People come to therapy for many reasons.

Therapy | Culver City & throughout the state of California

Do you feel stuck in patterns that are no longer working for you? Perhaps you've had a recent loss that you want help moving through. Or, maybe you’re seeking to more deeply embody your authentic self and examine some of life’s “big questions.”

No matter why you come to therapy, my focus is to serve as an empathetic, compassionate, and non-judgmental fellow explorer to stand by your side as you work toward your goals.

All human beings want to be seen, understood, and accepted.

Within ourselves, we all hold the capacity for healthy relationships, fulfilling lives, and a peaceful journey. But oftentimes, life doesn’t happen that way.

Therapy provides a safe and intimate space for you to work towards the life you desire. As your therapist, I take the time to get to know and understand your beliefs, experiences, dreams, and aspirations.

I aim to empower you with the tools and unwavering support to tap into your inner wisdom and experience greater joy.

My practice welcomes children (ages 8 and above), adolescents, adults of all stages in life, and couples. I approach therapy from an all-inclusive perspective, drawing from evidence-based methods rooted in Humanistic, feminist, anti-racist, person-centered, strength-based, LGBTQIA+ affirmative, and trauma-informed approaches.

I invite you to come as you are.

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While holidays can offer joy & connection, they can also be a time of stress, anxiety, & feelings of loneliness or disconnection. Here are a few ideas to help ease holiday stress. #bewellwithgina #anxiety #boundaries

It's a beautiful Friday on the first day of summer, but sometimes you just feel the way you feel. #Otis #nothavingit

May your Pride be colorful and loving! 🌈 #pride2024 #bewellwithgina #therapy #therapist #queeraffirmativetherapy

I wanted to share one of my favorite tools for couples therapy-the Softened Startup.

Research done by Dr. and Dr. Gottman shows that the first 3 minutes of a conversation is crucial in predicting how the entire interaction will go. The tools of the Softened Startup were developed to give couple's specific steps in approaching conversations with calm and respect. This helps reduce defensiveness and increase the likelihood that both partners will have their needs met while conflicts move towards resolution. We can always use a tune-up in our communication skills and these useful tools are a great place to begin.

#bewellwithgina #therapy #therapist #communication #couplestherapy #gottman

Mindful communication is rooted in intention, empathy, an open and non-judgmental stance, and an effort to be fully present. This practice is useful in all of our relationships, but is particularly useful in communication with our partner/spouse. The work isn't easy, but slowing down to allow time for these three questions helps facilitate the space and consideration needed to make a mindful shift into your heart-space.

* Is it true?
* Is it necessary?
* Is it compassionate?

#bewellwithgina #therapy #therapist #mindfulcommunication #heartspace #relationships #compassion #communication

As a proud Chicana, I wanted to kick off my celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month with a shout out to a great woman in Chicano AND American history. This year has been a reminder of the power of unions--I see you SAG-AFTRA, WGA, and UAW!

As the woman behind the man, Helen Chavez isn't always top of mind when we think of great union leaders, but she deserves to be recognized and celebrated for her impact on the movement.

She was born Helen Fabela in 1928, in California’s Imperial Valley, and raised in a converted horse barn outside McFarland while toiling in the fields. Later, she and her husband, Cesar Chavez, gave up their middle-class life in Los Angeles and moved to Delano to organize farmworkers in 1962. Quiet and humble but fiercely determined, Helen didn’t speak in public but held deep convictions.

In 1965, Cesar’s Latino union debated whether to join a grape strike begun by Filipino workers. In her quiet, no-nonsense way, Helen settled the debate by asking, “Are we a union or not?” Soon she was jailed for shouting “Huelga!” on a picket line. Helen’s schedule was punishing, rising early to make breakfast and school lunches, and joining vineyard picket lines before dawn. While caring for her family daily, she also managed the Farm Workers Credit Union for more than 25 years, loaning more than $20 million.

She was always Cesar’s strongest supporter and a surrogate mother to countless movement volunteers, cooking for their weddings and at big union events, and becoming a friend and confidant to many. What she did for her family, she did for the movement.

#bewellwithgina #therapy #therapist #latinxtherapy #hispanicheritagemonth #sisepuede

I was recently a guest on the Unfilteredd Podcast, answering listeners' questions about healing in the aftermath of narcissistic relationships. I also outlined the Tools of Manipulation, explained the Cycle of Violence, and provided practical information on healing from an abusive relationship.

You can listen at: https://tinyurl.com/polesetsky

What Are We Discussing In This Episode? : We’ll chat about why we might still feel drawn to narcissistic people after experiencing narcissistic abuse, why our bodies can start feeling sick from the stress, and how we can start to feel better and heal. Plus, we’ll give some ideas about how to handle it when narcissistic individuals try to trick others with their stories.

#bewellwithgina #narcissist #narcissisticabuse #narcissisticabusesurvivor #narcissisticabuserecovery #healing #toolsofmanipulation #cycleofviolence #trauma #traumahealing #bodykeepsthescore

July is National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month--a time to understand and reflect on the unique challenges that underrepresented groups, such as people of color and members of the LGBTQIA+ community, face when it comes to mental health, illnesses, and treatment.

This month was named in honor of Bebe Moore Campbell, a writer who addressed the profound impact of racism, mental health and the enduring strength of culture, community and connections, and the co-founder of NAMI (The National Alliance on Mental Illness) Urban Los Angeles. Campbell recognized and understood the detrimental consequences of silence rooted in stigma — one of the reasons for the lack of mental health care and treatment within communities of color.

Culturally-competent, anti-racist, and LGBTQIA+ affirmative care is essential to positive outcomes in addressing our mental health needs and is an important issue to screen for when seeking out a therapist.

#bewellwithgina #therapy #therapist #nationalminoritymentalhealthawarenessmonth #mentalhealth #antiracism #lgbtqaffirmativetherapy #intersectionality #culturalcompetence #bipoc

The following tools come in handy in all of life, but are essential when dealing with abuse. When people come to therapy to address narcissistic partners, emotionally abusive exes, or relationships, romantic or otherwise, that they just can't seem to end, even though they are unhappy; it's often time to dust off the tools of manipulation lesson to assist in understanding these patterns of behavior.

Once you know the tools of manipulation, you will see them everywhere. MOST of these tools can be used by people who mean you no harm. When a child wants ice cream, they may engage the tools of manipulation to get their wishes met. When a salesman wants to close a deal, you will often see the tools of manipulation at play. The important lesson here is to have awareness of these tools coming up in your relationships and interactions with the world. Once you see it, you get to decide how you would like to respond.

In an abusive relationship, these tools are used to control and confuse the recipient about what their needs are in any given situation. Awareness is the first step to being able to reclaim your power and your sense of self in a relationship. It puts you back in the driver's seat.

While the tools of manipulation are commonplace, the last two--The Unsolicited Promise and Discounting Your No--are almost surely a sign of someone you should watch out for. They are the "big league" of invalidations--red flags that should get your immediate attention.

When it comes to abusive relationship patterns--people who won't go away after a breakup, stalkers, abusive partners of the narcissistic, emotional, physical, and psychological varieties, toxic family members and friends--if you want to break free, you must remember that anything we say after the word "no" is a negotiation. We should never negotiate our "no."

#bewellwithgina #therapy #therapist #narcassist #narcissisticabuse #narcissistic #narcissisticabuserecovery #boundaries #noisacompletesentence #emotionalabuse #interpersonalviolence #domesticviolence #toxicrelationships #narcissisticabusesurvivor #relationships #cycleofabuse #manipulation #toolsofmanipulation #reclaimingpower

Happy Pride! Here's a brief history on the evolution of the Pride Flag. 🌈 ❤️🌈

Gilbert Baker Pride Flag: The original Pride Flag was created in 1978 after activist Harvey Milk asked artist Gilbert Baker to design a symbol of gay pride. Each color represents a different part of the LGBTQ+ community: hot pink represents sex, red symbolizes life, orange stands for healing, yellow equals sunlight, green stands for nature, turquoise symbolizes magic and art, indigo represents serenity, while violet symbolizes the spirit of LGBTQ+ people.

Traditional Pride Flag: After the assassination of Harvey Milk, the rainbow flag was in high demand. Due to manufacturing issues, the hot pink stripe was removed. The turquoise stripe was removed from the flag as a design choice from Baker. The six color pride flag has represented the community for over 40 years and is still one of the most common LGBTQ+ flags.

Philadelphia Pride Flag: The Philadelphia Pride Flag was unveiled at the city’s pride event in 2017. The Philadelphia City Council commissioned the creation of this flag as they wanted to incorporate queer communities of color that have often been overlooked in the mainstream LGBTQ+ movement. The addition of the black and brown stripes symbolize communities of color and their contribution to the movement.

Progress Pride Flag: The Progress Pride Flag evolved from the Philadelphia Pride Flag and was created by Daniel Quaser. Quasar added a white, pink, and light blue stripe to represent the Trans community. While the black and brown stripes still represented communities of color, the black stripe is also a nod the thousands of individuals that the community lost during the HIV/AIDS crisis in 1980s and 1990s. Since its creation, the flag has become very popular.

Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride Flag: The Intersex-Inclusive Progress Pride Flag adds the intersex community to the Progress Pride Flag. With this update coming in 2021, this serves as the most up-to-date LGBTQ+ flag. The flag was created by Valentino Vecchietti of Intersex Equality Rights UK.

#bewellwithgina #therapy #therapist #lgbtqiaaffirmativetherapy #lfbtqiaplus🏳️‍🌈

Avoidance is a coping mechanism that, when overused, becomes difficult to . . . well, . . . avoid.

Why? Because the pattern feeds itself as the stress increases when we avoid facing problems or decisions head-on. The more you avoid, the more stress and anxiety, and the more you may seek comfort in avoiding that tough conversation or big choice.

While we are avoiding, problems can grow bigger, and choices that we previously had available to us may no longer be accessible. Avoidance also can create high levels of frustration in relationships, leading to decreased support when it's needed most.

The first step to avoiding avoidance is to acknowledge when you are doing it and work on tolerating the unpleasant feelings that you are seeking to avoid. Coming up with new strategies for decision-making is key to learning new ways to approach difficult situations. Acceptance also plays a key role. Sometimes, there isn't a "perfect" or even "right" decision. Moving away from black and white interpretations and allowing space for flexible thinking increases our ability to accept our choices, even if they don't end with our most desired result.

#therapy #therapist #bewellwithgina #avoiding #avoidance #stress #anxiety #copingmechanism #copingstrategies #flexiblethinking #acceptance #decisionmaking

It's easy to forget in moments of difficulty, suffering, and pain, that we always have a choice in how we create intentional adaptation.

#bewellwithgina #therapy #therapist #flow #ease #belikewater

Otis has his first full day in the office today, and he can't wait to get home and put his paws up! 🐾

#bewellwithgina #therapydog #therapist #therapy

Moved into my new therapy space this weekend in downtown Culver City. It has a very soothing vibe, and I can't wait to see clients here!

#bewellwithgina #therapy #therapist

Authentic personal power isn't found in avoiding or stuffing down our unpleasant feelings, but allowing them to show up and be seen. Being open to a flow where we can experience our feelings as they come (pleasant and unpleasant) reduces anxiety and gives us space to listen to what our feelings are trying to tell us. So, yeah, it's ok to fall apart. It's ok to be human. It's ok to just . . . be.

#bewellwithgina #therapy #therapist #fallingapart #feelingourfeelings #authenticity #flow #comeasyouare

Rest is such an essential part of our mental health, in addition to our physical health. When society tells us to push forward and keep grinding, it's a nice reminder that taking time to rest, dream, imagine, and just BE is something we all need and inherently deserve.

Rest can look like saying no to overscheduling, holding boundaries in relationships that tax your energy, taking time to serve your interests and passions, treating yourself to nurturing experiences, and even just taking a nap.

I highly recommend Tricia Hersey's manifesto, Rest Is Resistance. It's a message we all need to hear.

#BeWellWithGina #therapy #therapist #restisresistance #grindculture #dream #rest #replenish #triciahersey

This is a beautiful reminder as we begin a new year that much of the path to peace is built in accepting the things we cannot change and focusing on what is in our control. When the gales of external forces start pushing against us, it's powerful to drop an anchor and refocus on value-oriented actions.

#BeWellWithGina #therapy #therapist #acceptanceandcommitmenttherapy #control #peace #centering #droppinganchor

Depression is a sneaky illness. It hides in the shadows and catches people off guard. This is a particularly difficult time of year for so many--high expectations, high stress, money flying out the door, family tensions and pressures. We don't always know when someone is really hurting. I adored tWitch. The way he smiled and moved his body kept me connected to my own joy every time I saw him. I'm thinking about his family as they process this incredible loss. If you're struggling with dark thoughts or feel the tidal waves of sadness coming over you, please reach out and tell someone. If you don't feel you can share with a friend or family member, you can always call a crisis line 24 hours a day by dialing 988. It's confidential and always available.

#BeWellWithGina #therapy #therapist #suicideprevention #988 #depression #helpisavailable

I had a goal to read 50 books this year. I am currently on 48 and it felt possible, but I then realized that I somehow skipped a number on my list and I'm actually on 47. . . . So this year I get to practice letting go of my perfect and embracing the warm hug of good enough.

#BeWellWithGina #therapy #therapist #goodenough #perfectionism #lettinggo #lettinggoofcontrol

The journey to peace begins within our own heart. Self-compassion is an essential tool to do good for others.
🤍🕊🤍

#BeWellWithGina #therapy #therapist #selfcompassion #lovingkindness #thichnhathanh

Had any JOMO lately? You know, . . . not pushing yourself to do things that don't meet your current needs, and engaging in activities that feel good and soothe your soul. It's a thing. ❤️Antonym: FOMO

#bewellwithgina #therapist #therapy #jomo #fomo #selfcare

Boundaries be like . . . .

They are best set early in a relationship and reinforced as needed. We all deserve to have our boundaries respected, and can tune into these needs by listening to our bodies. A somatic response like a knot in the throat, a drop in the stomach, or a tightness in the chest (to name a few), can be your nervous system's way of asking you to pay attention to your comfort level in a situation. That is your chance to tune in and, then, decide what your next best action is.

#BeWellWithGina #therapy #therapist #boundaries #intuition #respect #noisacompletesentence

Therapy is a tool to take something that feels unmanageable and begin to find a path forward.

#BeWellWithGina #therapy #therapist #feelings #unmanageable #Humanist #fredrogers

In trying moments, when it is the most difficult to hold our experience with mindfulness and compassion, it is the more powerful to do just that. "Dear one, I am here for you."

#BeWellWithGina #therapy #therapist #thichnhathanh #mindfulness #compassion #depression #anger #despair #hope #mantra

I was featured in Women's Health this week on the topic of how to spot a covert narcissist.

The article highlights the traits of a covert narcissist, how they differ from an overt narcissist, and how to protect yourself or get out of a relationship with a narcissist.

You can check out the article here (link in my bio): https://www.womenshealthmag.com/life/a40784118/covert-narcissist-signs/

#BeWellWithGina #therapy #therapist #victimmentality #narcissist #narcissisticabuse #narcissism #narcissisticabuserecovery #covertnarcissist #overtnarcissist #dating #relationships

Validation is a basic human need. The loving act of radical compassion is centered on validation, and it's a gift we can give to ourselves as well as to others.

#BeWellWithGina #validation #heartspace #compassion #radicalcompassion #selflove #therapy #therapist

Dropping Anchor is a grounding technique designed to help shift from a state of anxious grind, depressive feelings, difficult thoughts, chronic pain, or rumination, and back into the present moment.

Start by acknowledging your thoughts, feelings, physical sensations--whatever is showing up for you. Invite your noticing to be non-judgmental, compassionate, and curious.

Come back into your body. You can do this by noticing the connection of your feet to the earth, shrugging your shoulders, focusing on your breath, or gently stretching. This step isn't designed to distract from your thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations, but to notice that they are all contained within your body. In this step, our focus expands from being dominated by thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations to include an awareness of what we can control-- movement, breath, and physical engagement with the world.

Engage with the world around you. What do you hear? See? Smell? With this energy, refocus on the task or activity in front of you. If you are in conversation, refocus on what is being said.

Dropping an anchor doesn't negate the thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations, but it steadies the ship and gives some space to re-engage with life.

#BeWellWithGina #therapy #therapist #groundingtechnique #groundingtechniques #droppinganchor #anxiety #depression #rumination #chronicpain #engage #grounding #centering

I was featured in Women's Health today on the topic of narcissistic abuse recovery. The article does a great job of outlining ways that you can identify a narcissistic relationship and what to do if you are ready to get out.

This issue is prevalent in relationships of all types--romantic, work, family, friends--and can leave the impacted person feeling trapped, but there is hope and a path to recovery.

You can check out the article here: https://www.womenshealthmag.com/life/a40532993/what-is-a-narcissist-signs/

#bewellwithgina #therapy #therapist #narcissisticabuse #narcissist #narcissism #recovery #hope

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People come to therapy for many reasons.

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Therapy | Culver City & throughout the state of California

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Follow us on Instagram