Rebecca Pistilli – Experienced Marriage and Couples Counselor

“Things go faster when you slow them down.”

My Story and Background

I grew up in a small Pennsylvania town in an Italian family & am the middle of 3 sisters. After receiving my Bachelor’s in psychology from the Indiana University of PA, I drove across the country to CA to “find myself.” I lived in the San Fernando Valley for five years and worked in the entertainment industry casting contestants for television game shows like the Family Feud! I went on to pursue my Master’s in Counseling from CSUF & enter the field that I consider to be “my calling.”

For 20+ years, I have been helping clients heal from old pain, communicate better today, and enjoy their lives and partners.

My Approach to Marriage Counseling & Couples Counseling:

My extensive experience as a couples counselor allows me to offer tailored relationship counseling that meets each couple’s unique needs. I have had the privilege of supporting couples and individuals through many challenges including:

• rebuilding trust
• improving intimacy
• managing stress
• healing from a breakup
• controlling anger
• improving communication
• handling life transitions.

These challenges are common in couples counseling and can be painful if not addressed. We work collaboratively on them using research-based techniques.

Common questions clients arrive in my office with are:

• “Should I stay in this relationship?”
• “How can I trust again?”
• “How can I be better understood in my relationship?”
• “Is it ok to feel the way I feel?”

I have advanced training in several evidence-based counseling strategies and create a customized treatment plan to provide the best relationship therapy for each unique client and couple.

• Gottman Couples Counseling Techniques:

  Most couples have difficulty feeling like their partner understands them. This can lead to hurt feelings and lots of arguments which seem to escalate into more arguments. John and Julie Gottman developed a structured method for improving communication and resolving relationship conflicts. This approach can set the groundwork for strong couples communication.

• Sex Therapy:

  It’s common for couples to have many priorities that they place ahead of their intimate life.
  This can lead to a feeling of neglect or disconnection that creates more problems in the relationship. Sex therapy is a series of safe, non-threatening techniques that help address issues related to intimacy and sexual relationships.

• Trauma-Focused CBT:

  Sometimes, our pain comes from how we think about ourselves and others. CBT is an evidence-based counseling strategy that helps people identify how their thoughts may accidentally be hurting. Creating more balanced replacement thoughts can help to improve our lives. Trauma-focused CBT is a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy tailored to help individuals (and couples) process and heal from traumatic experiences.

• Executive Therapy:

  A career as an executive or business owner can be very demanding. Managing teams, changing landscapes, & challenging personalities can take a toll on our mental well-being over time.
  Frequent travel & busy schedules can make it difficult to keep up with consistent therapy appointments.

  Executive therapy is a specialized approach to help professionals and leaders manage stress, decision-making, and performance challenges. I offer a hybrid schedule of both virtual and in-person appointments that includes evening and weekend hours and the flexibility to access the support you need while managing your career.

What Clients Say

Clients have shared that once we begin working together, they feel supported and encouraged, which helps them gain a better understanding and acceptance of their own feelings. This, in turn, enhances decisiveness and confidence, which helps them learn and practice skills to improve their relationships with others and their performance at work. For many people, this is their first time reaching out to a couples counselor.

As we move through our work together, couples report a better understanding of their partner and themselves and their negative patterns. They are better able to see their own contributions to the problems in the relationship and how to make effective changes. This relationship counseling leads to happier and more fulfilling relationships.

In their own words:

• “Rebecca is awesome! Super real and not too clinical.”
• “Rebecca was able to see our problems and concerns. She also understood what we wanted to achieve from our sessions and we did!”
• “We met with Rebecca and she was very attentive, listened to us, and showed us a lot of respect.”
• “Rebecca is as kind and supportive as she is smart and insightful.”

More about Rebecca

I appreciate simple things like hiking, reading, or listening to my favorite podcasts. As a recent breast cancer survivor, I’ve gained a new focus on both physical and emotional health and the challenges in this journey.

I currently live in Tustin with my husband of over 20 years and our teenage son. During my time off, I look for moments in my life to be inspired and refueled, and that can come in many forms from paragliding, to practicing yoga, or watching my son dance on stage at OCSA.

Ready to experience effective couples counseling?

Call Rebecca today for expert marriage counseling and couples counseling that makes a difference. Give us a call at 949-393-8662, or text us, or click here to schedule an appointment today if you are ready to get started now.