We specialize in helping couples strengthen communication, connection, and intimacy in Encinitas, California and online.

Welcome to Integrative Couples Therapy

Hello, I’m Cristina Trette, I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and the Founder of Integrative Couples Therapy. I created Integrative Couples Therapy because I saw the need for a therapy practice that truly specializes in working with couples, relationships, and families and because I believe that loving relationships are at the heart of a meaningful life.

If you are struggling with communication, feeling emotionally or sexually distant, facing the aftermath of betrayal, navigating complex family or parenting dynamics, or concerned about the future of your marriage, you are not alone. We are here to walk alongside you.

We focus on helping couples, individuals, and families create connection and personal wellbeing. Our team is trained in Emotionally Focused Therapy, an evidence-based approach for renewing bonds and strengthening relationships.

We believe that relationships have the capacity to flourish with the right support. With the guidance of a skilled, direct, and compassionate therapist, you can create the kind of love, life, and family you desire. Welcome.

Cristina Trette, Couples Therapist and Founder

Contact Us

Services

  • Couples Therapy

    Couples therapy is designed for couples wanting to work as a team to improve communication, resolve conflict, and enhance intimacy.

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  • Premarital Counseling

    Premarital therapy helps couples establish a solid foundation based on shared values and connection while developing relationship skills .

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  • Individual Therapy

    Individual therapy assists those wanting to address relationship patterns, attachment, mental health, and personal wellbeing on their own.

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  • Couples Intensive

    Our private couples intensive offers two focused days of deep relational work in person for couples who wanting an immersive experience.

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  • Family Therapy

    Family therapy supports family members to open communication, strengthen connection, bolster mental health, and create resilience.

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  • Events

    We offer a range of events, groups, and trainings for the therapists, allied professionals, and the community to aid learning and enhance growth.

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Meet The Team

  • A woman with brown hair smiling, standing next to a wooden wall outdoors.

    Cara McDowell

    Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

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  • A smiling woman with shoulder-length blonde hair wearing a white collared shirt and pearl earrings, standing next to a wooden wall outdoors.

    Cristina Trette

    Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

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  • Smiling woman with brown hair wearing a light blue blouse with embroidered neckline, standing against a wooden wall outdoors.

    Marissa Massimini

    Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

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Courses & Workshops

  • A man and woman sitting at a glass table, looking at a laptop and papers, smiling in a modern kitchen

    Relationship Course ~ Online

    January 26 to March 2, 2026

    6:00pm to 7:00pm, Wednesdays

    $195 full series, $40 session, per person

    Zoom ~ Live Virtual

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  • Couples Workshop ~ Encinitas

    February 28 and March 1, 2026

    10:00am to 5:00pm, Friday & Saturday

    $695 per couple

    Encinitas, California ~ In Person

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Five women standing outdoors in front of a modern building, dressed in business casual attire, smiling at the camera.

Our Focus Areas

  • We help couples communicate better 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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. In addition, we provide family therapy.

  • We support couples struggling with a range of mental health and behavioral concerns, including anxiety, depression, substance use, and attention. Our therapists provide a supportive space you and your partner to understand the root of these difficulties and build healthy coping strategies.

  • We help couples move through the pain of betrayal by providing a clear process toward healing and recovery.

  • We help couples and individuals transition from married partners to becoming co-parents. We also support co-parents that are already divorced work as a team in the best interest of their children.

Our Approach

At Integrative Couples Therapy, our entire practice is devoted to relationships. We work exclusively with couples, individuals, and families who are ready to heal, rebuild, and thrive in their most important relationships. Grounded in the science of attachment and the depth of Emotionally Focused Therapy, our approach is both practical and transformative. We help you uncover the patterns that block connection while creating a secure emotional bonds. We offer specialized, high-impact therapy for those who want their relationships to be strong and vibrant.

When couples fight or pull away from each other, it is painful for both people. When we feel threatened in our love relationship, even in small ways, we protect ourselves. The sympathetic nervous system takes over and we fight, leave, shut down, or a
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