She also holds a Specialty Certification in Weight Loss Hypnosis from the American Hypnosis Association as well as a Counseling Certification from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.

Gabriella founded Self Image Studio with a mission; to inspire women to give up dieting forever. Gabriella started dieting at the age of 8, and eventually reached her highest weight of 332 pounds in her mid 30’s. She understands the emotional pain associated with binge eating, isolation, and overwhelming body shame.

More than simply understanding where her clients are coming from, Gabriella loves being able to provide the support to her clients that she never personally received.

We all know that the majority of dieters inevitably gain back all the weight they’ve lost and more. Emotional eating is a coping mechanism, a survival tactic. This self soothing technique is learned early in life to numb uncomfortable feelings. Dieting focuses on the external rather than the internal cues which fuel overeating.

The repetitive cycle of gaining and losing weight leads to feelings of hopelessness, shame, failure, and desperation. In order to shift dysfunctional eating patterns, one must identify underlying experiences and belief systems that perpetuate emotional eating.

After applying these specialized techniques to her own life, Gabriella has finally reached a comfortable weight and more importantly, a happy, healthy, sustainable and balanced lifestyle.

She is proud to offer her clients the opportunity to learn effective and powerful self empowerment techniques that get results, shifting the focus from dieting to lifestyle and self care, and giving them the ability to find and maintain balance in their own lives.