We help couples strengthen communication, connection, and intimacy in Encinitas, California and Online.
Welcome to Integrative Couples Therapy
Hello, I’m Cristina Trette, Couples Therapist and Founder of Integrative Couples Therapy. I founded ICT because I saw the need for a therapy practice that truly specializes in couples and relationships, and because I believe that loving relationships are at the heart of a meaningful life.
If you are struggling to communicate, feeling emotionally or sexually distant, facing the aftermath of betrayal, navigating complex family dynamics, or concerned about the future of your relationship, you are not alone. We are here to guide you.
We focus on helping couples and individuals rebuild trust, deepen intimacy, and create fulfilling relationships. Our team is trained in Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy, an evidence-based approach for renewing bonds and cultivating lasting change.
We believe that romantic relationships have the capacity to flourish with the right support. With the guidance of a skilled and compassionate therapist, you can learn to communicate clearly, love deeply, and create the kind of relationship you have always wanted. Welcome.
Cristina Trette, Couples Therapist and Founder
Our Focus Areas
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We help couples move beyond painful cycles of misunderstanding by uncovering the deeper patterns that keep them stuck. You’ll learn to express yourself more clearly, listen more openly, and engage in conversations that bring you closer.
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We support couples that feel distant or disconnected in finding their way back to each other. Through guided reflection and dialogue, we help you reconnect with the love and emotional connection that brought you together in the first place, and redefine it so it becomes sustainable, deep, and long lasting.
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We help couples struggling with sexual disconnection or mismatched desire approach intimacy with honesty, curiosity, and care. Together, we create room for healing, comfort, and renewed physical connection.
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We help couples navigate the pressures of parenting and family life while staying connected as partners. Whether you are in the postpartum period and adjusting to a new baby, raising kids and teens, or launching young adults, we offer support throughout every stage of parenting.
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We help with a wide range of mental health and behavioral concerns, including anxiety, depression, stress, grief, loss, attention, and focus. Our therapists provide a supportive space to understand the root of these difficulties, build healthier coping strategies, and create lasting changes in behavior and relationships.
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We help couples move through the pain of betrayal by understanding what led to it, working through the emotions that arise, and rebuilding trust and connection.
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When you feel lost or unsure about the future of your relationship, clarity becomes the first step toward peace. Therapy offers the space to help both partners understand what is happening in the relationship, what they both need and want, and where they want to go from here.
Our Services
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Couples Therapy
Couples therapy offers ongoing support to improve communication, resolve conflict, enhance sexual intimacy, and strengthen connection.
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Premarital Therapy
Premarital therapy prepares couples with skills for healthy communication, trust, and a shared vision for their future.
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Individual Therapy
Individual therapy assists with mental health, relationship growth and wellbeing for those wanting to attend therapy on their own.
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Couples Intensive
In our private couples intensive, you and your partner will spend two days deeply focused on your relationship, creating lasting progress.
Upcoming Couples Workshops
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Hold Me Tight® Couples Workshop ~ Online
January 22 to March 12, 2026
12:00pm to 1:30pm, Thursdays
$495 per couple
Zoom ~ Live Virtual
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Hold Me Tight® Couples Workshop ~ Encinitas
February 27 and February 28, 2026
10:00am to 5:00pm, Friday & Saturday
$495 per couple
Encinitas, California ~ In Person
Our Therapists
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Cara McDowell
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Cara McDowell has over 20 years of experience supporting couples and individuals to heal and grow. She guides clients through challenges such as conflict, emotional distance, betrayal, and rebuilding intimacy. She has a special interest in counseling those needing support with parenting and family dynamics. In addition she is well versed in neurodiversity and ADHD.
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Cristina Trette
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Cristina Trette is the Founder of Integrative Couples Therapy. She guides couples to renew emotional connection and sexual intimacy. She has a special interest in working with parents, family business owners, high performers, and entrepreneurs. She is well versed in couples in crisis, infidelity, and works hard at supporting couples that want to save their marriage.
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Marissa Massimini
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Marissa is passionate about helping couples and individuals create stronger and more fulfilling relationships, better communication, and vibrant mental health. She works with all couples and has a special interest in working with couples encountering high conflict, premarital couples, and military and veteran couples. She is well versed in anxiety, depression, and trauma.
Our Approach
At Integrative Couples Therapy, we specialize in couples therapy and relationships. All of our therapists are Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists with advanced and ongoing training in relationship therapy.
Our primary approach is Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy (EFCT). EFCT is an evidence based model that helps couples move out of painful patterns of interaction and into deeper emotional connection. Some of our therapists also offer Prepare/Enrich, a structured assessment tool that supports premarital and committed couples in exploring key areas of their relationship. In addition, we have therapists that are trained in Discernment Counseling.
No matter where you are at, we are here to help you strengthen your relationship and create lasting change.
