Couples Therapy in Encinitas and online throughout California.

Loving relationships are the foundation of a meaningful life.

Our relationships have a profound impact on our wellbeing. Yet even strong relationships can become caught in conflict, betrayal, and disconnection. As a Couples Therapist and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, I specialize in helping couples strengthen relationships 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 silence and withdraw.

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

  • The demands of parenting and family life have taken a toll and you want to get on the same page.

  • You are facing the trauma of betrayal and want to begin the process of healing, whether on your own, or together.

  • You are in a state of relationship crisis as you face the possibility of divorce and are seeking clarity and stability.

Focus Areas

  • Communication and Conflict

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

  • Emotional Connection

    I support couples to cultivate emotional connection and revitalize their love through honest and vulnerable sharing and deep conversations.

  • Sexual Intimacy

    I guide couples to strengthen their emotional and sexual bond, through honest and vulnerable discussion enhancing their ability to connect.

  • Parenting and Family

    I help couples create a safe and secure base for their children, and parent as a team, cultivating strong parent-child bonds alongside their love relationship.

  • Betrayal

    I help couples process the emotional pain, have honest conversations, rebuild trust, and find a path forward whether they stay together or amicably part ways.

  • Relationship Crisis

    I help couples slow down, find their footing, and develop confidence and clarity on next steps when the 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 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 betrayal and the brink of divorce. Couples are my exclusive focus.

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 parenting, family, business, and everyday life. The principles that guide my work with clients are prioritized within my own relationship 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 small 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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Most conflict lives beneath the words being said. When we slow down and get curious about what is underneath, the conversation can shift from reactive to connecting. Try asking: “What’s coming up for you underneath this?” #communi
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The difference isn’t just in the words. It’s in the willingness to take ownership and truly understand your partner’s experience. That’s what turns conflict into connection. #therapy #couplestherapy #marriage #relationship #a
Escalation in conflict is often a signal, not the problem. When emotions rise, it’s usually because something meaningful is at stake feeling heard, valued, or emotionally safe. But the ways we try to get those needs met can sometimes push our p
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In therapy, we help couples make room for complexity, slow down reactivity, & learn how to hold both their own experience & their partner’s with more curiosity & care. #therapy #couplestherapy #relationship #marriage