Gia Castiglia Schwarzer

Gia Castiglia Schwarzer is a California licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) with seven years of clinical experience. She helps people manage stress, anxiety, anger, depression, relationship strain, parenting challenges, and issues common to young adults. She wants clients to know they already have strengths to draw on as they make changes.

Gia believes the person in therapy knows their life best. She guides clients to find practical solutions that fit their daily routines. She uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and interpersonal ideas to help people notice unhelpful patterns and try different ways of responding.

Her training includes a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Political Science from the University of California, Irvine, and a Master of Arts in Psychology from Chapman University. She has worked in private practice and schools, and she stepped away from clinical work briefly to raise a family before returning to counseling.

In sessions she focuses on connecting a person’s strengths to the problems they face. That might look like testing a new behavior between visits, changing a thought pattern, or practicing communication skills for tense conversations. The goal is usable change that fits day-to-day life.

Gia also holds dual certification from the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association, recognized as both a Mental Health Practitioner and an Equine Specialist. She invites people to take the first step and has designed her approach to be collaborative and practical.

CBT and practical approaches for online work

Gia uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in plain terms to help people notice and change thoughts and behaviors that keep problems going. CBT is useful for anxiety, stress, depression, and anger because it breaks issues into small, testable steps people can try between sessions.

She also draws on interpersonal ideas to focus on how relationships and communication affect wellbeing. That approach helps with relationship tension, parenting challenges, and intimacy-related concerns by practicing different ways of talking and connecting.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Gia collaborates with each person to match methods to their goals and preferences. Together they try techniques, see what helps, and adjust the plan as needed.

Session formats are not specified in the biography, so confirm current options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy day, reduce travel time, or schedule brief check-ins during a work break. It can also let people choose whether to use video or another format when that option is available. Ask about formats when you schedule so sessions fit your life and needs.