“I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious - Albert Einstein”

MY HISTORY AND VALUES

I value human growth, relationships, and community. I see life as a journey that we can enrich every day with new learnings and experiences. Among all experiences, establishing a deep relationship with another human being is the most amazing and enriching one. I believe in the power of connections to foster our innate tendency to growth and psychological health when given the right conditions and guidance. I was lucky enough to have met people that taught me the importance of community, belonging, helping one another, and selfless acts of service to promote the well being of other fellow humans. 

I am originally from a town in Northern Italy called Valenza and I moved to beautiful San Francisco in 1999.  Before starting my journey as a Marriage and Family Therapist I worked for fifteen years as a software engineer in the Bay Area. About my previous career I loved the creativity, the team work, and the problem solving. However, my aspiration for spiritual and emotional growth, my interest for the human mind, and my desire to give back and help others never left me. Hence, in 2014 I abandoned the corporate world to pursue my master degree in Counseling Psychology. Today I could not be happier about my choice. I feel extremely privileged to be able to accompany my clients in their journey of growth and to facilitate change. It is fascinating to witness clients flourish by understanding their subjective world and providing them with the right tools and guidance.

CERTIFICATIONS

Level 3 TEAM-CBT certified therapist

 

EDUCATION

  • Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology - University of San Francisco - San Francisco, CA - 2017

  • Master of Science in Electrical Engineering - Polytechnic School of Engineering - Turin, Italy - 1999

PROFESSIONAL TRAINING

  • Compassion Focused Therapy in Practice with Dr. Russell Kolt - October 2024

  • Navigating the quest for connection: A polyvagal approach with Deb Dana - September 2024

  • Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP): Relationship, Heart, and Compassionate Behavior Change with Barbara Kohlenberg - May 2024

  • CBT for Perfectionism with Dr. David Burns and Dr. Jill Levitt - March 2024

  • Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course - 8 weeks course - September 2023 - November 2023

  • Ten days Vipassana meditation retreat as taught by S.N. Goenka, North Fork - January 2023

  • Mastering the Dance: Fluidity Integrating Self-Compassion into ACT Work with Dr. Benjamin Weinstein - October 2022

  • Motivational Interviewing Level 2 training with Steven Malcom Berg-Smith - October 2022

  • Healing Trauma with ACT with Dr. Robyn Walser - online 12 weeks course - July 2022

  • Evolving Structural Strategic Family Therapy Level2 with Dr. Keith Sutton - 5 days course - Nov 2021 - May 2022

  • Motivational Interviewing Level 1 training with Steven Malcom Berg-Smith - December 2021

  • Feedback-Enhanced ACT with Dr. Lou Lasprugato - online 12 weeks course - March 2021

  • Advanced TEAM-CBT Training Course Towards Level 3 Certification with Dr. Lorraine Wong - July 2020

  • Practical CBT methods for depression, anxiety, and unwanted habits with Dr. Jill Levitt - online six weeks course - March 2020

  • Melting away resistance in CBT with Dr. Jill Levitt - online four weeks course - February 2020

  • The heart of ACT, two days workshop with Dr. Robyn Walser - San Francisco, CA - January 2020

  • TEAM CBT weekly group with Dr. David Burns - Palo Alto, CA - September 2019 - present

  • TEAM CBT four days intensive training with Dr. David Burns - South San Francisco, CA - July 2019

  • Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) Bootcamp with Dr. Robyn Walser, Dr. Kelly Wilson, Dr. Steven C. Hayes - Emeryville, CA - February 2019

  • Externship in Emotionally Focused Therapy with Dr. Sue Johnson and Dr. Scott R. Woolley - San Diego, CA - January 2019

  • Training in Strategic Family Therapy, at Mental Research Institute with Dr. Terry SooHoo - Palo Alto, CA - 2017-2019

  • Intensive Attachment Based Cognitive Behavioral Systemic Therapy, at Institute for the Advancement of Psychotherapy with Dr. Keith Sutton - San Francisco, CA - July 2017

    • Integrative Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

    • Integrative Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy

    • Evolving Structural Strategic Family Therapy

    • Introduction to Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing

    • Introduction to Motivational Interviewing

    • Assessment and Treatment of ADHD in Adolescents and Adults

  • Facilitator Training for Peer Support Groups, at Alliance Health Project - San Francisco, CA - October 2016

  • HIV/HCV Testing and Counseling Training, Department of Public Health - San Francisco, CA - April 2014

  • Shanti Peer Support Volunteer Training - San Francisco, CA - April 2014

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS

  • California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists

  • San Francisco California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists

  • Association for Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS)

  • Northern California Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Network (NCCBT)

  • Northern California Community for Emotionally Focused Therapy (NCCEFT)

  • Bay Area Therapists Specializing in Adolescents (BATSA)

  • Association of Family Therapists of Northen California (AFTNC)

  • Gaylesta