Dr. Deborah Gioia-Hasick

Dr. Deborah Gioia-Hasick uses client-centered methods to guide people toward clearer choices and more satisfying work lives. She combines practical skills with listening that helps people name what matters. Her approach is warm and direct, and she focuses on career concerns alongside stress, anxiety, and life transitions.

She has worked in mental health since earning a Master of Social Work in 1981 and later completed a PhD in 2000. Early in her career she supported teens and emerging adults. For 18 years she worked with young adults who had serious mental illness and their family supports, leading groups and multi-family meetings focused on symptom management and communication skills.

Her teaching career began in 2001, and she now teaches master’s and PhD students clinical and research methods. Those clinical courses include hands-on work with cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, and mindfulness-based stress reduction. Motivational interviewing is central to her way of beginning difficult work with clients.

She pursued additional training in sexual health and sex therapy at UCLA and has provided couples counseling through that program. More recently she has studied climate-focused trauma and resiliency and is interested in helping people affected by climate-related stress.

Her background includes long experience with mood disorders, trauma, eating and intimacy-related issues, and workplace problems. She brings 37 years of practice to sessions and helps people clarify goals, practice new skills, and make steady changes.

How her approaches can work for online sessions

Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and helping a person set their own goals. It is useful when someone needs a supportive space to sort out career decisions, relationship questions, or life changes.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) teaches practical skills to shift unhelpful thinking and behavior. It often helps with anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and workplace stress by giving concrete tools and exercises to practice between sessions.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) emphasizes emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and communication skills. It can be especially helpful for intense mood swings, panic, and relationship conflicts by offering step-by-step strategies to manage strong feelings.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will use motivational interviewing to learn what matters to the client and then recommend CBT, DBT, mindfulness, or a mix that fits each person's goals and preferences. This is a collaborative process that adapts over time.

Confirm current session formats before booking, as the biography does not list specific online options. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce commute time. Discuss scheduling and preferred session rhythms during the initial match so the plan fits everyday life.