“We can till the soil and fertilize it. ”
Scatter on the ground the seeds we unknowingly hold in our hands.
Then we wait for the sun and the rain,
without being able to do anything more.
We do not know when or what will grow from our field, but the harvest will be worth the work and the wait.
Because therapy heals and life is what cures.“
Giovanna Silvestri
My journey toward psychotherapy.
I was born in a small provincial town, south of Rome, in a large and diverse family, open to human encounters and shared experiences. In this communal and inclusive environment, I developed a love for art an early age. In particular, my passions for music, theater, and video have accompanied me through every stage of life.
During adolescence, with its shame, insecurities, and discoveries, I developed an interest in psychology and the therapeutic relationship.
As a young adult, I explored various academic fields that reflected my diverse interests. However, they did not fully correspond to who I felt I could become. Therefore, I decided to pause my studies and pursue work experiences, some quite distant from my personal inclinations.
I owe a great deal to this period, in which feelings of disorientation and a sense of estrangement helped me grow as a person — and, I can say today, as a professional too as.
Indeed, only after losing my existential reference points and despite feeling I was already grown, a “late bloomer” – as if there were a right time to become who you are – did I begin a new, long educational journey to become a psychotherapist.
I continued my training in European and international contexts, building over time relationships and collaborations with colleagues of different backgrounds and training.
I am a member of the European Association for Gestalt Therapy (EAGT). I obtained a Diploma in Phenomenological Gestalt Psychopathology at the International Institute of Psychopathology and Psychotherapy (IPsiG) in Turin. I am now part of this institute as a faculty member.
With a keen interest in trauma, I obtained a Level 1 diploma in Sensory-Motor Psychotherapy under the guidance of Pat Ogden.
Currently, I work in my private practice in Rome, Albano Laziale, and online with adults, young adults, and older adults.
My interest has turned to LGBT+ issues as well as challenges related to menopause, which I address from both a clinical and existential perspective and on which I organize international in-person and online workshops.
Art has never stopped accompanying me: I am co-founder and director of i Selvaggi: a Research-Action group in the performing arts. It is a company of non-professionals that, with the artistic consultation of Loredana Parrella, explores the relationship between body, action, and memory.
My journey continues to be nourished by the dialogue between psychotherapy and art, in a constant movement between clinical rigor, personal growth, and curiosity for human encounter.
My Approach
My work is based on a phenomenological-Gestalt approach that views relational dynamics through a field perspective. The person is not seen as an isolated individual, but as part of a set of relationships, contexts, and meanings that co-create their experience. Psychological phenomena are therefore understood within this shared field, rather than attributed exclusively to the individual.
In the therapeutic process, I pay attention to authentic contact and awareness of what emerges in the “here and now” of the relationship. Mutual presence and trust in the process become tools for exploration and transformation.
The goal is to foster a greater sense of responsibility and integration of self, accompanying the person toward a more conscious life in harmony with their needs and desires.
I work with adults, young adults, and older adults experiencing difficulties related to depression, anxiety, lack of self-esteem, traumatic experiences, challenges related to menopause, and LGBT+ issues.
For any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me with a message, and I will respond as soon as possible.
