Have you ever felt alone in the world? Have you ever felt misunderstood or like your voice is going unheard? Well, I’m here to tell you that you’re not alone in experiencing these feelings. My name is Gabriella, and I am a second-year master's degree student in the Mental Health Counseling program at City College of New York. I also received a BA in Psychology and in Social Sciences Interdisciplinary with an Early Childhood concentration, and a minor in Criminology from the University at Buffalo. I identify as a queer, cisgender, mixed-race black woman.
In session, we will work together to implement techniques that will help you better self-regulate your emotions, adapt to living with a psychological disorder, or improve your day-to-day functioning. We will work to create tools for you that help you to tackle new stressors and experiences. The techniques we implement will be individualized so as to best fit you. This may include self-care, mindfulness and grounding techniques among others. In session we may also explore traumatic experiences of the past or present, childhood experiences or current experiences that may be affecting your day-to-day functioning.
My therapeutic approach is grounded in the psychodynamic and CBT theories coupled with a trauma-informed approach. I utilize interventions from certain theories that may best fit the client and their therapeutic goals for a more individualized approach. I hope to create a safe sanctuary for each and every client so that they may feel heard, seen and understood. I want my clients to feel as though they have power and control in their therapeutic journey and in their healing. We will be a team and work through each session as one.
My overall career focus is to bring accessible and affordable mental health care and other resources to BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ communities. My focus areas include trauma, grief, anxiety and depression, autism spectrum disorders, borderline personality disorder, relationships and families, major life changes and transitions, LGBTQIA+, and identity and finding oneself. I hope to eventually open up my own private practice along with being a forensic evaluator when time allows. I hope to also be able to expand to behavioral clinic where the underprivileged who lack access, may have access to a variety of mental health practitioners and interventions.
