New to Grow
Hi, I'm Gioia (Sounds like "Joya"), and welcome. It may have taken courage to find yourself here, so well done, you. I am a Board Certified Art Therapist (ATR-BC) and Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) who is flexible, affirming and joyful. I seek to find the potential in all things - even the hard, dark stuff. My own lived experience with neurodivergence and chronic illness greatly inform my practice. I use a compassionate, person-centered approach that is solution focused; I seek to incorporate creativity, mind-body connection, and unconditional positive regard in our work together. One can expect to gain psychoeducation, coping skills, and distress tolerance skills to meet one's goals and reach the place one hopes to be. It is my goal to create a space for individuals that is laid back, safe, silly, and affirming so that clients may show up as their full, authentic self. I hope that one leaves our sessions feeling grounded, witnessed, and a lot less alone.
In a first session with clients, I seek to establish a space of safety and potential. Through gentle inquiry, the goal is to learn what has brought the client to therapy in their own words, the tools they have been using to get through the motions of life, and what one might be hoping to accomplish in our therapeutic work together. We'll take care of some initial paperwork and hopefully share a laugh or two. I hope the individual leaves the session feeling curious, witnessed, and ready to return next time.
I seek to practice flexibility and play in my therapeutic approach; I begin all of my sessions with a silly check-in question to set clients at ease and offer an opportunity to gently transition into therapy. I practice careful, active listening and thoughtful inquiry to generate direct, honest feedback for clients. I seek to implement humor from time to time to ease distress and affirm those with whom I work, and I hope to instill in clients the knowledge that they are the experts in their lives. I am here to assist clients as they reclaim parts of themselves that have been shamed, ignored, etc., to build a more holistic relationship with themselves and the world. I am a uniquely flexible and gritty clinician who can pivot smoothly and simply, and I am capable of supporting clients through their joyful peaks and their grim valleys.
My ideal client is curious, open minded, receptive to feedback, and maybe more than a little misunderstood. With compassion and humor, I seek to meet clients where they are in their journey and work with them in their personal growth and expansion. I have worked with clients who have many unique needs, including but not limited to depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, BPD, low self esteem, past trauma, life transitions, grief and loss, and relationship challenges. I will always do my best to check judgment at the door in favor of bringing grace and kindness on in.
Other specialties
I identify as
Mind-body approach
Art Therapy is a form of psychotherapy that incorporates art making with traditional talk therapy. I’m an Art Therapist first, which means we can take difficult topics and break them down into metaphors, physical actions, and representations outside the body so you can learn to explore things while feeling safe and reducing harm. I am here to help you gain insight into you, whatever that looks like. As a queer person and clinician, I also seek to practice affirming, compassionate care so that clients might lead lives that are more safe and authentic for one's true self. I recognize the harmful impact created by systems of oppression, and I understand that the impact upon an individual varies based on one's intersectional identities and lived experiences.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
I implement DBT to support clients as they broaden their distress tolerance window and form better relationships with feelings, memories, behaviors, relationships, etc.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I implement CBT to support reframe negative thinking into neutral statements first, so that they might become less distressing and easier to tolerate and accept. I will support you in reduction of negative thinking patterns overall and will help you identify how your thoughts effect your actions.
Acceptance and commitment (ACT)
I utilize ACT to support you in identifying your values, and thinking about how you can live within those values to encourage building satisfaction and joy in daily life. I will support you in working on the things you can change, and accepting the things that are outside of your control.
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
I implement IFS and "Parts Work" to support you as you explore your system through the framework of different “parts” of you that may have competing needs or protective roles.