Olivia Marchese

I am an Italian Board-Certified Psychologist and CBT Psychotherapist with 12 years experience in treating adults and couples. I have recently moved to Abu Dhabi from Turin (Italy). I am Italian but I was born in Japan, raised in New York City and subsequently lived in Milan, Zurich, Paris and London. I am bilingual Italian/English and fluent in French. With a Bsc in Psychology from Royal Holloway University of London and a further Degree in Psychology with the University of Pavia, I completed a two-year Masters in Work and Organizational Psychology with the University of London, as well as a four-year specialization in Cognitive-Behavioral Psychotherapy in Milan (Scuola ASIPSE). I worked in executive selection and consulting, and carried out my post-graduate internship in the Psychology Unit of the San Carlo hospital in Milan. I went on to work in an inpatient psychiatric facility of the Niguarda hospital of Milan and have been working in private practice for twelve years with adults and couples, chiefly expats. In my daily practice I currently work online with patients on issues such as depression, anxiety disorders, relationship difficulties and separation, relocation and multiculturalism, pre- and post-natal conditions, work-related stress, vocational guidance, trauma and LGBTQ issues. I also worked three years as a Psychologist at the Student Counseling Service of an International business school in Turin (ESCP), where I counseled students on a wide range of issues (mental health, studies, adjustment, career guidance, etc.) I am an International Affiliate of the American Psychological Association, and a Member of the International Association of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. Drawing on CBT, Mindfulness and ACT, the core guiding principles in my work are growth, dignity and personal freedom. I believe the counseling/therapeutic process is the co-construction of a peculiar relationship aimed at self-discovery and change, the ultimate goal being that of reaching greater awareness, well-being and balance, each declined in endless subjective ways.