A criterion for integrability of matrix coefficients with respect to a symmetric space

Let $G$ be a reductive group and $\theta$ an involution on $G$, both defined over a $p$-adic field. We provide a criterion for $G^{\theta }$-integrability of matrix coefficients of representations of $G$ in terms of their exponents along $\theta$-stable parabolic subgroups. The group case reduces to Casselman’s square-integrability criterion. As a consequence we assert that certain families of symmetric spaces are strongly tempered in the sense of Sakellaridis and Venkatesh. For some other families our result implies that matrix coefficients of all irreducible, discrete series representations are $G^{\theta }$-integrable.