Gia Castiglia Schwarzer , LMFT

Gia Castiglia Schwarzer is a California-licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) with seven years of professional experience in counseling. She brings practical experience supporting people facing stress, anxiety, relationship challenges, and parenting concerns, and centers her work on the belief that each person is the expert of their own story. Gia aims to help clients identify and draw on their existing strengths to address the obstacles they are facing.

She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Political Science from U.C. Irvine and a Master of Arts in Psychology from Chapman University in Orange, California. After obtaining her license and working in psychotherapy, she took time away to raise a family before returning to clinical work. Her professional background includes roles in private practice and school settings. Gia is also dually certified through the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association - EAGALA - as both a Mental Health Practitioner and an Equine Specialist.

Her approach emphasizes collaborative exploration, guiding clients to uncover practical solutions that fit their lives. She integrates Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and Interpersonal Therapy resources to help clients recognize patterns, access hidden resources, and apply new strategies to real-life situations. Gia encourages taking the first step toward change and views that decision as an important beginning.

Therapeutic approaches and online sessions with Gia Castiglia Schwarzer

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is used to help clients notice unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and learn practical strategies to shift them. This approach is often helpful for managing stress, anxiety, mood challenges, and for building new coping skills.

Interpersonal Therapy resources focus on patterns in relationships and communication, helping clients understand how connections with others affect emotional well-being and identify concrete changes to improve interactions and support.

Gia is also trained in equine-assisted methods through EAGALA, which offers experiential work involving horses as part of learning and growth. This approach can help clients access insights and strengths through hands-on activities in appropriate settings.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process, and Gia collaborates with clients to determine which methods best match their needs, goals, and preferences. She tailors plans and adjusts techniques as work moves forward.

Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, which offer flexibility for scheduling and allow access to licensed professionals from different locations. These formats make it easier for clients to engage in consistent care while fitting therapy into busy lives.