Couples Therapist in California

Couples therapist

Most couples wait quite a while before they reach out for help. It has been seen that they deal with issues for longer than expected. It seems like sometimes they are not even sure where to start. I think that part is easy to miss. The right words do not really matter though. Reaching out is what counts in the end.

I, Gabriela Breton, work as a licensed marriage and family therapist in Redwood City, California. My clients are mostly couples from the bay area. They show up feeling disconnected or stuck in how things are going. There is always something new that comes up with them. It seems like they are not sure if things can really become better.

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More Than Just Talking It Out

Here's what couples counseling is not in my practice. It's not a referee session. It's not two people taking turns listing grievances. And it's definitely not me deciding who's right.

Couples therapy with me is an integrative, body aware process. I'm not just working with your words. I pay attention to how your nervous system responds in the room, where your body tightens before a hard sentence comes out, where the real conversation lives before it even gets spoken. This kind of work goes deeper than standard talk therapy, and that's what tends to make it actually stick.

My Approach to Couples Counseling

I do not use the same approach for every couple. It is not necessary that what works for one relationship will bring the same results for another one. Three methods that I have found to be most helpful:

Emotionally Focused Therapy

Under most arguments is a much simpler, much scarier feeling. Something like: I don't think I matter to you. Or: you don't really see me. EFT is about getting down to that layer and giving partners a real chance to respond to each other there. It is slower work than it might sound, but those changes hold.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

The way you interpret the behavior of your partner is nothing but a story you narrate to yourself. CBT is about examining whether that story holds up and figuring out what you might do differently once you start to question it. A lot of relationship conflict lives right there.

I tailor my techniques to fit the specific needs of couples, particularly when there is a need for managing ADHD, anxiety, depression, or OCD.

When Couples Seek Help and Why Does It Matter?

Couples seek therapy at many different points in a relationship, not just during a full crisis. Common reasons people reach out to me include:

  • The same fight keeps happening, and both of you are exhausted by it.
  • There is no dramatic blowup, just a slow drift into feeling like strangers.
  • Trust has been broken, and neither of you knows yet if it can come back.
  • A major life shift, like a new baby, a move, or a loss, has thrown everything off.
  • You want to address something before it becomes much harder to fix.

That last one, by the way, is one of the wisest reasons to begin relationship counseling. Coming in before rock bottom takes real courage.

I specialize in high conflict couples, where conversations go from calm to flooded in under a minute. Building strong conflict resolution skills is not a bonus feature in that work. It is the entire foundation. I also support couples trying to recover after betrayal, and I help guide that process through marriage therapy, but not in a rush. My therapy works like a steady hand for both partners. It helps them move forward again, even if it feels uncertain at first.

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What to Expect During a Therapy Session?

The work itself is not mysterious. Here is roughly how it unfolds:

  • 1Your first session is mostly me listening. I want to understand your history, your patterns, and what brought you both to this point, without judgment on either side.
  • 2From there, we start naming the cycles that keep pulling you both under and work on building actual safety so honest conversations can happen between you.
  • 3Over time, you walk away with concrete tools for improving communication, managing conflict in the moment, and finding your way back to each other in a way that lasts.

Marriage counseling in my practice also looks closely at each person's individual mental health, because one partner's old pain, anxiety, or unresolved history will show up in the relationship without fail. That’s why I often bring individual therapy into the picture alongside our couples work. Healing as a person and healing as a couple tend to move best when they happen together.

Start Building a Stronger Relationship Today!

You do not have to arrive with some clear sense of what’s wrong. You just need to be willing to try. And if you have been looking for a couples therapist in California that works with the whole picture, not just the surface conflict, I would really love to hear from you. My approach to couples is warm, grounded and kind of deeply human. Reach out today and let's start.

Frequently Asked Questions

A couples therapist helps slow down conflict, name the patterns that keep repeating, build conflict resolution skills, and make it safe enough that both people can finally be honest.

It depends. Most couples counseling runs anywhere from a few months to over a year. How consistently couples seek to show up and do the work makes the biggest difference.

Pretty much. Marriage counseling is geared toward married couples. Couples therapy includes everyone, married or not. Both focus on improving communication and deepening real connection.

Yes. Progress is still possible. Relationship counseling works best when both people are in the room, but even one partner's effort matters. Individual therapy can also move things forward.

If the same fights keep circling, or conflict leaves you both depleted, working with a licensed marriage and family therapist can give you real tools and a clear path forward.

BEGIN WHERE YOU ARE

You do not need to have everything figured out to start.
Therapy is simply a conversation, one that can open
new ways of relating to yourself and the world around you.

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Integrative Therapy & Mind-Body Healing
Supporting individuals and teens with compassion and clarity.

Phone: (415) 407-1513

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