Hannah Gibson
I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. I have a gentle, affirming approach towards therapy; we will go at your pace, and you can share as much or little as you feel comfortable with. I know that starting therapy can be nerve-wracking, and it is my goal to not be the intimidating expert and to instead meet you as an equal.
First session
During our first session I will ask standard intake questions - such as family background, your friendships, etc, but I am also interested in what you do for fun and what your interests are so we can try to implement those things into treatment. I will ask you during our first session what you would like to get out of therapy, and give you a realistic idea of what that looks like.
Strengths
I am often described as calm and patient. I strive to create a supportive, non-judgmental environment. Therapy can be hard; it’s a growing experience. However, it’s not uncommon that I share quite a few laughs with my clients along the way.
Ideal clients
My ideal client is someone navigating a significant life transition and looking for steady, compassionate support along the way. This might include college students managing academic pressure and the shift toward independence, individuals processing the end of a relationship through breakup or divorce, or people exploring questions about their gender identity or sexuality. I welcome clients who are ready to examine change with curiosity, even when it feels uncertain or difficult, and who want a collaborative space to build clarity, resilience, and self-understanding as they move through this chapter of their life.
Treatment methods
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
CBT is based on a pretty simple idea: the way we think affects the way we feel, and the way we feel affects what we do. So if we can learn to notice and adjust unhelpful thinking patterns, we can often change how we feel and how we react to things. It's not about "just thinking positive" — it's more like becoming a detective about your own mind, learning to catch patterns that aren't serving you well, and building more realistic and workable ways of responding to life's challenges.
Strength-Based
Strengths-based therapy starts from a different question than a lot of traditional therapy. Instead of focusing mainly on "what's wrong" or "what's broken," it asks: "What's already working for you, and how can we build on that?" The idea is that everyone has strengths, skills, and resources — even if they're hard to see when you're going through something difficult. This might include things like your resilience, your sense of humor, your relationships, your values, or times in the past when you got through something hard. Therapy becomes a process of noticing those strengths and learning how to use them more intentionally to face current challenges.
Motivational Interviewing
Motivational interviewing is less about the therapist telling you what to change, and more about helping you figure out your own reasons for wanting to change. It's built on the idea that most people already have some motivation to change buried inside them — even if it's mixed with doubt, fear, or ambivalence — and the therapist's job is to help draw that motivation out rather than push or lecture you into it. MI is especially common for things like health behavior changes, or any situation where someone feels stuck between wanting to change and feeling unsure or resistant. It respects that you're the expert on your own life, and that lasting change tends to stick better when it comes from your own motivation rather than someone else's pressure.
Gender-affirming therapy
Gender-affirming therapy is an approach that supports you in understanding, exploring, and living as your authentic gender — rather than trying to change or "correct" who you are. It starts from the position that your gender identity is valid and worth honoring, whatever that looks like for you, whether you're questioning, exploring, transitioning, or simply wanting a space to talk through your experience without judgment.
Location
Virtual sessions
Identifies as
Top specialties
Other specialties
Doesn't specialize in
Licensed in
- CaliforniaLicense 162544