Education
- University of San Diego: M.S., Marriage and Family Therapy
Detailed Experience
Mental Health
Gabrielle has a wide array of experience in the mental health field. She worked at the Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Center for two years, answering the crisis line and assisting walk in clients. She also worked with children at the 1736 Family Crisis Center, providing psycho-education, and trauma centered recovery activities.
Gabrielle has been assisting clients appropriately handle stressful situations for the past several years. She has found that something that seems as simple as stress management is often one of the most difficult issues that almost everyone struggles with. Gabrielle has written several articles that pertain to understanding stress, the moods that come as a result of it, and releasing it.
Gabrielle previously worked at an intensive outpatient rehabilitation center for adolescents struggling with addiction. She worked in a family-based model where parents and siblings were incorporated into the treatment plan. She found that many parents were also working through their own addiction. Gabrielle also ran several groups on a weekly basis that focused on strengthening family communication, bonding and appropriate coping skills.
Pregnancy
For the past several years, Gabrielle has worked with women who have experienced difficult pregnancies, pregnancy-related mental health issues, and postpartum depression. She typically uses a combination of equine assisted psychotherapy, along with traditional therapeutic methods to help these women improve insight, decrease symptoms, and establish healthy mental hygiene.
Sleep Disorders
Gabrielle has experience treating people who have insomnia and parasomnia disorders, specifically night terrors, nightmares, and bedwetting. She works with a wide age range, from toddlers to the elderly. In her experience, these sleep disorders are often comorbid with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
Relationships
Gabrielle has had extensive experience working with couples of all ages on improving their relationships. She also enjoys working with individuals on tapping into their own needs, identifying red flags when it comes to dating, and attracting healthy partners. She has really enjoyed assisting those who have experienced a previous sexual assault recover and reconnect with their loving partners.
Divorce
Throughout her time in the mental health field, Gabrielle has assisted adults in co-parenting after a divorce, processing divorce with children, and maintaining appropriate boundaries after a divorce. Gabrielle has also worked with children individually after a divorce has occurred, helping them express their emotions, processing their understanding of the situation, and easing into the shifted family dynamic.
Death and Dying
Gabrielle has worked with individuals, couples and families on preparing for the death of a loved one and the grieving process. This work has taken place at her office, or at the ranch where clients can process their emotions with her horses. Gabrielle also ran several equine assisted psychotherapy groups that focused on grief and loss.
Horses
Gabrielle owns two rescue Mustangs who she spent several years training, with the help of her husband. These horses were rescued from a neglect situation and were essentially untouched by humans for the majority of their lives. They have spent the last few years as therapeutic horses helping Gabrielle's clients at her private practice. They are now retired and spend their days eating, playing, and enjoying their life as senior horses.
Cheerleading
Gabrielle is a former head cheerleader and enjoyed supporting her high school's football team. One of her favorite aspects of leading a cheer squad was teaching cheers and dance routines in an one on one setting.