- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral tools
- Existential reflection
About Gail
Dr. Gail Masterson is a California licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) with 28 years of clinical experience. She focuses on stress, anxiety, relationships, grief, self-esteem, coping with life changes, career concerns, and ADHD, and she lists young adult issues among her areas of work. She holds a BA in Humanities, an MA in Marriage and Family Therapy, and a PhD in Psychology.
Dr. Masterson offers both shorter-term, solution-focused work and longer-term psychotherapy. Sessions often combine client-centered conversation with practical tools from cognitive behavioral approaches. She also draws on existential ideas about meaning and mindfulness practices to help people notice patterns and try different strategies.
Her background includes early teletherapy work with a nationally broadcast clinic that took calls from across the country. That experience shaped how she structures brief problem-solving sessions and coaching-style check-ins alongside deeper, insight-oriented work. She has seen individuals and couples and has experience with later-life and end-of-life concerns.
In sessions she tends to ask questions that clarify what matters to the person and then test small changes to see what helps. That can mean setting simple behavioral experiments, practicing present-moment awareness, or examining beliefs that get in the way of action. She describes therapy as a collaborative process where the client’s goals direct the work.
People often come for help when life transitions feel overwhelming - leaving home, relationship changes, work shifts, or a sense of emptiness. Dr. Masterson encourages taking a first step even if someone does not feel fully ready. The practice uses a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How her approaches translate to online work
Client-Centered Therapy is about listening closely and following what matters to the person. Online sessions can use that approach to focus conversation on current priorities and practical next steps. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) breaks problems into thoughts, feelings, and actions and tests small behavior changes; that structure works well in short online check-ins or longer sessions where homework is assigned. Existential Therapy invites questions about meaning and choice and can help when life transitions or a sense of emptiness are central concerns.Deciding which approach to use is collaborative. The therapist will help identify goals, try methods that match those goals, and adjust the plan over time. Clients and therapist discuss what feels useful and what should change rather than fixing on a single label at the start.
The biography references extensive teletherapy experience, but current session formats are not listed here and should be confirmed before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions around school, work, or caregiving by removing travel time and allowing more flexible scheduling. It also lets sessions be shorter check-ins when that suits the client or longer psychotherapy when deeper work is needed. Ask about specific session formats when you schedule so arrangements fit everyday life and practical needs.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
28+ years
Listed in
California
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What issues does she help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, relationship and grief concerns, plus self-esteem, career and life change difficulties.
How would she describe her therapy style?
Her style blends client-centered listening with practical CBT tools, mindfulness, and existential reflection.
How much clinical experience does she have?
Dr. Masterson has 28 years of clinical experience working in a range of short and longer-term formats.
What credentials and region are listed?
She is listed as a CA LMFT practicing in California with an MA in Marriage and Family Therapy and a PhD in Psychology.
Does she work in other languages or with international clients?
Sessions are offered in English and international clients are not currently accepted.
What session formats are offered?
The original biography notes extensive teletherapy experience, but current session formats should be confirmed before booking.
How does billing and cost work?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Start by selecting the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule a first session.
Online talk therapy through BetterHelp is for adults aged 18 and over and is not emergency care. If you are in danger, use the emergency numbers. Find someone else by name.