Therapy That Meets You Where You're At
Therapy is deeply personal. Finding the right therapist means finding someone you feel comfortable being honest with, someone who can understand where you are while also helping you see where you want to go.
I’m Gabriela Lopez-Machon, a California Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and the founder of Zest for Life Psychotherapy. I provide virtual therapy to individuals, couples, and families throughout California.
My approach is warm, collaborative, and relationship focused. I create a space where you can feel understood without feeling judged, while also being thoughtfully challenged to understand yourself, your relationships, and the patterns that may be keeping you stuck.
A Little About Me
I’ve always been drawn to the ways people connect, communicate, and make sense of their experiences.
As a Marriage and Family Therapist, I look beyond the individual to understand the relationships and environments that shape us. Sometimes what brings you to therapy may feel like an individual struggle, but there may be deeper patterns at play in your relationships, family, or the way you relate to yourself.
I believe therapy can be a place to slow down enough to understand those patterns and begin making intentional changes.Whether you’re struggling with anxiety, feeling disconnected in your relationship, navigating a major life transition, or simply know that something needs to change, I want therapy to feel like a space where you can be honest about what’s really happening.
My Approach
Warm. Collaborative. Relationship Focused.
There is no one size fits all approach to therapy.
I believe effective therapy starts with understanding you as a whole person. That means looking at your experiences, relationships, emotions, strengths, and the patterns that have developed over time.
My work draws from attachment based, family systems, Emotionally Focused Therapy, and Gottman informed approaches. I also incorporate evidence based strategies tailored to what you are experiencing and what you hope to accomplish in therapy.
For me, therapy is not about simply telling you what to do.
It is about creating a space where we can slow things down, make sense of what is happening, and work together toward meaningful change.
What You Can Expect From Working With Me
A space where you can be yourself
You don’t have to have everything figured out before coming to therapy. You can show up exactly as you are, including the parts that may feel confusing, uncomfortable, or difficult to put into words.
Honest and thoughtful conversations
I’ll listen with compassion while also helping you look at patterns, assumptions, and behaviors that may be getting in the way of the life or relationships you want.
Therapy tailored to you
Your goals, personality, relationships, and experiences are unique. Our work will be shaped around what you need rather than following a predetermined formula.
Practical change that lasts beyond the session
Insight matters, but so does what happens outside the therapy room. We’ll work toward greater awareness, stronger communication, healthier patterns, and tools you can carry into your everyday life.
Areas I Work With
I work with individuals, couples, and families navigating a range of concerns, including:
Anxiety and Depression
Understanding difficult emotions, managing overwhelm, and developing healthier ways of coping.
Relationships and Communication
Breaking repetitive conflict patterns, improving communication, rebuilding connection, and creating healthier relationships.
Life Transitions
Adjusting to changes in relationships, family, career, identity, parenthood, or other significant transitions.
Family Dynamics
Understanding longstanding patterns, improving communication, and creating healthier ways of relating to one another.
Trauma and Difficult Experiences
Creating space to process past experiences and understand how they may continue to affect your emotions, relationships, and sense of self.
Burnout Out and Feeling Stuck
Stepping back from constant pressure, reconnecting with what matters, and creating a life that feels more sustainable and fulfilling.
Education & Training
My clinical training and ongoing professional development include work informed by:
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Attachment based therapy
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Emotionally Focused Therapy
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Family systems therapy
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Gottman informed couples therapy
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Prepare/Enrich
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Evidence based approaches for anxiety, depression, trauma, and life transitions
I continue to grow my clinical knowledge so that the work we do together is thoughtful, intentional, and responsive to your needs.
Beyond the Therapy Room
I believe that being a therapist does not mean having all the answers. I’m continually learning, growing, and finding new ways to understand people and relationships.
Outside of therapy, I value time with my family, staying active, being outdoors, and finding the small things that bring more joy and connection into everyday life.Those values are part of what inspired the name Zest for Life.
To me, having zest for life does not mean that everything is easy or positive all the time. It means creating a life that feels meaningful to you, staying connected to the people and things that matter, and making room for both the difficult moments and the good ones.
When You're Ready
You don’t need to know exactly what you need from therapy before reaching out.
Sometimes the first step is simply having a conversation and seeing whether we feel like a good fit.
I offer a complimentary 15 minute consultation where we can talk briefly about what brings you to therapy, what you’re looking for, and whether working together makes sense.
(415) 857-2331 (Call/Text)