Works with
- Anger
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Grief
- Parenting issues
- Self esteem
How Gia works
Practical facts
- Credentials
- LMFT
- Licensed in
- California
- Years in practice
- 7
- Languages
- English
- Session format
- Online, through our partner platform
About Gia
Gia Castiglia Schwarzer is a California licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) with seven years of clinical experience. She focuses on stress, anxiety, relationship concerns, parenting strain, anger, grief, and the everyday difficulties young adults face. Gia centers sessions on the client's own knowledge of their life and strengths.
Gia uses a collaborative style that helps people notice what already works for them. She combines practical tools from cognitive behavioral therapy with attention to how relationships and daily routines affect mood and behavior.
Background and approach
Conversations aim to connect your strengths to the problems you want to change. Her background includes a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Political Science from the University of California, Irvine. She earned a Master of Arts in Psychology from Chapman University in Orange, California.
After earning her license she worked in independent practice and in school settings. Gia also trained through the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association as both a mental health practitioner and an equine specialist. That experience informs her attention to embodied, real-world ways of learning and practicing new skills.
In sessions she helps people reduce reactivity, try new coping strategies, and repair strained interactions. The focus is practical steps you can use between sessions, with attention to how emotions show up in your relationships and daily life. She encourages people who are ready to take a first step to reach out and begin the matching process.
The work is paced to fit your goals and the changes you want to make.
What Gia works with
Everything Gia lists, in the therapist's own terms. Anger is the reason this directory exists; the rest tells you what usually sits alongside it in Gia's practice.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Grief
- Parenting issues
- Self esteem
- Addictions
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
- Intimacy-related issues
- Anger management
- Depression
- Coping with life changes
- Compassion fatigue
- Young adult issues
Approaches Gia lists
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
CBT-informed care and flexible online sessions
Gia uses cognitive behavioral therapy to help people notice patterns of thoughts and behaviors that keep problems going. CBT breaks those patterns into small, manageable steps and teaches practical skills for reducing anxiety, anger, and low mood. It is useful when someone wants clear techniques to try between sessions.Her collaborative approach means the therapist and client work together to find what fits best. Goals, preferences, and life demands shape whether CBT techniques are emphasized or adapted. Gia will help choose methods that match each person's needs and pace.
Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to make therapy more accessible. Video is good for in-depth conversation and nonverbal cues, phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited, live chat suits quicker check-ins, and messaging works well for brief updates or when scheduling is tight. These options give flexibility to fit therapy into work, school, or family routines.
Questions people ask about Gia
What concerns does this therapist address?
Gia supports people with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, relationship strain, parenting challenges, anger, addictions, self-esteem, trauma and abuse, intimacy issues, compassion fatigue, and young adult concerns.
What is her therapeutic style like?
She uses a collaborative, strengths-based approach and includes cognitive behavioral therapy tools to help people change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors.
How long has she been practicing?
Gia has seven years of professional experience working in independent practice and school settings.
What credentials and region are listed?
She is a California licensed Marriage and Family Therapist - LMFT - practicing in California.
Which languages are offered and are international clients supported?
Sessions are offered in English, and she is not accepting international clients at this time.
What session formats are available?
Sessions can be conducted via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging.
How does payment and cost work?
Cost varies with location and the subscription model used; sessions are provided through a cancellable subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with this therapist?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule sessions according to the therapist's availability.