Gauri Savla

Hello, I am Gauri. ​ I was born in Mumbai, India, and lived there until I moved to the United States in December 2000. My pronouns are she/her. English is my first and preferred language. I am a clinical psychologist licensed to practice psychotherapy in the state of California (License Number: PSY 25907). I have a Ph.D. from the Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology at San Diego State University and the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). I also have two masters degrees in Clinical Psychology from the University of Mumbai, India and San Diego State University, respectively. I began my career in psychology in an academic research setting, before and during graduate school, and after, in the form of clinical and research fellowships at the University of California, San Francisco , UCSD, and the San Diego Veterans Health Administration System (i.e., the VA Hospital). I have worked directly with folks with a wide range of emotional and cognitive challenges in a variety of setting for 22 years. This is my seventh year in private practice. My therapeutic style is rooted in humanistic and relational gestalt traditions, which means that I will work collaboratively with you, value you as a whole human being, and celebrate (and help you celebrate) your very human imperfections. I have worked with adults with anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia both in outpatient and hospital settings, but I do not "treat" diagnoses; I work with people. I have a special interest in and extensive experience with older individuals facing aging-related challenges, such as grief and loss, physical limitations, new medical diagnoses, late-life emotional disorders, and caregiver burden, but I also have a burgeoning, successful practice with older adolescents and young adults. I have co-authored over 30 peer-reviewed articles in scientific journals and book chapters, based on my research on schizophrenia, neuropsychology, and aging, conducted at UCSD. Most of these papers are freely available via PubMed Central (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed). In my opinion, what is more important than my research experience in the current context, is that my clinical skills and expertise are the product of the tutelage, supervision, and wisdom of the many wonderful clinicians who supervised me in my training years, and with whom I have consulted and continue to consult with since I established my own practice. I continue to learn and grow via continued education, a monthly Gestalt Consultation Group, and didactic and experiential training in Gestalt Therapy via the Pacific Gestalt Institute in Los Angeles, CA. ​ When I am not working with my clients, I enjoy spending time with my loved ones, reading, writing, cooking, creating and collecting art, and curating and reviewing children's books. In the spirit of ongoing self-improvement and self-evolution, I am also in regular psychotherapy myself, and participate in various activities with my young daughter such as making art and stories, bicycling, and flying trapeze.