Gaia Porcelli
Psychologin & Klinische Psychologin
Bilingual psychologist (English/Italian) helping expats navigate isolation, identity shifts, and the pressure to have it all figured out — using an integrative, strengths-based approach for lasting change.
Ich spezialisiere mich auf:
Über mich
I'm a clinical psychologist who has spent most of my adult life living abroad — a path that began with training as a psychologist in Italy, followed by a lifelong pull toward travel and new places. Today, I work fluently in both English and Italian, specializing in the particular challenges of building a life outside your home country.
That path has given me a firsthand understanding of what so many expats face: isolation, the erosion of self-esteem that can come with starting over, and the quiet identity shifts that happen when your usual reference points disappear. Having lived through these transitions myself, I bring both clinical training and genuine, lived empathy to this work.
My goal isn't just to help clients manage these challenges, but to help them recognize the strengths they already carry — strengths that are often obscured by the very difficulty of adapting to a new culture. Together, we work toward a life abroad that feels not just survivable, but genuinely fulfilling.
Ich spreche:
Standort:
Ansatz
My therapeutic approach has evolved over time, growing from its psychodynamic roots into something more integrative and flexible. Today, I work primarily through an ACT-informed lens, drawing also on constructivist, gender-informed, and strengths-based perspectives — but rather than following a single method, I focus on what feels most helpful for each person's specific journey.
At the heart of my work is a belief that everyone deserves a life that feels fulfilling and true to who they are, beyond labels, diagnoses, or the roles they've been expected to play. I'm particularly drawn to working with the parts of ourselves shaped by perfectionism, self-doubt, and the pressure to always have things together — helping people rediscover their sense of worth and move toward the life they actually want to build.
While understanding where pain comes from matters, I pay just as much attention to the strategies and strengths people already use to cope. These often-overlooked resources can become powerful tools for change — building resilience not from scratch, but from what's already there.
Every person's path is different, so our work together is shaped around your specific needs and pace — not a fixed protocol.
Erfahrung
Professional Experience
- Clinical Psychologist and EAP Consultant
It's Complicated, 2019 - present;
Rise Above Your Disorder, 2021- 2024;
Modern Health, 2022 - present;
Spring Health, 2026 - present;
Lyra, 2026 - present; - Integration Specialist (Nelson Mandela School, Berlin, 2022-2023)
- Co-Curricula Program Educator (Berlin Metropolitan School, 2020–2022
- Forensic Psychologist (Studio Legale Associato Forza, Venice, Italy, 2018)
- Clinical Psychologist (Penitentiary Center, ICAM, Venice, Italy, 2018; Ferrara Hospital and Drug-Addiction Day Center, 2017-2018).
Traineeships
- Gender Studies Center (Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Austria, 2017)
- Studio Scientifico Gilli e Blascovich (Venice, Italy, 2016-2017)
- Associazione Italiana Persone Down (Venice, Italy, 2013-2014)
- Fundación Catalana Personas con Parálisis Cerebral (Barcelona, Spain, 2012)
Ausbildung
Education
- BSc in Clinical and Social Psychology - University of Padova, 2015
- Erasmus Exchange: Social Psychology - Universidad Complutense, Madrid, 2015
- MSc in Clinical Psychology - University of Padova, Italy, 2017
- Erasmus Exchange: Gender Studies Department - Alpen-Adria-Universität, Austria, 2017
- Post MSc in Neuropsychology and Forensic Psychopathology - University of Padova, Italy, 2018
Additional Training and Certifications
- COVID-19: Helping Young People Manage Low Mood and Depression - University of Reading, Aug 2022
- A Global History of Sex and Gender: Bodies and Power in the Modern World - University of Glasgow, Dec 2021
- Identifying and Responding to Domestic Violence and Abuse (DVA) - Coventry University, Dec 2021
- Understanding ADHD: Current Research and Practice - King's College, Dec 2021
- Anxiety in Children and Young People during COVID-19 - University of East Anglia, Nov 2021
Leistungen
Einzelsitzung
Online session
Einzelsitzung
Couple therapy
Gruppensitzung
Versicherungen
