Christian Maciel
Therapist focused on relationships and coping skills
LMFT California
- Experience
- 25 years in practice
- Focus areas
- Stress, Anxiety, Relationship, Trauma and abuse
- Approaches
- Gottman Method, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Languages
- English, Spanish
About Christian
Christian Maciel uses relationship-focused and cognitive approaches to help people manage stress, anxiety, depression, and problems in close relationships. He is a licensed marriage and family therapist with 25 years of clinical experience and speaks both English and Spanish.
Background and approach
He begins by listening to how a person describes their struggles. Sessions emphasize clear, practical steps that can reduce worry and lift mood.
He helps clients spot unhelpful thinking patterns, try new behaviors, and practice ways to communicate with others more effectively. Christian draws on methods that look at emotions, attachment patterns, and day-to-day choices.
That combination helps people who feel stuck after loss, separation, or painful past events. He also works with concerns like chronic pain, caregiver stress, body image, and codependency.
Clients can expect a calm, respectful space where personal history and cultural context are considered. Christian prefers short, doable goals and skills that can be used between sessions.
He aims to help people feel steadier and more in control of daily life. His California practice includes a long background helping people through commitment worries, communication problems, guilt, shame, and forgiveness.
He offers direct guidance while honoring each person’s pace and priorities.
Therapeutic approaches and online care
Christian draws on the Gottman Method to help people understand interaction patterns and build more constructive communication. That approach focuses on identifying recurring behaviors and practicing concrete skills to reduce conflict and increase connection.He also uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, which teaches people to notice thoughts and feelings without getting stuck, and to take small actions that match their values. Attachment-Based Therapy is another key influence; it looks at how early relationship patterns affect current emotions and ways of relating.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. He collaborates with each person to pick methods that match their goals, needs, and day-to-day life. Together they try strategies, review what helps, and adjust the plan over time.
Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video is useful for deeper conversation and skill practice, phone sessions can fit a short break during a workday or when bandwidth is limited, and chat or messaging work well for quick check-ins or ongoing support between sessions. These formats offer flexibility to fit therapy into a busy schedule while maintaining consistent progress.
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does Christian often address?
What is his therapeutic style like?
How much clinical experience does he bring?
What are his credentials and where is he based?
Which languages are available during sessions?
What session formats does he offer online?
How is cost handled for sessions?
What are the first steps to begin therapy?
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
25+ years
Licensed in
California
Languages
English, Spanish