Claudia Gahagan, LMSW, SEP
Claudia (she/her) is dedicated to working with adults, honoring the diversity and individuality of each client within the clinical space. She believes that the therapeutic alliance is crucial to the healing process, significantly influencing treatment outcomes. In her practice, she provides a safe and open environment where clients can express themselves freely and explore their thoughts and emotions.
Claudia works with individuals navigating challenges such as trauma, substance abuse, anxiety, depression, PTSD, chronic illness, grief, and loss. She is particularly passionate about helping those who feel stuck or frustrated with their mental health journey or the broader mental health system. Special areas of interest include PTSD and complex trauma, relationship dynamics and attachment issues, self-esteem and identity concerns, neurodiversity, and chronic illness.
In her approach, Claudia integrates work with the nervous system alongside exploring clients' thoughts, beliefs, and life narratives. This holistic method helps clients move from survival mode to a state of thriving. She is committed to providing identity-affirming and anti-oppressive care, ensuring that therapy is accessible to all.
Through evidence-based modalities such as motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, Somatic Experiencing, and compassion-focused therapy, Claudia helps clients build somatic awareness, gain perspective, and cultivate self-acceptance. Her therapeutic process also involves teaching concrete coping tools to increase awareness, decrease reactivity, and build emotional regulation.
Claudia is a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, certified in Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy, and has completed Dr. Abi Blakeslee’s Implicit Psychotherapy training. She views therapy as an educational journey—one that involves learning how healing takes place, how to manage emotions like anger, how to foster deep personal relationships, and how to grow from life's challenges. Her ultimate goal is to empower clients to find their own answers and navigate the complexities of society without internalizing its toxic aspects.
She holds a BA in Psychology from California State University and an MSW from Fordham University, with extensive fieldwork experience in crisis intervention, trauma, and case management. She is passionate about serving her community and actively advocates for those in need.
