Approach to Therapy:

Gia specializes in working with children, teens and adults who struggle with anxiety, OCD, and anxiety related disorders.  She is comfortable working with all types of anxiety disorders and OCD as well as other disorders that often are associated with anxiety and OCD (i.e., depression, ADHD, hairpulling) She believes in developing a very individualized and collaborative treatment plan for each client. She also believes in the importance of developing a strong and trusting relationship in which the individual is the expert on their symptoms, and she is there to guide them through the treatment process.  She begins every relationship with a thorough assessment in which she identifies symptoms, concerns, and maintaining factors in order to create an effective treatment plan focused on the client’s goals & values. Depending on the client’s needs, Gia incorporates various evidence-based modalities including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Exposure and Response Prevention, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy.  In treatment, she will help clients build awareness, identify and adapt stuck thoughts and learn strategies in order to tolerate anxiety and discomfort.  She incorporates clients’ support systems by collaborating with family, friends, school, and other treatment providers to help support the process along the way.

Experience and Training:

Gia earned her bachelor’s degree in Communication from the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) & then obtained her master’s degree at Lewis University while graduating with a School Counseling Degree in combination with the Licensed Professional Counseling (LPC) track. Prior to joining The OCD & Anxiety Center, she worked in an intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization program working with adolescents struggling with anxiety, depression & OCD.  She often utilizes exposure-based therapy, and is able to provide treatment both in the office and in real-life situations where patients feel the most anxiety. She is a member of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America and the International OCD Foundation.  She dedicates her career to continuing the learning process and attends many trainings and conferences related to OCD, anxiety, and related disorders.

More About Gia

Gia is originally from Chicago and was born in the northwest suburbs. She has a big family and enjoys being with them in her spare time. She also loves spending time with her dog who is a boxer named Brutus. She enjoys going to yoga, going for long walks with her dog, biking, the beach, and being outdoors as much as she can if the weather is nice!