Grief counselors and therapists in Petaluma, CA

I'm a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist based in Sonoma County with six years of clinical experience working with young people and families. I've worked across a range of settings including intensive residential treatment, county behavioral health, and outpatient care, and I bring that breadth of experience into my private practice. I specialize in working with preteens, teens, young adults, and families navigating anxiety, trauma, identity, family conflict, and life transitions. I also work with couples on a private pay basis.

Welcome—glad you made it here!

I’m a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with experience in crisis mental health and private practice. I help adults and adolescents work through anxiety, stress, trauma, and relationship challenges. I understand the impact of high-stress roles where you’re expected to stay in control, even when things build up over time. My style is direct, grounded, and focused on what actually works in real life. I provide a space where you can be honest, feel understood, and be challenged in a way that leads to real change.

Hola, Soy Christina Zapata, mi pronombre es ella. Hello, I'm Christina Zapata, my pronouns are she and her. I am bilingual (English/Spanish), bi-and pan cultural. My professional training is in clinical social work. I started out in depth-oriented psychotherapy in 2012, moved to family work with foster and adoptive families in the middle part of my career and have returned to psychodynamic, systems-oriented psychotherapy with individuals and families since 2017. I have experience working with Transgender individuals, those in current or former relationships where intimate partner violence is present, foster and adopted youth, and Spanish speaking political and economic refugees and immigrants. I am trained in EMDR. I have undertaken a three year grief training to help people stay connected to, sit with and move through pain. More recently, I am adding to my practice work around supporting individuals who are experiencing stress and confusion in their workplace.

People say I am a good listener so I will get to know you and the goals you bring to therapy

I have been in mental health since 2014 and in general healthcare since 1993. I enjoy working with clients of all ages. The clients that tend to gravitate towards my practice are female-presenting, neurodivergent, and families with children with behavioral challenges. I have a vast experience/knowledge base in mental health having worked in community agencies, private practice, school therapy (specifically IEP-related therapy), court- and CPS-involved cases, running groups, and working both on adolescent and adult psychiatric inpatient units. I offer a complementary brief meet and greet before scheduling the first appointment so my clients/families can ask me questions and see if my practice is a good fit for them. I also have a trauma treatment background with certification - trauma comes up in a lot of my work with clients even if that is not what led to starting therapy.

Healing happens in relationships, and I take a collaborative, strengths-based approach, focusing on the whole family system. When one person struggles, it affects everyone. My approach is collaborative, relational, and strengths-based, prioritizing a safe space, unconditional positive regard, and a strong therapeutic alliance. I work with toddlers, children, adolescents, adults, parents, couples, and families. I help families navigate emotional and behavioral challenges and individuals seeking growth, connection, and healing.

I treat ADHD, OCD, Anxiety & Depression, Emotional Dysregulation & Adjustment Issues. I offer Child-Centered Play Therapy, Filial Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Solution-Focused Therapy for Goal-Oriented Change, Parent Support, & Family Therapy.

Every child deserves to feel seen, every parent deserves support, and every person deserves a space of hope and growth. Let’s work together to create lasting change.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and founder of CRiY Therapeutic Services: Cultivating Resilience in You. I specialize in helping individuals navigate stress, trauma, grief, and emotional challenges using varying approaches that build resilience and leads to lasting change as you journey to renew your mind. I provide support to individuals 13 yrs and up, couples, and families. I also provide support to individuals living with chronic pain including sickle cell anemia, long term disease, and individuals struggling with varying life challenges.

You may be seeking support in moving toward a more preferred version of yourself, your life, and your relationships. You may be questioning important facets of your identity, or wondering how to locate and uproot the seeds of painful and complicated emotions. Perhaps you are curious about navigating a different type of relational structure with your loved ones, or you may be feeling stuck with a particular challenge in the way you connect to others. My role as a therapist is to provide support and facilitate insight that will allow you to work toward your personal goals.