Hello, I’m Cristina Trette. I help couples strengthen communication, connection and intimacy in Encinitas and online throughout California.

Get Started

Loving relationships are the foundation of a meaningful life.

The relationship we share with our partner has a profound impact on our well-being. Yet even strong relationships can become caught in patterns of conflict, betrayal, and disconnection. I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist specializing in couples therapy, intensives, and retreats in Encinitas and online throughout California.

Does This Sound Familiar?

  • You keep getting caught in the same disagreements and want to communicate differently.

  • Conversations can quickly spiral and turn 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 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 and rebuilding trust.

  • You are on the brink of divorce and want to commit to improving your marriage before making a life-long decision.

Focus Areas

  • Communication

    I guide couples to slow down and understand what is happening beneath the surface of their conversations. I coach couples to communicate clearly and in ways that help each person feel heard and understood, rather than fight, or avoid conflict.

  • Emotional Connection

    We all need connection and someone to turn to and reach for. I help couples strengthen their emotional bond, and guide them to navigate conflict with greater resilience, and experience enhance feelings of well-being.

  • Sexual Intimacy

    Sexual intimacy is a vital aspect of love relationships, reflecting physical closeness and emotional depth. I help couples approach sex with care and openness, addressing blocks to eroticism, desire, arousal, intimacy, and pleasure.

  • Betrayal

    Betrayal can be traumatic and shake the foundation of a relationship. I help couples process the emotional pain, have honest conversations, rebuild trust, and find a path forward whether the goal is to stay together or amicably part ways.

  • Parenting and Family

    Parenting and family life can be deeply rewarding, while creating stress and disagreement. I help couples navigate parenting and family responsibilities together, and I help families communicate openly, creating a foundation of care and support.

  • Reconciliation

    For couples who have separated, or are on the brink of divorce, that want to see if they can heal their marriage, I provide a structured six-month couples therapy process. Both partners commit to making a full effort which includes their own personal agenda for change.

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 conflict, big behaviors, and distance, rather than simply managing problems or symptoms on the surface.

I believe couples therapy should be directive, deeply compassionate, and highly engaged. I don't sit back and let people 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.

Get Started

You have options when it comes to couples 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. Many therapists see some couples; 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, work, personal health, 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.

Get Started
There’s something powerful about revisiting where you started. It creates space to reflect on how you’ve grown, individually & together, & can bring back a sense of curiosity that often fades over time. #firstdate #datenight #da
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
The health of a relationship is often found in the smallest interactions. Bids for connection happen every day, & how we respond to them matters more than we think. Over time, these moments either strengthen the relationship or create quiet disc
Sometimes relationships don’t fall apart, they just feel harder to reach. More distant. More quiet. More heavy than you want them to be. We believe connection is still possible. At Integrative Couples Therapy, we support couples & individ
Small moments matter more than we think. Showing up for your partner does not have to be big or elaborate. Often it is the quiet consistent gestures that build the most connection. Try one of these today and notice what shifts between you. #connecti
Sexual intimacy is deeply connected to emotional safety, trust, & connection. When things feel off, it’s often not just about sex. Stress, disconnection, life transitions, or past experiences can all impact how safe, open, or present we fe
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
Not all struggling relationships are loud. Some feel quiet, distant, or “off” in a way that’s hard to explain. Over time, small moments of missed connection can add up until partners feel more like roommates than a couple. The goal
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