Couples therapists in Santa Barbara, CA

I have vast experience with a wide variety of clients. My professional history includes children living in abusive environments, teenagers who are struggling to access their education due to mental health concerns, families navigating dysfunction and adults dealing with a variety of life difficulties.

I currently work, primarily, in corrections with inmates struggling to adjust to the custody environment. I offer crisis intervention in addition to ongoing support.

I approach the therapeutic space with compassion and openness. I meet my clients right where they are emotionally and in their healing journey.

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.

My passion for helping others and giving back led me to a career that feels both meaningful and purposeful. My own personal experiences with trauma, anxiety, and depression give me a unique insight as a clinician — allowing me to show up for my clients with genuine empathy and understanding.

Hi my name is Ana, I'm a dedicated mental health professional specializing in comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment, strategic treatment planning, and collaborative care. Life can feel overwhelming at times, especially when you are navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, relationship challenges, or major life transitions. You may be feeling emotionally exhausted, disconnected, stuck in unhealthy patterns, or simply wanting a safe space to process what you’ve been carrying. My goal is to provide a supportive and nonjudgmental environment where you feel heard, understood, and empowered to create meaningful change. Together, we can work toward helping you build resilience, improve emotional well-being, strengthen relationships, and reconnect with yourself.

I work in a collaborative process with older teens (15yrs old and above), couples, and individual adults who are motivated to find their inner voice and know their highest selves. My clients are focused on setting boundaries, assertive and effective communication skills, healthy relationships, self-advocacy, and self-efficacy. My clients are willing to reflect on sessions outside of the therapeutic hour, and are receptive to occasional homework. I am here to meet you halfway.

You can know exactly where something comes from and still feel completely stuck in it. That's often where the real work begins. I work with adults and seniors navigating trauma, anxiety, relationship patterns, eating disorders, and the weight of holding multiple cultural worlds at once. I offer sessions in both English and Farsi. I was born in Tehran and came to the United States as a child. That journey shapes how I show up for clients who are holding two worlds at once. Clients often describe me as thoughtful, unhurried, and genuinely curious about who they are.