Rachel Gordon-Eldred, LMFT

Rachel Gordon-Eldred is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) with 18 years of clinical experience who helps people feel more regulated and centered so they can connect more deeply with themselves and others. She creates a calm, judgment-free space where clients can bring fears, sadness, ambivalence, and complicated feelings and work toward greater emotional balance. Rachel offers empathic listening and practical support to help people think through difficult situations, act as a sounding board, and move toward what she calls a Big Beautiful Life.

Trust in the client narrative is central to her approach. She emphasizes human connection as a foundation for growth and supports the development of wise-mind - the integration of emotion and reason - while cultivating appreciation for individual strengths and identity. Rachel identifies as an advocate for neurodiverse people and has focused much of her work on supporting parents of vulnerable children who have experienced loss, trauma, or who are coping with ADHD and Autism Spectrum presentations. She has specific experience working with families navigating Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA) and does not support behavioral modification approaches such as ABA.

Rachel also has additional training in end-of-life issues, hospice, and grief counseling for loved ones coping with death and loss. She accepts new clients in California and may be able to accommodate schedule requests outside posted times.

Therapeutic approaches and online care

Rachel often blends Attachment-Based Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to meet individual needs. Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early relationships influence current patterns and helps people improve connection, boundaries, and relationship responses - this can be useful for parenting, grief, and trauma-related concerns. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes an empathic, nonjudgmental therapeutic relationship where the person’s own goals and insights guide the work, supporting self-understanding during life changes and stress. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and teaching practical strategies to manage anxiety, stress, and recurring patterns.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Rachel collaborates with each client to determine which methods best fit their needs, goals, and preferences, and licensed professionals can adapt these approaches as care progresses. The selection of techniques is flexible and driven by what helps the client most.

Online therapy offers practical benefits for busy lives - sessions by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging make it easier to access support around work, caregiving, or mobility constraints. These options allow for consistent, timely contact with a therapist and can increase convenience and continuity of care while clients work toward their goals.