At a glance
- Credentials
- LMFT
- License
- LMFT, California / 24543
- NPI
- 1871181263
- Experience
- 28 years
- Languages
- English
- Location
- California
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
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- Motivational interviewing
- Client-centered care
- Mindfulness informed
About Gail
Dr. Gail Masterson is a California licensed marriage and family therapist with 28 years of clinical experience. She invites people to tell their story and looks for practical ways to help them move forward. Her style is conversational and curious, offering coaching and thoughtful questions to nudge change. She emphasizes small steps that can lead to clearer choices and a renewed sense of direction.
Masterson trained in marriage and family therapy and completed a PhD in psychology. She has used teletherapy for many years, including work with a nationally syndicated talk radio practice that reached callers across the country. That background means she is familiar with both shorter, solution-focused work and longer, exploratory therapy.
In sessions she blends client-centered listening with cognitive-behavioral tools and motivational interviewing to help people notice patterns and try new behaviors. Mindfulness and existential ideas also shape conversations about meaning, values, and life direction. Her approach aims to match methods to where a person is and what they want to change.
People come with a wide range of concerns, including stress, anxiety, grief, relationship and intimacy issues, parenting strain, career questions, and burnout or compassion fatigue. She also focuses on aging and caregiver stress, fertility and end-of-life topics, and challenges like social anxiety or ADHD-related struggles.
Dr. Masterson seeks to make the first step easier by listening without judgment, asking clarifying questions, and helping people test practical options. She works collaboratively to find a path that fits each person’s life and goals.
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How her approaches translate to online work
Dr. Masterson commonly uses motivational interviewing, client-centered therapy, and cognitive behavioral techniques in her practice. Motivational interviewing involves asking open questions and reflecting back what a person says to strengthen their own reasons for change and is useful for getting unstuck. Client-centered therapy prioritizes listening and empathy so people can clarify their values and goals. Cognitive behavioral therapy looks at patterns of thought and behavior and offers practical experiments and new skills to reduce distress.
Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. She will collaborate with each person to decide which methods feel most helpful based on the person’s goals, needs, and preferences. That means trying options and adjusting as progress and understanding develop.
Session formats are not specified in this biography, so confirm current online options before booking. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life - for example they can reduce travel time, allow shorter check-ins on a lunch break, or make it simpler to continue work while moving or caregiving. Licensed professionals, including this therapist, use those practical benefits to help people stay consistent with their work and try small changes between sessions. -
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Family conflictsIntimacy-related issuesParenting issuesAnger managementCareer difficultiesDepressionCoachingCompassion fatigueADHDAdditional focus areas
Aging and geriatric issuesCaregiver issues and stressCommunication problemsCoping with natural or human-caused disasterDivorce and separationEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFertility issuesHospice and end-of-life counselingIsolation / lonelinessLife purposeMidlife crisisPregnancy and childbirthSocial anxiety and phobiaWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issuesTherapeutic approaches
Client-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Existential TherapyMindfulness TherapyMotivational InterviewingPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapyExperience
28+ years
Listed in
California
Languages
English
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Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she address?
She helps people with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, relationship and intimacy concerns, parenting strain, career questions, compassion fatigue, ADHD issues, and related life changes.
What is her therapeutic style like?
The approach is conversational and collaborative, using questions and coaching to encourage change. Sessions mix listening with practical steps and moments of reflection.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 28 years of experience in psychotherapy and has worked in both short-term and longer-term therapy settings.
What credentials and region are associated with this therapist?
She holds a PhD in psychology and is a California licensed marriage and family therapist - LMFT - practicing in California.
Which languages are used in sessions?
Sessions are offered in English only and international clients are not currently accepted.
What session formats are available?
Specific session formats are not detailed here; please confirm current session options with the provider before booking.
How do fees and payment work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability, and sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Use the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.
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Online talk therapy is not emergency or medical care. Stopping or cutting down alcohol or other drugs can be unsafe without medical advice. In immediate danger? Crisis numbers