5 Best San Francisco Parent Counselors
Parenting can feel isolating, especially when you're struggling with behavior challenges, co-parenting conflict, or the overwhelming pressure to get everything right. Whether you're navigating sleepless nights with a newborn, power struggles with a teenager, or trying to maintain connection with your partner while raising children, you don't have to figure it out alone.
At California Couples Counseling, our San Francisco parenting therapists specialize in supporting parents through the full spectrum of parenting challenges with compassion, evidence-based strategies, and real-world solutions. Meet our team here, learn more about our practice and approach, and contact us when you’re ready to begin.
Meet our San Francisco parent therapists
Best for co-parenting challenges: Georgina Crisanto, LMFT
Best for parents of infants and young children: Leilani Mitchell, LMFT
Best for Spanish-speaking families: Maricela Gomez, LMFT
Best for foster and adoptive parents: Rachel Coulter, PhD, LMFT
Best for fathers and male caregivers: Rene Huerta, LMFT
If you’re not sure which therapist is best for your situation, please reach out for a free consultation so we can thoughtfully match you with the right clinician.
Georgina Crisanto, LMFT
Best for co-parenting challenges
Georgina specializes in helping separated or divorced parents develop healthier communication patterns and establish consistent parenting approaches that prioritize their children's well-being. She supports parents navigating the transition from partnership to effective co-parenting, addressing conflict management, boundary-setting, and creating sustainable agreements.
Credentials: Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
Location: San Francisco, CA
Virtual therapy? Yes
Leilani Mitchell, LMFT
Best for parents of infants and young children
With extensive experience working across the lifespan from infants to adults, Leilani helps new and experienced parents navigate attachment concerns, developmental milestones, and the emotional transitions of early parenthood. She creates a compassionate space for parents to process their feelings while developing practical strategies for connection and confidence with their children.
Credentials: Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
Location: San Francisco, CA
Virtual therapy? Yes
Maricela Gomez, LMFT
Best for Spanish-speaking families
Maricela offers bilingual therapy services and brings deep cultural sensitivity to her work with families navigating parenting challenges, trauma, and relationship dynamics. Her training in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy makes her particularly skilled at supporting parents and children who have experienced difficult circumstances.
Credentials: Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
Location: San Francisco, CA
Virtual therapy? Yes
Rachel Coulter, PhD, LMFT
Best for foster and adoptive parents
As a foster and adoptive parent herself, Rachel brings lived experience to her work with families navigating the unique challenges of foster care, adoption, and parenting high-needs children. She understands the complex dynamics of attachment, trauma, and the systems involved, offering both professional expertise and genuine empathy.
Credentials: Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
Location: San Francisco, CA
Virtual therapy? Yes
Rene Huerta, LMFT
Best for fathers and male caregivers
Rene creates a welcoming, judgment-free space for fathers and male caregivers to explore the challenges of modern parenting, work-life balance, and emotional connection with their children. His holistic approach helps men develop deeper self-awareness and effective parenting strategies while honoring their unique experiences and strengths.
Credentials: Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
Location: San Francisco, CA
Virtual therapy? Yes
What sets our practice apart from other San Francisco parenting counseling providers
At California Couples Counseling, we understand that parenting challenges don't exist in isolation—they impact your entire family system. Our therapists bring specialized training and genuine compassion to every session.
Here’s what sets our practice apart.
Evidence-based approaches, including the Gottman Method, CBT, and trauma-focused therapy
Flexible virtual therapy throughout California that fits your busy schedule
Experience working with diverse family structures and cultural backgrounds
Specialized support for co-parents, foster/adoptive families, and parents of children with special needs
Bilingual Spanish-speaking therapists available
We're committed to helping you build the confident, connected parenting approach your family deserves.
Areas we support parents with
Feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, or burned out from parenting demands
Disagreements with your partner about parenting approaches or discipline
Managing behavioral challenges, tantrums, or defiance
Navigating co-parenting after separation or divorce
Adjusting to life with a newborn or significant developmental transitions
Parenting children with special needs or high anxiety
Balancing work responsibilities with being present for your children
Healing from your own childhood experiences that impact your parenting
Building secure attachment and emotional connection with your children
Managing guilt, anger, or feelings of inadequacy as a parent
Supporting children through trauma, grief, or family transitions
Blended family dynamics and step-parenting challenges
What to expect from the therapy process
Step 1. Initial consultation and assessment
In your first session, your therapist will take time to understand your family's unique dynamics, your parenting challenges, and your goals for therapy. This is a collaborative conversation where you'll explore what's working, what feels difficult, and what you hope to change.
Step 2. Developing your personalized plan
Together, you'll create a roadmap tailored to your specific needs, whether that's improving communication with your co-parent, managing your child's behavior, or healing from your own past experiences that impact your parenting. Your therapist will introduce evidence-based strategies that fit your family's values and lifestyle.
Step 3. Building skills & creating change
Through regular sessions, you'll learn practical tools for managing stress, communicating effectively, setting boundaries, and responding to challenges with confidence. Your therapist will support you in implementing new approaches and adjusting them based on what works for your family.
Step 4. Ongoing support & growth
As you progress, sessions will focus on reinforcing positive changes, addressing new challenges as they arise, and building your resilience for the long term. Many parents find that therapy not only improves their parenting but also deepens their relationship with their partner and themselves.
FAQs about therapy for parents
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There's no singular best type of therapy for every parent or family. The most effective approach depends on your specific challenges—whether you're working on communication patterns, managing your own emotional responses, healing from trauma, or navigating co-parenting dynamics.
Our therapists draw from evidence-based modalities including the Gottman Method, CBT, attachment-based therapy, and trauma-focused approaches to create a personalized plan for your family.
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If parenting feels consistently overwhelming, if you're arguing frequently with your partner about child-rearing, or if you notice patterns that aren't working despite your best efforts, therapy can help.
Other common signs include feeling disconnected from your children, experiencing guilt or shame about your parenting, or recognizing that unresolved issues from your own childhood are affecting how you parent today.
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Absolutely. Many of our therapists work with single parents navigating the unique challenges of parenting alone, including managing overwhelm, setting boundaries, addressing behavioral concerns, and balancing multiple responsibilities.
Therapy provides a supportive space to process your experiences, develop effective strategies, and build confidence in your parenting approach without the need for a co-parent to participate.
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Yes, we specialize in helping separated or divorced parents improve their co-parenting relationship. Our therapists can work with you individually to develop healthier responses to co-parenting challenges, or with both parents together to establish better communication, create consistent parenting approaches, and reduce conflict. The goal is always to support what's best for your children while honoring each parent's needs and boundaries.
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No, we work exclusively with parents, including single parents, coparenting dynamics, and parents in romantic relationships. While your child won’t be directly participating in sessions, our therapists can help you navigate parenting challenges and develop strategies to support your children's well-being.