with my clients. If indicated, I coordinate care with individual therapists and psychiatrists to ensure my clients have a team of support. In addition, I have a network of professionals I regularly refer my clients to including financial advisors, mediators, and lawyers.

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