HOME

Dr. Mariana

Gisele

Are you looking to go beyond traditional talk therapy or pharmaceutical medications to improve your mental health? Are you ready to delve deep into the root causes of your issues rather than focusing on the symptoms?

If so, explore my website to discover how I integrate modern science with ancient wisdom practices to guide you on your healing path.

Whether you are seeking support for mental health, personal growth, or a deeper spiritual connection, my services are designed to empower and uplift you on your journey towards nurturing your mind, honoring your body, and elevating your spirit.

About Dr. Mariana

Greetings! I am trained as a Clinical Psychologist, Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, Somatic Plant Medicine Integration Practitioner, and Womb Circle Facilitator.

My healing journey began delving into my own personal trauma using traditional psychological modalities; however, after many years of actively working on healing these traumas and using the same techniques with my clients, I knew something was missing.

My deep healing really began when I was able to connect with my body with the help of Somatic Experiencing. My healing deepened when I connected with Mother Nature, plant medicine, and past life regression.

My transformation has led me to guide from the scar and not my wounds as well as interweave modern science with ancient wisdom practices to guide others to heal themselves and awaken to their authentic selves.

Professional Training

Licensed Psychologist in Texas

Doctor of Philosophy in Clinical Health Psychology, University of North Texas, 2015

Doctoral Internship in Clinical Psychology, Wilford Hall Ambulatory Surgical Center, Joint-Base San Antonio-Lackland, 2015

Bachelor of Arts, Psychology with minors in Anthropology and Sociology, Texas State University, 2008

Somatic Experiencing Practitioner by Somatic Experiencing International

Somatic Attachment Therapy by The Embody Lab

Somatic Plant Medicine Integration Practitioner by Atira Tan

Womb Circle Facilitator by Womben Wellness

Internal Family Systems Therapy by PESI

Dialectal Behavioral Therapy by PESI

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia & Nightmares by Strong Star

Cognitive Processing Therapy by Center for Deployment Psychologist

Prolonged Exposure by Center for Deployment Psychologist

Clinician Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 by Center for Deployment Psychologist

Services

Psychological Services

Holistic Psychotherapy

Veteran Evaluations

Psychological Evaluations

Note: Above psychological services can only be provided in the state of Texas (in-person if local to Abilene, TX or via zoom).

Guiding Services

Somatic Experiencing

Womb Circles

Women’s Retreats

Note: I am able to work in-person or remotely to anyone from anywhere providing the above services.

Holistic Psychotherapy

I see my role as a Clinical Psychologist akin to a sherpa (guiding and offering tools) so that you heal (climb the mountain) yourself. My role is not to “fix” you as you are not broken. Only you have the power to heal yourself. We are all meant to heal. We can learn this from nature--although a wild forrest fire may seem destructive, it actually contributes to the ecological health of the forrest. We are Nature. This is a journey we all go through. I foster an environment that allows you to “come up for air” amidst the pain. Illness is the teacher to get us back to wholeness. Symptoms alert us that we are away from the Self. It is then that we realize that life happens for us and not to us in order to guide us back to our true Self.

Through my extensive experience working with clients and engaging in my own personal inner work, I've discovered that the most effective approach to healing and embracing authentic living involves integrating the mind, body, and spirit.

A variety of psychological tools (see professional training section) are integrated to address unaligned thought processes, emotions, and behaviors that lead to inauthentic living. This may look like understanding what emotions are, how to express them, how they manifest in the body, and how to regulate yourself when undergoing a “big” emotion.

Somatic Experiencing is integrated to assist in the metabolization of survival energy in the nervous system that keeps individuals stuck in a trauma response. Understanding our nervous system and trauma responses (flight, fight, freeze, and fawn) allows for a better understanding of ourselves that empowers us to change.

Spirituality is incorporated in the process of therapy to assist with themes of meaning, purpose, sovereignty, interconnectedness, love, and more. For further spiritual guidance, I invite you to look under guiding services: Womb Circles and Women’s Retreats.

Specialties

Trauma/PTSD/Complex PTSD

Anxiety

Depression

Insomnia

Relationship issues

Adults abused/neglected as children

Women’s issues and wellness

Somatic complaints

Spirituality/Metaphysical

Racism/Discrimination

Active Duty Military/Veterans/Military Spouses

Veteran Evaluations

I served in the United States Air Force from 2014 to 2018 as a Clinical Psychologist. After my service, I began conducting Compensation and Pension Mental Health Evaluations. I have evaluated over 2,000 Veterans from all military branches with a variety of mental health conditions to include PTSD, Mood Disorders, Substance Use Disorders, and Eating Disorders.

In addition to my clinical experience, I bring firsthand knowledge gained from both serving in the military myself and being married to an Active Duty service member for over 15 years.

If you are seeking a mental health evaluation related to your military service, I can conduct an assessment that may serve as potential evidence for your condition. My evaluation aligns with the standards typically expected in a VA compensation and pension evaluation.

Psychological Evaluations

Psychological evaluations are a service provided by a Licensed Psychologist for the purposes of diagnostic clarification, development of treatment planning, measuring responses to treatment, and in some cases, determining a person’s functional capacity. It is often a useful tool during psychological intervention.

Each psychological assessment tool is specifically chosen to answer the referral question(s). The selection of assessment tools attempts to maximize the validity of the results, while minimizing time and cost. Tests must be properly administered, scored, interpreted, and then a comprehensive psychological report is written.

*I do not provide forensic or court-ordered evaluations, evaluations for children and adolescents, ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorders, or any other type of neuropsychological evaluations.

Somatic Experiencing

Somatic Experiencing (SE) is a naturalistic form of healing that will help you learn how to settle and release physiological activation from your body.

Very often this process helps people to reduce stress and return to a sense of regulation and mastery in their lives. SE will support you in learning how to attend to uncomfortable sensations in your body and gently unwind them through your conscious attention.

SE is incredibly useful in managing stress and trauma resolution because so many of the symptoms are physiological.

What does a typical SE session look like?

You will be asked to share an impression of the sensations that you feel in your body, such as tightness, heat, shakiness, expansion, relaxations, etc. I will teach you ways to track, or follow, these sensations with your awareness and come to a place of rebalance.

SE is not a form of massage. I may offer you touch support for the following reasons: grounding, containment, supportive, mobilization, or awareness building. You will always be asked before being touched and have the right and my full support to decline. If you do not feel comfortable with touch, or if the session does not call for it, session work will not include touch.

“The symptoms of trauma can be stable, that is, ever-present. They can also be unstable, meaning that they can come and go and be triggered by stress. Or they can remain hidden for decades and suddenly surface. Usually, symptoms do not occur individually, but come in groups. They often grow increasingly complex over time, becoming less and less connected with the original trauma experience.”

“The paradox of trauma is that it has both the power to destroy and the power to transform and resurrect.”

-Peter Leviene (founder of Somatic Experiencing)

Grainy Texture Background with Natural Colors

Womb Circles

A womb circle is a gathering of women focused on healing the womb through somatic techniques and sacred rituals. By nurturing the well-being of our wombs, we unlock a gateway to creativity and empowerment.

Womb Circle themes include: healing our first period story, working with and honoring our menstrual cycle (education, practices, and rituals for each phase), body image, remembering our ancient feminine wisdom, re-initiation into menarche ceremonies, and much more.

Past Women’s Retreat

Earth Goddess Retreat: Embrace Your Feminine Essence in Costa Rica at the Imiloa Institute (July 2024)

In a world where doing dominates being, mind triumphs over the body, women are divided amongst each other through competition, and nature is forgotten...

Women were invited to experiment with what it feels like to truly rest, connect deeply with their feminine energy, support other women on their journey, listen to their body, and allow themselves to be held by Mother Earth. Women were guided through somatic experiencing practices, womb circle ceremony, sensuality workshop, plant medicine ceremony, and a waterfall hike excursion.

100% of the women who attended the retreat rated their overall experience as a 10/10.

100% of the women said they would highly recommend the retreat to a friend or colleague.

100% of the women were extremely satisfied with the accommodations and facility at Imiloa Institute.

Cost for Services

15 minute Consultation Call: Free

60 minute Individual Holistic Psychotherapy Session: $220*

60 minute Somatic Experiencing Session: $220

Veteran Evaluation: $500

Psychological Evaluation: Starts at $500* (varies on referral question)

Womb Circle: $44

Women’s Retreat: Varies

*I do not accept insurance. Please contact your insurance carrier if you are able to ask for out-of-network reimbursements and I can supply you with a superbill.

Resources

Mind-Body Trauma Healing

The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk

Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma by Peter Levine

When the Body Says No by Gabor Mate

What Happened to You? by Oprah Winfrey and Bruce D. Perry

Childhood Trauma & Attachment

It Didn’t Start with you by Mark Wolynn

The Journey from Abandonment to Healing by Susan Anderson

Facing Codependece: What it is, Where it Comes from, How it Sabotages Our Lives by Pia Mellody

Silently Seduced by Kenneth Adams

Running on Empty by Jonice Webb

The Courage to Heal: A Guide for Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse by Ellen Bass & Laura Davis

Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents by Lindsay C. Gibson

Recovery of Your Inner Child by Lucia Cappacchione

Therapist Uncensored Podcast on attachment: see episodes 5, 6, 31, 59, and 60

Alternative Healing for Veterans

Herioic Path to Light: 25-week program (near Austin, Texas) incorporating plant medicine, psychotherapy, equestrian therapy, breath work, and community support.

Heroic Hearts Project: Hosts monthly retreats held in countries where psychedelics are currently legal, such as Peru, Mexico, and Jamaica. HHP offers retreats for veterans, retreats for veteran spouses, and specialized research retreats. A typical retreat is 5-7 days long and has three distinct phases: preparation, the psychedlic retreat, and integration.

Earthing