Meet Gianna of Pasadena

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gianna.

Hi Gianna, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My interest in psychology was born in my high school AP Psych class, where my teacher Miss T made the subject come to life. To this day I use her fun stories and analogies in my work and to study for my exams (the amount of times I think of her friend, Amy G. Dala …). Through college, I continued to meet so many wonderful people who had the same love for the subject and passion to dedicate our lives to helping others. Even completing my first year of graduate school over Zoom, I was able to connect with so many intelligent, kind, fun, and passionate individuals – some of whom I now consider my closest friends. Towards the end of my program I journeyed from New Jersey to Rochester, New York where I completed a full year internship. While the grad school grind had started to wear me down at this point, my supervisors at that practice lit a fire in me that reminded me why I started this all. The RPAT (Rochester Psychological Assessment and Testing) team supported me in becoming the clinician I am now, and I am forever grateful for their advice, their encouragement, and (most importantly) the connections we made laughing and crying in between sessions. With a partner out on the west coast, I began my search for a post-graduate position in California, knowing my time at RPAT had set the bar extremely high. When I interviewed with Dr. Allen Sung, I knew I was lucky enough to find another clinician that felt the same passion that I did for this work. From our first meeting, he made me feel so welcomed and excited to join his team. In my first few months at Huntington Psychological Services, I have grown even more as a professional and a human. I am so excited to continue this journey, and to continue to carry all of these connections with the individuals who helped me to get here. I am still getting used to introducing myself as Dr. Rinaldi, but my team (and my family!) offers me so much support in carrying that title with pride.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The road to this point has been anything but smooth. Starting my graduate training during the COVID-19 pandemic meant my professors had to get creative keeping us engaged over Zoom, trying to prepare us for a career that required in-person connections. It was an extremely isolating experience in a time when leaning on your colleagues and classmates is essential. When we returned to the classroom and to our training sites, it became a balancing act of school, work, and the ever-looming final dissertation. I often found myself studying on the train to NYC at 5 in the morning, and running across the city to make it to my training sites. I picked up and moved to upstate New York for my final year of training, and had to finish up my dissertation in a place that never seemed to stop snowing. All that to say – I am so proud of all that I did to push through these challenges, and it has made me the woman and professional I am today.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a psychological associate and assessment clinician at Huntington Psychological Services in Pasadena. I specialize in comprehensive psychological, neuropsychological, and psychoeducational evaluations for children, adolescents, and adults. These evaluations help patients and their families understand the root of their academic, social, and emotional challenges to find clear path forward. I often meet with individuals seeking information on anxiety, depression, trauma, ADHD, learning differences, and autism, but offer services to anyone interested in learning more about themselves. I strive to make these assessments as comfortable, comprehensive, and even fun as possible. I am so proud of how many people I have been able to help understand themselves better, giving them the tools to advocate for their needs. Many individuals come to me feeling negatively about themselves and are convinced there is something they’ve done wrong to be experiencing so many struggles. The assessment process helps to identify the source of their challenges, and give them actionable steps to live as their best selves.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
While I am extremely passionate and proud of my work, one thing I always encourage my clients to explore is self-care. For me, that comes in the form of music, reading, crocheting, exploring new restaurants, and spending time with my friends and family 🙂 The group photo I shared is a group of my classmates when we were finally able to meet in-person – clearly meeting exclusively over Zoom for so long did not hinder our ability to become the best of friends.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://huntingtonpsych.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/huntingtonpsych?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1BW1EtE893/?mibextid=wwXIfr
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/huntingtonpsych?trk=public_profile_topcard-current-company

Image Credits
Sam Sean Photography