I am a Psychologist registered with the Lombardia Regional Council of Psychologists. I was awarded an MA in Mental Health Counselling from Palo Alto University (CA, USA); I have practiced both in Italy and internationally in various scenarios, from corporate psychology to private practice and school environments. My areas of expertise are children, adolescents and their families, however my clientele will often span generations from children to adults. I’ve spent a significant part of my career in Shanghai, China, where I practiced within the expat community, with a unique focus on cultural and inter-generational relationships.
During my time overseas, I collaborated with an international school and held the position of an onsite school counselor: I assisted both students and parents. As a psychologist practicing with an international clinic, I’m exceptionally well-versed in the challenges people may face when living in a new culture. I have extensive online therapy experience, as result of China’s vast territory and the requirements to reach patients located outside of Shanghai; I’ve also collaborated with the no-profit organisation, ‘Life Line Shanghai’, which offered phone counselling for multiple mental health issues affecting the expat community.
My areas of specialty include mood disorders, including anxiety or depression, panic attacks and behavioral issues, anger and communication, parenting guidance and relational issues, inside the family or within the couple, lifespan crisis, including newborn parents, post-partum depression, cultural adjustment, and work-related crisis.
I agree with Carl Rogers, the founder of Humanistic psychology, when he says that for a person to grow, it’s important to live within an environment that provides genuine (openness and self-disclosure), acceptance (being seen with unconditional positive regards) and empathy (being listened to and understood). These three pillars are uppermost when I meet a prospective client, during an initial session, and right through until a final appointment.
For a person to overcome temporary challenges and impasses, it’s crucial to occupy a safe space and time where he/she could process his/her needs and desires, in order to be able to gather their strengths and to make plans on how to move forward. My typical integrated approach combines techniques from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Narrative Therapy. This entails an initial period listening to a client’s stories, identifying recurrent themes and key words that may indicate telling events in his/her life. Moreover, I aim to utilize CBT techniques, to focus on thinking patterns and possible thinking distortions that are very common to us all, yet which may become heightened by particular and specific events. After establishing our therapy goals, I value the importance of offering a client a “take-home” thought from our sessions, highlighting the valuable work completed during our time together, and underlining the improvements achieved in between sessions as our learnings are applied to a client’s everyday life.
I like to envisage therapy (and life in general) as a ladder: sometimes a destination may appear far and unreachable, the ladder may seem steep and unstable, but by taking one step at a time, a therapist holds the ladder steady, encouraging you to climb higher than you may have thought possible.
During my spare time, I’m a big advocate for spending as much time as possible outdoors with family and friends. Skiing or hiking are just a few of my many passions, and I’ve enjoyed sport in its many forms ever since childhood. That said, I never say “No” to a good book or a new art exhibition, or even a painting class, when the opportunity presents itself.
I am an English-speaking Counsellor and Psychologist in Milan specialised in psychological therapies for children, teenagers, adults, couples and families.
Overall
I cannot say enough positive words about Elisabetta. She is perfect for my needs. She is professional, yet very personable and has outstanding insights. She has been extremely helpful in sorting out problems and prioritizing solutions and assisting along the way with Cognitive Behavior Therapy.
