Pacifico Gonzaga, Ph.D.

About Me

I believe therapy creates a unique opportunity for many people to heal and grow. I feel privileged to walk with others through this process. I beliefef that individual’s are experts in their own lives, and my role is to be an additional source of support, expertise, and perspective.

I work with each person with the hope that they will feel empowered to pursue a rich and meaningful life, accepting and navigating challenges and stresses that may come. While therapy can lead to great moments of joy and progress, it can also require facing difficult and painful aspects of our past and present. To best work through the highs and lows of the therapy process, I seek to create a warm, supportive and relaxed therapeutic relationship where people feel cared about as a whole person, not just a client with a presenting issue.

More About My Practice

I approach therapy primarily from an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) perspective. This approach works to increase individual’s ability to be present in the moment, open up to various life experiences and let go of old ones, and take actions guided by their core values. However, I draw upon and integrate other approaches as needed based on my clients’ specific needs, desires, and identities. Because I work to contextualize my work to each client, therapy with me can unfold quite differently from client to client.

My Specialties

I enjoy working with a wide variety of adults in individual and group therapy to address diverse issues across their lifespan. I specialize in supporting individuals with anxiety, depression, trauma, adjustment concerns, identity-based concerns, spiritual concerns, and transitions in life. I have had advanced training in helping others heal from trauma including Trauma Focused CBT (TF-CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and Progressive Exposure (PE). I also have the lived life experience of a multicultural, biracial, second-generation immigrant, an invaluable asset in supporting clients with concerns related to culture, race, belonging, and identity.

My past clients have included veterans addressing trauma and moral injury, working class individuals dealing with financial and life stress, members of the LGBTQIA+ community wrestling with experiences of discrimination, and people of color processing identity-related issues.

Education and Career Background

·       Ph.D. In Counseling Psychology from the University of Louisville

·       Doctoral Intern – VA Maine Healthcare System

·       M.A. in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary

·       B.A. in Biblical Studies from Trinity Western University