Dr. Gail Masterson , LMFT

Dr. Gail Masterson offers nearly three decades of psychotherapy experience and brings a thoughtful, exploratory stance to helping people regain direction during times of uncertainty. She frames unpredictable moments as opportunities to discover new possibilities and supports clients in telling their story as the first step toward change. Dr. Masterson combines coaching and reflective questioning to help people identify practical steps they can take to improve their lives, while honoring that sometimes simply getting through a hard period is enough.

She holds a BA in Humanities, an MA in Marriage and Family Therapy, and a PhD in Psychology. Dr. Masterson is an LMFT - a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist - and is licensed in California as CA LMFT 24543. Her training includes both brief, solution-oriented work and extended, in-depth psychotherapy, and she has substantial experience with teletherapy, including work with David Viscott, MD, during the era of nationwide radio-based therapy.

Dr. Masterson has worked with individuals, couples, and families across the lifespan, from adolescents to older adults facing end-of-life concerns. She is comfortable with short-term, goal-focused interventions as well as longer-term exploration, and she aims to listen, encourage, and collaborate until a clearer path forward emerges.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care

Dr. Gail Masterson integrates client-centered therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and existential perspectives to tailor care to each person. Client-centered therapy focuses on building a respectful, nonjudgmental relationship and supports people in exploring their own values and choices - it is often helpful for issues of self-esteem, relationship concerns, and life transitions. Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, addresses the connections among thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and offers practical strategies to reduce anxiety, manage mood, and change unhelpful patterns. Existential therapy invites exploration of meaning, purpose, and the realities of freedom and limitation, which can be useful for grief, midlife questions, and searches for direction.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Dr. Masterson works collaboratively with clients and licensed professionals to identify which methods fit a person’s goals, preferences, and situation, and she adjusts the focus as needs evolve.

Online therapy offers flexible ways to engage - through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging - making it easier to fit therapy into busy or constrained schedules. These options allow therapists and clients to maintain continuity of care, address urgent concerns more quickly, and choose the format that feels most comfortable and practical for their work together.