Your journey to healing
begins here

I’ve been helping adults, couples and teens for over 30 years, and I know that finding the right therapist can feel overwhelming. I offer therapy that’s tailored to you – grounded in proven methods like EMDR, and always built on compassion, trust and zero judgment. Whatever you’re going through, we’ll face it together – one step at a time.

Let’s take the next step together.

Dr. Peter R. Giancola, Ph.D.

I’m a licensed clinical psychologist and former professor of clinical psychology. While much of my knowledge comes from decades of academic work and training, it’s the difficult experiences I’ve lived through that give me a deeper, more personal understanding of the pain and challenges people face every day.

When we work together, I’ll listen closely—not just to your words, but to what’s underneath them—so you don’t have to carry things alone. I offer compassionate, personalized care that meets you where you are. Sometimes that means gently healing old emotional wounds; other times, it means using practical, solution-focused strategies to help you feel better in the here and now.

This is compassionate care tailored to you – support that honors both your past and your present, helping you move forward with greater clarity, strength, and hope.

Testimonials

Special thanks to the patients who went out of their way to post comments about their experience. It is very much appreciated. – Dr. Peter 🙂

Mackenzie Gauthier

Peter is knowledgeable, patient, kind and always has his patients best interests at heart. You can tell that he truly cares about his patients and wants them to get better from the moment you meet him. I have been seeing him for a while now and with his guidance and his incredible knowledge and understanding of the mind, I have learned so much about myself and my illness. Thanks to his help and continuing support, I find myself getting better and better everyday. Thank you Peter.

Olivia Rinaldi

Dr.Peter is as sweet and caring as they come. It feels as though we have known each other for years even though he’s only been my therapist for a few months. You can always tell how much he cares about you during every session. 10/10 recommend !!!

Jiayi Wang

I’ve been having virtual appointments with Dr Peter on a weekly basis for a few months, and I’m very happy with the results already! Dr Peter is very compassionate and geniunely cares about his clients. I really like that he is skilled in many different treatment methods, so I could choose the approaches that appealed to me. It’s also so easy to set up appointments as he always responds promptly. Thank you Dr Peter!

Dina Russo

Dr. Peter is very kind and compassionate. From the first day speaking to him I felt like I knew him for years. He is extremely attentive and concerned for his patience not only during the session but all the time . He has helped myself and my children immensely. I will be forever grateful to him.

Ankitha Merugu

Dr. Peter is compassionate professional. He is very patient to listen and help me understand the process of trauma therapy. He responds quickly whenever I needed for questions or for appointments.

Nour Younes

Dr. Giancola really helps me navigate through life. As this journey can get difficult at times, we all need a caring, heartwarming, compassionate individual to understand us so that we can better understand ourselves. Dr. Peter not only makes you realize that it is ok to ask for help, but he hands it to you with an open heart. You can really tell that he loves being a therapist and that he wants you to get better.
I strongly recommend you seeking his expertise if you are looking for one!
Thank you Dr.

Alfie Diliberto

I’ve been seeing Peter weekly for over six months. He is always there and always accommodating with my schedule. He has been an incredible help. He is compassionate and caring and has guided me in my difficult time. I am so happy to have found him.

Jenn A

Dr. Peter is truly one of a kind. He’s incredibly experienced given his education and research knowledge, professional, funny, and his kind, understanding nature makes each interaction feel tailored. I also really appreciate his ability to personalize treatment to what feels most comfortable and effective for me; he genuinely cares about helping his patients thrive. He goes above and beyond especially when it comes to out-of-session check-ins during emergencies.

My Therapeutic Approach

Your journey is unique—and your therapy should be too. I use a personalized and integrative approach, carefully tailoring your treatment to fit your specific needs and goals. Whether through a single method or a blend of approaches (see below), my aim is to find the path that works best for you, helping you heal, grow and move forward with confidence.

 

How I Can Help — Therapy Approaches I Use

Trauma-Informed Therapy

Everyone’s experience of trauma—big or small—shapes their emotions, thoughts and relationships. This approach honors your story, focuses on healing past wounds without causing more harm and helps you build resilience and emotional strength for the future. Learn more about Trauma-Informed Therapy HERE.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)

EMDR gently guides your brain to process painful memories, reducing their emotional charge. It helps relieve
distress and strengthens your resilience, so you can face life’s challenges with more clarity and confidence.

Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT)

EFT helps you uncover and understand deep emotions and unmet needs, whether in couples or individual therapy. By improving emotional
awareness and connection, EFT supports healing and helps build stronger and more authentic relationships.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

CBT helps you understand how thoughts, feelings and behaviors are linked. It offers practical tools to challenge unhelpful thinking and
develop healthy coping skills — especially effective for anxiety, depression, OCD, addiction and sex-related concerns.

Mindfulness-Based Therapy (MBT)

By learning to be present with your thoughts and emotions through breath awareness and meditation, MBT teaches you to reduce stress
and respond to life’s ups and downs with calm and balance.

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

ACT supports you in accepting difficult feelings and thoughts instead of avoiding them. It helps you clarify what matters most to you and commit to living a meaningful, values-driven life — even when things feel tough.

Humanistic Therapy

This compassionate approach focuses on your personal growth and potential. Through empathy and non-judgment, it helps you connect deeply with your authentic self and create a more fulfilling life aligned with your values.

Strength-Based Therapy (SBT)

Instead of focusing on problems, this approach highlights your strengths and past successes. Building on what you already have, you’ll gain confidence and develop new ways to overcome challenges and thrive.

Christian Counselling

If you desire a more faith-based approach, Christian Counselling seamlessly integrates your spiritual beliefs with all of the therapy styles that I use. It supports your mental health while helping you deepen your relationship with God and find meaning through biblical teachings.

Specializations

What are your current struggles and what’s not working in your life right now? Are you anxious, depressed, struggling in a relationship, troubles at work, drinking too much? You can use this guide to help you identify what conditions may be affecting your well-being.

(Click to expand each condition)

Emotional & Mental Health

Trauma/PTSD

Trauma doesn’t always look the way people expect. It can strike suddenly through a violent event or it can quietly shape you over years of emotional neglect or criticism. Whether you’ve experienced a life-altering trauma or have been carrying the weight of painful childhood experiences, the impact is real—and healing is possible.

“Big T” traumas are the major events most people associate with PTSD—things like assaults, sexual abuse, serious accidents or witnessing violence. These events can leave you feeling unsafe, on edge, emotionally reactive or trapped in painful memories that just won’t let go.

“Little t” traumas, while less obvious, can be just as damaging. Growing up in a home where love felt conditional, or where you were constantly criticized, ignored, or made to feel “not good enough” can lead to lasting emotional pain. You may struggle with anxiety, depression, low self-worth, people-pleasing, addictions, toxic relationships or chronic self-sabotage—all rooted in those early wounds. Trauma doesn’t just fade with time. It needs the right kind of
attention.

In our work together, I use proven methods like EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) Therapy to gently help your brain and body process what happened. I also use Expressive Writing and intensive talk therapy to help you fully work through your experiences—so you can begin to feel safer, more connected and more like yourself again.

Anxiety

Anxiety can take over your mind and body—making even small decisions feel overwhelming and everyday situations seem daunting. It shows up in many ways: constant worry, racing thoughts, panic attacks, fear of judgment, avoidance of public places or even intense reactions to specific things like flying or driving. Whether you struggle with Generalized Anxiety, Panic Disorder, Social Anxiety, Phobias or Agoraphobia, you are not alone—and you don’t have to live this way.

In therapy, I’ll help you understand the roots of your anxiety and teach you tools to regain a sense of calm and control. Using scientifically-proven approaches like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Graded Exposure, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and EMDR Therapy (for trauma-related anxiety), we’ll work together to reduce your fear and increase your confidence. You’ll learn to respond to anxiety in healthier, more empowered ways so you can reclaim your life.

Depression

When you’re depressed, life can feel like it’s happening behind a glass wall—dull, heavy and unreachable. You might struggle to get out of bed, feel numb or hopeless, lose interest in the things you once loved or carry a quiet pain that no one sees. Depression is not a sign of weakness. It’s a signal that something in you needs attention, care and healing.

In therapy, I offer a safe, compassionate space to work through the weight of depression. Using approaches like CBT, ACT, EMDR (for trauma-related depression), and Expressive Writing, we’ll identify the patterns that keep you stuck and gently open space for new ways of thinking, feeling and living. You can rediscover meaning, joy and the strength to move forward—even when that first step feels hard.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

OCD can feel like your brain is stuck in a loop—intrusive thoughts you don’t want and rituals you feel forced to do. Whether it’s constant checking, needing things to feel “just right” or relentless mental replaying and reassurance seeking, OCD can rob you of peace, time and energy. But you are not your thoughts and OCD is treatable.

I specialize in Exposure and Response Prevention therapy, the gold-standard treatment for OCD. This powerful approach helps retrain your brain by gradually reducing your reliance on compulsions. I also use ACT and Mindfulness-Based strategies to help you make peace with uncertainty and loosen OCD’s grip. And when trauma contributes to the cycle, EMDR Therapy can be a helpful addition to support deeper healing.

Problems in Living (grief, life transitions)

Life doesn’t always go according to plan. Grief, career changes, breakups, moves, retirement or becoming a parent—these moments can shake your sense of direction and identity. Even “positive” changes can leave you feeling anxious, lost, or uncertain about what comes next. You don’t need to navigate these transitions alone.

Therapy provides a supportive space to process change, loss or uncertainty with warmth and clarity. Whether you’re grieving a loved one, adjusting to a new phase of life or feeling overwhelmed by a decision, I’ll help you find your footing. Together, we’ll explore what’s shifting and what matters most to you moving forward. I draw on CBT, Mindfulness, EMDR and Expressive Writing to help you build resilience and step into the next chapter of your life with confidence and purpose.

Relationship & Behavioral Issues

Couples Therapy

Relationships are where we find love, security—and sometimes our deepest pain. If you and your partner feel stuck in conflict, emotionally disconnected or uncertain about how to repair your bond, couples therapy can help.

I work primarily from Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), a proven approach that gets to the heart of relational distress. EFT helps couples identify the underlying emotional needs driving their conflicts—like the need to feel seen, valued and safe. Together, we’ll work on expressing those needs in ways that invite connection instead of pushing each other away.

I also draw on practical tools from Behavioral Couples Therapy to improve communication, rebuild trust, and help both partners show up in ways that foster intimacy and respect. Whether you’re fighting, drifting apart or trying to heal from a rupture, couples therapy can be the turning point in restoring closeness and resilience in your relationship.

Addictions

Addictions can feel like you’re living two lives—one where you function well on the surface and another where you’re caught in a cycle you can’t break. Whether it’s substances, porn, food, sex or spending, these behaviors often begin as a way to cope—but eventually take over and
create even more pain. I offer a non-judgmental, supportive space to explore what’s driving your addiction and how to move beyond it.

My approach combines CBT (to change the patterns that fuel addiction), Mindfulness (to increase awareness and self-regulation), Harm-Reduction (for those wish to consume at a moderate level) and Relapse Prevention strategies. Together, we’ll work toward understanding the root of your compulsions and developing healthier, more sustainable ways of managing your emotions, relationships and life.

Sex-Related Issues

Sexual difficulties can be incredibly distressing, yet many people suffer in silence—feeling embarrassed, ashamed or unsure of where to turn. Issues like erectile dysfunction, painful intercourse, orgasm difficulties or low desire can impact your self-esteem and strain relationships. These challenges are more common than you might think—and they are highly treatable.

In therapy, I offer a safe and respectful space to explore and resolve sexual concerns. I use CBT, Systematic Desensitization and other effective techniques tailored to your specific needs. Whether the causes are psychological, physiological or relational, we’ll work together to reduce anxiety, improve communication and help you reconnect with your body and partner in healthier, more satisfying ways.

Specialized Support

Christian Counselling

For those who want to integrate their Christian faith into therapy, I offer an approach that honors both your spiritual and emotional life. Christian Counselling seamlessly combines the insights of modern psychological approaches with timeless biblical wisdom to support your healing journey. Whether you’re struggling with anxiety, trauma, relationships or spiritual doubt, we can explore these challenges through a lens grounded in faith, hope and grace.

Our work may include scripture, prayer and Christian teachings as part of your healing process—always tailored to your level of comfort and belief. This approach welcomes clients from all walks of faith and invites deeper spiritual growth while addressing emotional struggles with care and compassion.

Complimentary Consultation

Schedule a Complimentary Phone Consultation

Let’s begin with a brief, no-pressure phone call. You’ll have a chance to share a little about what’s bringing you to therapy, ask any questions you may have and get a feel for how I work. One of the strongest predictors of success in therapy is feeling safe and connected with your therapist—this conversation will help us both see if we’re a good fit.

You can reach me by voice or text at 438-886-2702, or by email at dr.peter.psychology@gmail.com. Since I’m often in session, text or email is usually the best way to reach me.