Hi, I am Iliana Gelles.
I specialize in Relational Trauma Therapy
in Santa Barbara County
I’d love to connect
Do you feel stuck and overwhelmed in life?
You are kind and smart. You have succeeded in spite of what you have gone through in your life. You have been able to manage by meditating, doing yoga, and using breathing exercises. In fact, you did some talk therapy and learned a great deal about trauma. But you feel like you are unable to "move on." You’re exhausted from feeling anxious or helpless. You may be judging yourself because you overreact over small things, or simply you have to "numb difficult feelings" to get through your day. Perhaps, you worry too much about what others feel.
Whatever it is that you're experiencing, you notice the impact of this in every facet of your life:
Struggling with your close relationships
Lack of self-confidence
Difficulty to stay focused and productive at work
Missing a sense of purpose or direction
Relational Trauma Therapy in Santa Barbara can help.
It may feel impossible now, but you can feel joy and peace again. You can manage your emotions and feel in control. You can put your needs at the top of your list. You can have fulfilling relationships. And I can help you get there.
Identify and process the root of the pain you’re experiencing
Learn how to self-soothe and manage your emotions
Make sense of your earlier experiences to cultivate self-compassion
And finally feel equipped to create the life you desire.

I’ll help you through this process, tailoring each step to your unique needs and circumstances. My approach to Relational Trauma Therapy comes from a place of collaboration and curiosity. Together, we will decide the pace of each session, how deep you want to go, and the goals you wish to achieve. I will make suggestions to help you deepen your process, but I will also respect your readiness to do so. It is important to me that you start to trust yourself more and this process can help you achieve that. This work is not about “learning skills,” but rather about healing the root causes so as to achieve lasting results.
Based on the latest trauma and neuroscience research, my clinical training is on Somatic Therapy and Attachment EMDR (Eye Movement and Desensitization and Reprocessing). Research has proven these treatment methods to be highly effective with those struggling with relational trauma.
Learn more about Attachment EMDR and Somatic Therapy
I offer both in-person and online relational trauma therapy to provide you with both comfort and choice.
With two offices located in Santa Barbara and Solvang, CA, I serve many in-person clients in the surrounding areas. This includes Los Olivos, Santa Ynez, Hope Ranch, Mission Canyon, and Summerland.
It’s time to feel hope and create the life you desire.
I can help you get there.
How Relational Trauma Therapy Works
Schedule your free 20 min consultation
To learn more about your needs and get a sense if we are a good match to work together.
First three sessions
We will focus on collecting information about your life, discuss your goals, and expectations.
Make a plan
After the first three sessions, I’ll make recommendations and together we’ll decide where to start.
Consistent care
We will choose a consistent time to meet. I will continue to support you through the process making sure you are getting what you need.
FAQs
Iliana Gelles, LMFT specializes in Relational Issues and helps women feel connected healing to struggles from the inside out. .