Gigi is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW #76527) with over a decade of experience as a trauma specialist. She earned her degrees from the University of California, Berkeley, and California State University, and is the founder of Bodhicitta Therapy and Mindfulness. For more than ten years, Gigi has provided evidence-based treatment to help individuals reduce the impact of trauma, depression, anxiety, PTSD, sexual trauma, grief, and betrayal.
A retired United States Air Force Veteran with 20 years of service, Gigi brings a deep understanding of the unique challenges faced by service members, Veterans, and their families. She currently serves as a Specialty PTSD Clinic Team Lead at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System, where she has also held roles as Military Sexual Trauma Co-Coordinator and as the system’s first leading Telehealth provider (2016–2017). Her expertise in trauma-informed care has helped shape national guidelines for clinicians delivering Telehealth services. She has also contributed to research collaborations, including work with Stanford University’s Etkin Lab on the neural basis of emotional disorders and their treatment.
When embarking on the journey of healing and self-growth, expertise matters. Gigi is not simply a therapist who uses therapy modalities—she is certified at the highest professional levels in each approach she offers. She is EMDRIA-Certified in EMDR, ensuring trauma-informed care delivered with depth and precision. As an IMTA-Certified Mindfulness Teacher Professional, she brings internationally recognized expertise in mindfulness-based practice. In addition, she holds specialized certifications through the Department of Defense (DOD)/Department of Veterans Affairs in the most rigorous, evidence-based trauma treatments available today, including Prolonged Exposure (PE), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), as well as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).
When working with Gigi, clients are not just receiving therapy modalities—they are receiving care from a clinician who has met rigorous standards of supervision, advanced training, and demonstrated clinical competency, all in service of creating meaningful and lasting change.
Passionate about helping others connect more deeply with their inner world, Gigi integrates mindfulness into both her personal life and clinical practice. As a certified mindfulness teacher through the Mindfulness Training Institute (MTI) and the International Mindfulness Teachers Association (IMTA), she offers training and guidance for individuals and groups seeking to cultivate awareness, resilience, and healing. Rooted in her belief that knowledge is power, Gigi’s therapeutic approach emphasizes psychoeducation, mindfulness practice, and self-awareness as pathways to insight, growth, and the reduction of suffering.