- CBT techniques
- Grief and loss
- Parenting concerns
About Gia
Gia Castiglia Schwarzer is a California licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) with seven years of clinical experience. She works with people facing stress, anxiety, relationship and parenting challenges, and she lists young adult issues among her focus areas. Gia uses clear, practical techniques to help clients navigate life changes and everyday pressures.
Gia earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Political Science from U.C. Irvine and a Master of Arts in Psychology from Chapman University. After gaining clinical experience and licensure, she took time away to have a family and later returned to counseling. Her background includes work in private practice and in school settings.
Her approach centers on the client as the expert in their own life. Sessions focus on identifying strengths the person already has and turning those into workable strategies. Gia includes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques to spot unhelpful thinking patterns and try small, manageable behavioral changes.
She also draws on interpersonal methods to help with communication and relationship patterns. Practical exercises and straightforward conversation are common in sessions. The aim is to connect internal resources to the everyday situations that cause stress or hold people back.
Gia is comfortable guiding people through grief, addiction concerns, intimacy-related struggles, anger, depression, trauma and family conflict. She emphasizes step-by-step work and concrete next steps so progress is visible and manageable.
Young adults dealing with first jobs, school transitions, relationship shifts or questions of identity may find the focus relevant. To begin, people are asked to complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule a first session.
How Gia Uses CBT Online and What to Expect
Gia uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice thoughts that increase anxiety or low mood and to try small, practical behavior changes. CBT sessions often include tracking patterns, testing new behaviors, and practicing skills between meetings to see what helps in daily life.She also uses interpersonal ideas to address relationship patterns and communication problems. Those methods look at how interactions with others affect mood and help people try different ways of relating to improve connections and reduce conflict.
Choosing the right approach is collaborative. The therapist will work with the client to identify goals, try methods that match those goals, and adjust techniques based on what is helpful. Clients are involved in picking exercises and deciding on the pace of work.
The biography does not list specific online formats. Confirm the session options before booking so you know how meetings are scheduled and delivered. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule, require less travel time, and allow for shorter check-ins when needed. Licensed professionals can help arrange timing that fits school, work, or family responsibilities without promising a particular format.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
7+ years
Listed in
California
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she work with?
She helps people with stress, anxiety, relationship and parenting issues, plus grief, addiction, anger and depression. Young adult issues are listed as an additional focus area.
What is her therapeutic style like?
She treats clients as the experts on their own lives and uses practical exercises. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is part of her approach to change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors.
How much experience does she have?
She has seven years of professional experience working in private practice and school settings.
What are her credentials and location?
She is a California LMFT and practices in California.
Does she conduct sessions in other languages or accept international clients?
Sessions are offered in English. She is not currently accepting international clients.
What formats are used for sessions?
The original biography does not specify session formats. Confirm current session options before booking.
How does cost and billing work?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Online talk therapy through BetterHelp is for adults aged 18 and over and is not emergency care. If you are in danger, use the emergency numbers. Find someone else by name.