Therapist in San Diego, California Gemma Bernes, Therapist

Gemma Bernes supports individuals across California in navigating life’s challenges with empathy, compassion, and a collaborative, strengths-based approach. She provides individual therapy for adolescents through seniors, offering a safe and affirming space to explore trauma, emotions, identities, personal challenges, life transitions, and relational patterns. Together, she and her clients work to build resilience, deepen emotional awareness, strengthen communication skills, and create meaningful growth.

Gemma is passionate about serving diverse populations — including LGBTQ+ individuals, neurodiverse clients, and those navigating adoption or foster care experiences — and approaches this work with a strong commitment to trauma-informed care. She specializes in helping clients heal from traumatic experiences, process loss, and develop healthier relationships with themselves and others. She supports clients navigating childhood attachment issues and early relational difficulties, which can deeply shape trust, self-worth, and emotional expression in adulthood. She also provides specialized support for individuals experiencing borderline personality traits, focusing on managing emotions, building healthier relationships, and strengthening their sense of identity. In addition, Gemma helps individuals struggling with intense feelings, frequent outbursts, or difficulty calming down by teaching coping strategies, emotional stability, social skills, and resilience in everyday life.

Her integrative approach combines evidence-based practices such as CBT, DBT, TF-CBT, ACT, and Motivational Interviewing, alongside mindfulness and insight-oriented therapy. When working with adolescents, she incorporates expressive and creative techniques — such as Narrative Therapy, Art Therapy, and Play Therapy — to ensure sessions are engaging, accessible, and developmentally appropriate. She is especially dedicated to supporting teens through trauma, school-related challenges, self-harm, identity exploration, and the emotional ups and downs of adolescence, while equipping them with practical skills for managing emotions, expressing themselves, and building healthy communication.

Outside of therapy, Gemma enjoys walking her dog, spending time at the dog beach, and relaxing with crochet projects. She also loves winding down with her favorite TV shows, whether they bring comfort or spark reflection. She believes in finding meaning and joy in everyday life—values she encourages her clients to nurture in their own journeys.