Meet the Polaris Wellness Team

Colorado Springs Location:

Headshot for Ariana Gioia Colorado Springs Therapist

Ariana Winn-Gioia

Co-Founder

LPC-S, NCC, CCTP

She / Her / Hers

Ariana Gioia is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional based in Colorado Springs, CO. She specializes in complex trauma, codependency, issues faced by women, anxiety, OCD, grief, relationship issues, and adjustment difficulties. Ariana’s clients describe her as easy to talk to, non-judgmental, validating, and empathetic.

Ariana cares deeply for working with survivors of suicide and those who have lost a loved one to drug overdose. Surviving this type of loss is not only devastating but is often misunderstood and invalidated by those who do not know this type of complicated grief. Additionally, Ariana understands how parenthood can strain relationships and impact shifts in identity and values throughout the course of a lifetime. She enjoys working with clients adjusting to the challenges and changes associated with parenthood.

Many of Ariana’s clients seek therapy to address unresolved complex traumas and grief. These experiences negatively impact their functioning and relationships, resulting in anxiety, depression, shame, or codependency. She is dedicated to helping clients heal from past experiences, rebuild self-worth, and find happiness and meaning.

Ariana utilizes techniques such as EMDR, Ego State/Parts Work, and CBT. She practices a trauma-informed, attachment-based, client-centered, and emotionally-focused approach with her clients. She helps clients develop awareness and understanding of the impact of their beliefs about themselves and others, and their patterns of personal and interpersonal behaviors.

Through insight, deeper connection, and compassion for themselves, clients are able to heal past wounds and create meaningful and lasting change in their lives and relationships.

headshot for Colorado Springs Therapist Sarah Roberts

Sarah Roberts

Co-Founder

LCSW, LISW-CP-S

She / Her / Hers

Sarah Roberts is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker based in Colorado Springs, CO, and is licensed to work with clients in both Colorado and South Carolina. She specializes in working with women, major life transitions, trauma, fertility and family building, anxiety, depression, and grief and loss. Clients have described Sarah as supportive, non-judgmental, relatable, and reliable.

Sarah’s passion is to see individuals foster and build upon their inner strength and overcome incredible obstacles. Therapy will be beneficial to most individuals at some point in their lives; however, Sarah takes a holistic approach to healing and enjoys incorporating other wellness modalities and services into her work. Integrating referrals for nutrition counseling, medication management, body and energy work, as well as being intentional with physical movement can easily be included if those are areas a client would like to explore.

Sarah’s clients are often struggling with potential life changes such as career moves, marriage, divorce, major lifestyle shifts, or relocation. Clients may also be those who have experienced a recent traumatic event or are ready to work through an event from many years ago. They’re frequently navigating the challenges of family building – pregnancy, fertility treatments, adoption, perinatal mood disorders, and traumatic births.

Sarah enjoys incorporating EMDR/BLAS, mindfulness, and CBT into her regular practice with clients. Each person is welcomed into a safe and nurturing environment to begin their personal work. The use of client-centered approaches will help guide each person through a healing process that aligns with their own goals, personalities, and belief systems.

Sarah is committed to helping those who are ready to build the best versions of themselves. We have the ability to shape our futures by working through our pasts while also living in the present moment. Sarah’s ready to help you start your next chapter in the healthiest way possible.

Head shot of Patti Diffee, LMFT, in Colorado Springs

Patti Diffee

LMFT

She / Her / Hers

Patti is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and an AAMFT Approved Supervisor located in Colorado Springs, CO who’s spent over 14 years working in a variety of clinical settings. Her approach is rooted in Systems Therapy – which is the process of looking at the whole person, the relationships that shape them and how those connections impact the challenges they’re facing.

She especially loves helping women feel more empowered in their life and relationships, offering compassionate support through life’s toughest moments. Patti is skilled at helping women work through those “stuck” places – such as questioning whether to stay in a relationship, friendship, or partnership, navigating divorce, career changes, parenting struggles or untangling issues with boundaries, identity and self-esteem.

Patti additionally works with couples, helping partners communicate more openly, rebuild trust, and discover what might be getting in the way of intimacy and connection. She also walks alongside clients who are grieving – whether that’s the death of a loved one, the loss of a relationship or identity, or any of the quieter, less-named losses that life brings – helping them honor what they’ve lost while finding their way back to themselves.

Clients describe her as empathetic, warm, creative, insightful, and inclusive. She’s passionate about creating a space where people feel safe enough to sit with uncomfortable emotions and look honestly at the barriers to healthy connections. In a cozy, welcoming space, she lets clients set their own pace – there’s no rushing the healing process.

Drawing on her years as both a clinician and an educator, Patti helps people figure out what’s holding them back from their full potential whether that’s old family patterns or other stressors life has thrown their way. She’s especially skilled at helping clients spot the messages and patterns passed down through generations and understand how those show up in daily life and relationships.

Therapy gives you a space that’s entirely your own – a place to get curious about yourself and the people who matter most to you, so you can build deeper connections and healthier relationships.

Alice Allis Colorado Springs

Alice Allis

LCSW

They / Them

Alice Allis is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in Colorado and Washington State who works with adolescents and adults navigating anxiety, stress, relationships, life transitions, grief, and trauma. Alice has a strong focus on sexual and gender health and specializes in providing affirming, inclusive care for LGBTQIA+ individuals. They are particularly passionate about supporting clients as they explore identity, strengthen communication, and build healthier relationships with themselves and others.

Alice’s therapeutic approach is person-centered, trauma-informed, and collaborative. They believe therapy is most effective when it feels human, relational, and grounded in real life. Alice integrates evidence-based practices including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Narrative Therapy, and Systems Theory, tailoring treatment to each client’s unique needs and goals. Clients consistently express high satisfaction in their work with Alice, frequently noting the clarity and thoroughness of communication, as well as sharing that they genuinely look forward to their scheduled sessions each week. Alice is often described as warm, affirming, thoughtful, and easy to talk to, with a style that balances practical tools with curiosity, humor, and compassion.

Alice holds a Bachelor of Arts in Youth Ministry from Pfeiffer University and a Master of Social Work from Portland State University, with a focus on medical and school social work. They are currently pursuing a Master of Education and a PhD in Human Sexuality at Widener University, with a clinical focus on sex therapy. With over a decade of experience across clinical, educational, and social service settings – including extensive work with socially and medically vulnerable populations – Alice brings a holistic, systems-aware perspective to therapy. Above all, they strive to create a space where clients feel safe, validated, and empowered to move toward meaningful change at their own pace.

head shot of Colorado Springs Therapist Bridgett McCarroll

Bridgett McCarroll

LPCC

She / Her / Hers

Bridgett McCarroll is a Licensed Professional Counselor Candidate located in Colorado Springs, CO who works with children ages 6+, teens, families, and adults. Bridgett offers a holistic, trauma-informed approach that supports healing through the mind-body connection. She is also trained in EMDR. Her work is rooted in the belief that each person carries innate wisdom and the capacity for self-healing when given space, safety, and support. Bridgett integrates Art Therapy, Internal Family Systems, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Brain Synchronization Therapy, Play Therapy, and Somatic-Based practices. Her approach is informed by Polyvagal Theory, helping clients regulate their nervous systems and reconnect with a sense of safety and inner balance.

Through creative expression, body awareness, and gentle exploration of the self, Bridgett supports clients of all ages in processing trauma, building emotional resilience, and reclaiming their sense of agency and wholeness. She believes that healing is rediscovering and reuniting with the parts of ourselves that have been silenced, hurt, or hidden. Bridgett is LGBTQIA+ informed and affirming, and she is committed to creating an inclusive, nonjudgmental therapeutic space where individuals of all gender identities, sexual orientations, and lived experiences feel seen, respected, and supported.

Whether working with children navigating developmental challenges, adolescents coping with identity and relational struggles, or adults healing from complex trauma, Bridgett provides a compassionate and collaborative space where growth can unfold organically. Her goal is to walk alongside each client on their unique journey, offering tools, insight, and unwavering support as they move toward greater connection, clarity, and self-compassion.

Mary Kathryn Metcalf Colorado Springs headshot

Mary Kathryn Metcalf

LSW

She / Her / Hers

Mary Kathryn is a Licensed Social Worker practicing in Colorado Springs, CO. She has experience working in community corrections, hospitals, inpatient psychiatric care, and in schools.With this experience, she has had the opportunity to work with many different populations and a range of ages from preschool aged children to older adults and has found she enjoys working with clients of all ages and backgrounds in the community. She is passionate about providing a supportive environment for all clients, including those in the LGBTQIA+ community. Mary Kathryn specializes in depression, anxiety, family conflict, ADHD, and is excited to continue to grow in her specialties. Clients have described Mary Kathryn as being non-judgmental, empathetic, and someone who provides a supportive trauma-informed environment where growth is possible.

Mary Kathryn has training in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Solutions-Focused Brief Therapy with plans for ongoing continued education. She also utilizes other therapeutic approaches including client-centered, trauma-informed, and evidence-based modalities.She is dedicated to meeting clients wherever they are and walking alongside them on their therapeutic journey, providing support and helping clients build coping skills. This involves helping clients identify their own strengths and providing support to empower them to use those strengths to make progress toward their goals.

Mary Kathryn understands that reaching out and talking to a professional can feel overwhelming and uncomfortable. She will always strive to provide an environment that is trauma-informed, inclusive, and honors wherever a client is in their journey without judgment. Mary Kathryn loves her work with clients and would love the opportunity to work with you.

Head shot of Molly Kakowicz, a LSW in Colorado Springs

Molly Kakowicz

LSW

She / Her / Hers

Molly is a  Licensed Social Worker located in Colorado Springs, CO and sees children 8+, teens, and adults. She aligns strongly with somatic teachings and believes in considering the whole person and their environments as well as the connection between mind and body. As a compassionate and dedicated therapist, Molly strives to create a safe and supportive space for clients to explore their emotions, overcome challenges, and achieve personal growth.

Molly works collaboratively with each person, tailoring her approach to fit their unique needs and goals using modalities such as EMDR, CBT, IFS, and person-centered approach. She believes in empowering people to discover their own strengths through a judgement-free, trauma-informed approach.

Molly’s mission is to help clients heal, gain insight, and develop the tools they need to navigate life with confidence and resilience. She is intentional about allowing the therapeutic process to develop naturally as rapport strengthens. Her clients have described her as someone they feel comfortable with and are able to trust.

Molly is available to meet with clients at the office in-person or via telehealth Wednesdays – Saturdays.

Sarah Pascetti Therapist Colorado Springs

Sarah Pascetti

LPCC

She / Her / Hers

Sarah Pascetti is a Licensed Professional Counselor Candidate located in Colorado Springs, CO who works with individuals ages 18+, couples, and traditional/ non-traditional relationships. She works with a wide variety of clients and clinical specialties, a few of which include: EMDR, discernment therapy for relationships, financial therapy, burnout, self-esteem, eating disorders, and stressors unique to women.

She stands for all things beautiful and complicated about being human. With her first career in healthcare, the decision to become a therapist was an easy one. She has a tremendous amount of life experience which lends itself to providing compassionate care. Whatever path her client chooses- parenting, life transitions, self-esteem, finances, or reproductive care may be part of the story and she is happy to be a part of their healing and growth process. 

Making decisions about these life events can be stressful or even feel like a dark comedy; she wants her clients to know she will be there to help navigate the choices and encourage and support alongside them. Sarah enjoys using different therapy styles in a single session. In collaboration with her clients, the sessions may be more traditional talk-therapy style, involve whiteboards, or props.

For those who are hesitant about starting the therapy process, Sarah understands! She knows that for many reasons folks don’t want to take the jump or are unsure of how therapy can help. She encourages clients to take the leap and schedule, knowing they can work at their own pace.

Elena Marquez Therapist

Elena Marquez

LSW

She / Her / Hers

Elena Marquez is a Licensed Social Worker located in Colorado Springs, CO who has 16 years of experience working with children ages 5+, adolescents, adults and families. She specializes in grief & loss, trauma, depression, anxiety, ADHD, and day to day life stressors that may affect a person’s quality of life. She enjoys working with the LGBTQIA+ community and military veterans. Clients have described Elena as being consistent, empathetic, non-judgmental, passionate & empowering.

Elena has specialized training in EMDR & Accudetox (Acupuncture Detoxification) which are both evidence-based therapeutic practices that can help resolve painful past trauma and somatic symptoms that may surface with deep rooted trauma. Accudetox can help with cravings of many sorts, smoking cessation, insomnia, anxiety, depression, irritability, agitation & addictive behaviors. Elena has specialized training in EMDR which is an evidence based therapeutic practice that can help resolve painful past trauma. Elena also incorporates other therapeutic approaches into her work such as solution-focused, client-centered, and cognitive behavioral therapies. Utilizing art therapy techniques may also help clients who are more comfortable expressing their thoughts and feelings in visual or tangible ways.

It is very important to Elena to meet each client where they are in their journey and help empower each client to work on becoming the best version of themselves. Elena is passionate about working with each and every client and looks forward to working with you.

Colorado Springs Therapist Sydney Kerin headshot

Sydney Kerin

LSW

She / Her / Hers

Sydney Kerin is a Licensed Social Worker located in Colorado Springs, CO who has experience working with children ages 10+, adolescents, and adults. She specializes in trauma, OCD, ADHD, self-esteem/confidence, depression, anxiety, and working with LGBTQIA+ community members. Clients have described Sydney as empathetic, empowering, and non-judgemental.

Sydney takes a client centered and trauma focused approach with her clients. She has specialized training in EMDR and enjoys helping clients process through and heal from painful, unresolved experiences from their past. Through validation, insight, and reframing negative thinking patterns, she empowers clients in their healing journey. Additionally, Sydney is passionate about working with individuals with ADHD and neurodiversity, using their strengths to help them reach their goals. Sydney understands that having ADHD and neurodiversity presents unique challenges and believes in embracing and working alongside your brain, rather than trying to fix something that is not broken.

Sydney’s clients often struggle with feeling like they are not good enough and work twice as hard to prove themselves. Whether it stems from unhealthy relationships, trauma, or growing up with high expectations, these clients put so much effort into meeting the needs of others that they often forget to meet their own needs. Regardless of whether a client is already on their healing path or thinking about beginning, she helps clients rebuild their identity, self-worth, and autonomy.

Sydney knows that each client coming into therapy has their own story and needs. She enjoys adapting her approach to meet the client where they are in their journey. She may utilize techniques such as CBT, DBT, EMDR, ERP, and play therapy. Through an inclusive, collaborative approach, Sydney empowers clients to develop a deeper understanding of themselves and facilitate the change they want to see in themselves.

Briargate Location:

Head shot of Chelsea Bunch, a Colorado Springs therapist

Chelsea Bunch

LSW

She / Her / Hers

Chelsea Bunch is a Licensed Social Worker located in Colorado Springs, CO who works with children ages 3+, adolescents, and families. While Child-Centered Play Therapy serves as the foundation of her work, she tailors her approach to meet each child’s unique developmental needs. She is dedicated to creating a playful, accepting, and affirming therapeutic space where children and adolescents feel safe to be curious, creative, and completely themselves, and where caregivers feel welcomed, respected, and supported. Her work focuses on supporting children and families navigating trauma, anxiety, ADHD, emotional regulation challenges, behavioral concerns, and difficult life transitions. Chelsea is especially passionate about helping young children make sense of life’s biggest experiences through the language of play.

Chelsea believes that behavior is only part of the story. She is equally interested in understanding what a child has experienced and what they are trying to communicate through their behavior, recognizing that beneath every challenging behavior is a child trying to communicate a need. She loves stepping into a child’s world with curiosity, creativity, and a willingness to follow wherever play leads because she has found that when children feel safe, understood, and accepted, they naturally move towards healing and growth. Chelsea creates a space where children are free to be curious, creative, and completely themselves because she believes some of the most meaningful therapeutic moments happen on the floor while pretending to be dinosaurs, searching for a dragon’s hoard, or giving voice to emotions via a stuffed unicorn. She knows that what looks like “just playing” often represents some of a child’s bravest moments. Along the way, she partners with caregivers to better understand the story behind their child’s behavior, helping families build stronger connections, deeper understanding, and confidence that lasts long after therapy ends.

While Child-Centered Play Therapy serves as the foundation of Chelsea’s work, she recognizes that every child and family is unique. She thoughtfully integrates Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Cognitive Behavioral Play Therapy, Adlerian Play Therapy, CBT, and other developmentally appropriate, evidence-based interventions to meet each child’s individual needs and goals. Her approach is trauma-informed, attachment-based, collaborative, and strengths-focused, helping children build emotional regulation, resilience, and confidence. Chelsea believes every child deserves a safe relationship where they can be fully known, accepted, and celebrated for exactly who they are. She hopes every family leaves therapy with a deeper understanding of one another and every child leaves knowing they are valued, capable, and deeply understood.

Headshot of Lesha Holler

Lesha Holler

Graduate Clinical Intern

She / Her / Hers

Lesha Holler is a Masters-level graduate counseling intern pursuing a dual Master of Arts degree in School Counseling and Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Adams State University. She works with clients across the lifespan and has particular experience supporting adolescents and young adults through her background in education, student support, school counseling, and Army education counseling. She enjoys working with individuals navigating anxiety, stress, life transitions, academic or career concerns, relationship challenges, identity development, neurodivergence, substance use concerns, and personal growth. Lesha values meeting clients where they are and honoring each person’s unique story, culture, strengths, and lived experience.

Lesha’s counseling orientation is strengths-based, collaborative, client-centered, and solution-focused. Her approach is also shaped by cognitive-behavioral concepts, including the connection between thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and coping patterns. She is drawn to elements of Dialectical Behavior Therapy, especially mindfulness, emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness. Lesha values mindfulness and self-awareness as important tools for helping clients build insight, navigate difficult emotions, and develop healthier patterns. As she continues her clinical training, she remains committed to ethical practice, cultural humility, advocacy, compassion, and lifelong learning. Clients may describe Lesha as warm, genuine, calm, approachable, and easy to talk to. She strives to create a counseling space where clients feel heard, respected, and supported as they explore challenges, recognize strengths, and work toward meaningful growth.

Portrait of Natalie Ladd of Polaris Wellness Group

Natalie Ladd

LSW

She / Her / Hers

Natalie Ladd is a Licensed Social Worker who works with adolescents ages 12+ and adults navigating anxiety, depression, stress, life transitions, and other challenges that can make life feel overwhelming. She is passionate about helping clients build confidence, embrace their strengths, feel more empowered, and know they don’t have to face life’s challenges alone.

Natalie believes therapy should be a place where you can show up exactly as you are. She strives to bring warmth, compassion, authenticity, and curiosity into each session while creating a space where clients feel safe to be themselves without fear of judgment. Natalie is committed to practicing with cultural humility and fostering an inclusive, affirming environment where people from all backgrounds feel seen, respected, and supported.

Natalie’s approach is person-centered and collaborative, recognizing that each person’s experiences, strengths, and goals are unique. She draws from CBT, DBT, Motivational Interviewing, and Solution-Focused Therapy to meet each client where they are. She believes there is no one-size-fits-all approach to healing and enjoys working alongside clients to discover what feels most helpful, meaningful, and authentic to them.

Whether this is your first time in therapy or you’re returning after years of personal growth, Natalie understands that reaching out for support is a vulnerable step and considers it a privilege to be invited into each client’s story. Together, she hopes to create a space where clients feel safe to explore, grow, and discover what feels best for them.

Helen Smasal Colorado Springs Therapist

Helen Smasal

LPCC

She / Her / Hers

Helen is a  Licensed Professional Counselor, Candidate located in Colorado Springs, CO who works with adults 18+. Her areas of focus include anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, adoption and foster care counseling, neurodivergence, social skill development, conflict resolution, and life transitions. She holds specialized training and experience in EMDR, Adoption Competency and enjoys working with adoptive and foster care youth, alongside their families, as they navigate the changes, challenges, and unique aspects of these transitions, attachments, and family roles.

When working with Helen, clients can expect therapy that is warm, empathetic, curious, trauma-informed, and culturally sensitive. She works collaboratively with her clients, respecting their autonomy while fostering a strong therapeutic alliance. Her approach integrates elements of person-centered therapy, CBT, DBT, mindfulness practices, art therapy, play therapy, and a multicultural perspective. Together with her clients, she will explore strengths, develop tools to address challenges, and create a safe space for healing and growth.

Helen’s passion is rooted in walking alongside individuals and families as they face difficulties, discover strengths, build resilience, and create meaningful change as they work towards healing. She strives to meet every client with empathy, compassion, and respect, while holding space for growth and healing. It is her goal to create a therapeutic environment that feels inclusive, safe, and empowering.

Allifair Mundine

Allifair Mundine, BA

Graduate Clinical Intern

She / Her / Hers

Allifair Mundine is a graduate level student counselor located in Colorado Springs, CO dedicated to creating a warm, collaborative, and culturally responsive therapeutic space where clients feel genuinely seen, heard, and supported. She approaches counseling with the belief that people are inherently capable, resilient, and oriented toward growth when offered the right conditions. Her work is grounded in partnership—one that honors each client’s autonomy, lived experience, and unique strengths..

Allifair’s clinical approach is informed by Humanistic theory and Solution‑Focused Brief Therapy, both of which emphasize empathy, authenticity, and the client’s innate ability to grow. These frameworks guide her in building a strong relational foundation while helping clients identify what is already working in their lives and take meaningful steps toward their preferred future. She also integrates elements of Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), particularly its focus on mindfulness, emotional regulation, and distress tolerance. This balance of acceptance and change aligns with her belief that clients benefit from both compassionate understanding and practical skills that support daily functioning. Through DBT‑informed strategies, she helps clients navigate intense emotions, strengthen interpersonal effectiveness, and cultivate a more grounded sense of self. She is also trained in EMDR. Her goal is to help clients feel understood while empowering them to build healthier patterns and reconnect with their strengths

Cultural humility is central to Allifair’s practice. She recognizes that identity, culture, and systemic factors shape each person’s experience, and she remains committed to ongoing self‑reflection and learning to ensure that clients feel respected and affirmed. Her aim is to create a therapeutic environment where individuals from all backgrounds feel safe exploring their stories, challenges, and hopes.

Allifair believes meaningful change occurs when clients feel deeply understood and empowered to act. Whether someone is navigating adolescence, substance‑use concerns, life transitions, relationship challenges, stress, or questions of identity, she supports them with empathy, curiosity, and a strengths‑based perspective. As she continues her training, she remains dedicated to lifelong learning, ethical practice, and cultivating a counseling presence rooted in compassion and respect.

Head shot of Kristen Humphreys, an LPCC in Colorado Springs

Kristen Humphreys

LPCC

She / Her / Hers

Kristen Humphreys is a Licensed Professional Counselor Candidate located in Colorado Springs, CO who enjoys working with teens ages 16+, couples, and adults. Kristen specializes in working with individuals experiencing anxiety, depression, adjustment difficulties, communication & behavioral issues, stress, EMDR and trauma. Clients describe Kristen as caring, kind, helpful, and easy to talk to. In approaching the therapeutic relationship through a non-judgmental lens, Kristen finds that individuals are able to really explore themselves in order to take the next steps towards healing.

With over 7 years of experience as a teacher prior to moving into a counseling role, she finds that helping adolescents learn skills and techniques to navigate their everyday lives is essential for successful development. In working with teens, Kristen focus on developing life skills, coping skills for school stressors, building self worth, interpersonal skills, and skills for emotional regulation

When working with adults and relationship counseling, Kristen uses a variety of approaches to help her clients achieve their goals. These approaches include utilizing a foundational Person-Centered approach while also incorporating Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy techniques. In her work with individuals who have experienced trauma, Kristen allows space for individuals to work at their own pace and in ways in which they are most comfortable. Kristen gently helps her clients understand their traumatic stressors and responses, and learn how to express and regulate their emotions when triggered. Kristen utilizes EMDR in order to help clients process through trauma.

Kristen realizes that beginning the therapeutic journey can be challenging and scary, so she works to ensure that she creates a safe and inviting environment for clients to feel empowered to start their journey. She believes that each individual is unique and deserves to be heard and understood in order to tackle one’s challenges successfully. Kristen understands that the therapeutic relationship starts with empathy and a comfortable and personal connection at the forefront, and she works diligently with each of her clients to create this experience.

Operations Staff:

Head shot of Dominic Gioia of Polaris Wellness Group

Dominic Gioia, PhD

Director of Education/Practice Analyst

He / Him / His

Dominic is an experienced medical communicator with a background rooted in neurophysiology. He received his PhD from Wake Forest University in the Departments of Neuroscience and Physiology and Pharmacology. During his doctoral fellowship he worked in a lab that investigated the neurobiological mechanisms involved in alcohol dependence, particularly the development of negative affective states during withdrawal. Dominic used a combination of electrophysiological, genetic, molecular, and behavioral techniques to examine how chronic alcohol exposure induces neuroplastic changes in anxiety-related brain circuitry. His research led to the identification of a novel mechanism that confers genetic vulnerability to the development of withdrawal-related anxiety.

After graduation Dominic secured independent grant funding for a postdoctoral fellowship at the Medical University of South Carolina and continued his research on the neurobiology of substance abuse. During this fellowship, he established protocols for the implementation of fiber photometry to measure the real-time activity of neurons during various behavioral paradigms. Dominic’s research led to the identification of pathological firing modes of neurons in the orbitofrontal cortex, during reward conditioning, as a result of chronic alcohol exposure.

After his postdoctoral fellowship he shifted away from research and started a career in medical communications. He has spent the past 5 years creating medical education content for doctors across a wide variety of clinical specialties including psychiatry, oncology, cardiology, and ophthalmology. Dominic has experience working with medical experts and knowledge leaders to get an understanding of where gaps in knowledge exist. He then used this information to develop learning materials to address these knowledge gaps.

Dominic’s background and passion for research and educating others led him to the role of being PWG’s Director of Education and Practice Analyst. He is excited to work with PWG therapists to collaborate, build educational content, and help to better educate and support our clients and community!

Barb Richard PWG Office Manager

Barb Richard

Office Manager

Barb Richard is the Office Manager for Polaris Wellness Group. She has many years of administrative experience in various medical fields. She was particularly interested in working with PWG to bring her professional skillsets to a clinical field that is inclusive and focuses on serving all individuals in our community. She takes pride in being a warm, welcoming, and calm presence in our office for both our clients and our staff. Barb will be able to help you with scheduling appointments, verifying your insurance benefits, and navigating your Therapy Portal.

Insurance Accepted

PWG is proud to accept the following insurance providers:

Aetna and First Health, Anthem, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna and Evernorth, Kaiser Commercial, Medicare, Medicare Advantage, United Healthcare and UMR.

We do not work with or accept court ordered clients. Thank you for your understanding.

Want to find out how to become a Polaris Wellness Client?

A Safe and Inclusive Place

PWG is passionate and committed to helping all clients. We offer a safe, respectful, and inclusive environment to culturally diverse and LGBTQIA+ clients. We are dedicated to providing culturally competent, quality wellness services with providers who are supportive, aligned, and accepting.

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