Meet Kristen Gioscia | Mental Wellness Therapist & Coach

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kristen Gioscia and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kristen, what’s something about your industry that outsiders are probably unaware of?
One thing most people don’t realize about therapy is that it’s not just about talking or gaining insight. Real healing isn’t just mental – it’s physical, relational, and emotional. We’ve siloed mental health into its own separate category, when in reality, it’s deeply interconnected with the body and our relationships. Your thoughts, your nervous system, your past, your sense of safety, it all shows up in how you feel, how you connect, and how you live.

As a therapist, I’m on a mission to make that integration more clear and accessible. I work with a lot of teens and women in their 20s and 30s who are incredibly self-aware, but still struggling. They know why they feel the way they do, but insight alone doesn’t help when your nervous system still feels unsafe.

What people often don’t see is how much of therapy is about learning to feel safe and accepted—first with your therapist, and eventually with yourself and others. That safety becomes the foundation for everything else. It’s what allows people to actually experience the shifts they’ve been hoping for, not just in how they think, but in how they show up, how they relate, and how they feel in their own body.

My goal is to make therapy feel warm, grounded, and human. No cold clinical energy, just real care that supports integration and transformation. Because once someone feels safe, seen, and accepted, everything starts to change.

What should our readers know about your business?
I started Be Well because I needed something like it myself.

I’ve always been someone who felt things deeply—who tried hard, cared a lot, and still often felt like I was doing something wrong. I knew the language of self-help. I could explain my patterns. But I didn’t always know how to feel safe in my body, how to stop spiraling, or how to actually feel better.
That’s what this work is about for me. Not just understanding yourself, but learning how to be with yourself. Learning how to regulate, relate, and move through life without feeling like you’re constantly behind, broken, or too much.

Be Well came from my own messy middle. From being on the other side of the couch. From learning the hard way that “being well” isn’t about being perfect—it’s about knowing how to come back to yourself, even when things are hard.

Now, I help teens and 20-somethings who feel a little like I did—emotionally aware but still struggling. Smart, sensitive, self-aware… but burnt out, anxious, or stuck. They don’t need to be told what to do. They just need support that actually gets them—and helps them feel better, not worse.
My approach is simple, grounded, and science-backed. It’s nervous system work, emotional education, and relational healing—but done in a way that’s approachable, modern, and real.

Be Well is here to help you feel safe, steady, and supported as you figure it out. You don’t have to be “healed” to start. You just have to start. And I’ll be here to walk with you through it.

Starting a business as an Associate Therapist isnt’t easy—it involves financial instability, identity shifts, and a LOT of imposter syndrome. While I could pursue a more stable, structured clinical path to licensure through community mental health care or working at a treatment center, but I chose a direction that felt more aligned: a practice that’s creative, client-centered, and rooted in both education and lived experience.

What keeps me going? The belief that this work matters. That healing doesn’t have to be overwhelming. That you can be unwell and still be worthy, still be capable, still be moving forward.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Here are my ideas:

South Bay beach day + Boccato’s
We’d start with a laid-back beach day in Hermosa. Sandwiches from Boccato’s Deli (turkey avocado is elite), a towel in the sand, and no real agenda. Just sun, snacks, and catching up.

Venice sunset + Scopa – We’d do a golden hour walk through the Venice Canals—still one of my favorite places in LA to slow down. Then dinner at Scopa, which just feels like one of those spots that’s always been there for me through different seasons of life.

WeHo day + night out – Start with coffee at Alfred’s, then some casual thrifting on Melrose—Wasteland, local vintage shops, maybe even a weird $3 find that ends up being our favorite thing of the trip. At night, we’d hit EP & LP for rooftop drinks (nostalgia), dinner at Birds in Hollywood, and then UBC for a fun, no-pressure night out. The kind of night that feels like being 23 in the best way.

Hike + community wellness vibes – Something simple like Top of the World or a scenic bluff walk, followed by a cold plunge or sauna setup—nothing fancy, just whatever’s happening locally that week. Afterwards, we’d stop at Trader Joe’s, grab stuff for a big dinner at home, and hang out in comfy clothes.

Girly day – Blowouts at Drybar, nails at Olive & June, a quick Sephora moment, and then lunch at Gracias Madre or Cafe Gratitude. In the afternoon we’d walk Abbot Kinney, maybe stop for a glass of wine somewhere cute. Rooftop drinks at The Bungalow or Perch.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have to dedicate this shoutout to my therapist, Celynna Harnetiaux. Just thinking about her makes me emotional—she has truly been the most integral part of my journey over the last five years. She helped me find myself, honor myself, and trust myself in ways I never thought possible. No one else gave me the kind of push, belief, and grounding that she did.

Celynna was the truest example of secure attachment I’ve ever experienced. And she showed me that you don’t have to be perfect or always present to create that. Even though I saw her weekly for most years, there were gaps. We had ruptures. She pointed things out that made me question her, get mad at her, feel uncomfortable—and that’s what made it real. She didn’t just support me, she challenged me. She saw the things I couldn’t yet see, and simplified what felt impossible.

I remember moments where I thought, “No way, that can’t be right.” But I’d try anyway—because I knew if it didn’t work, I still had her. And that’s the foundation of a good therapist. It’s not about always feeling good in the moment—it’s about feeling safe enough to grow, to try, to risk, and to come back.

Celynna laid the blueprint for the kind of therapist I want to be. Her presence has taught me more about this field, about myself, and about what’s possible in healing than any textbook ever could. She also supported me professionally and personally in ways that have opened doors and helped me land exactly where I am now. I wouldn’t be here without her, and I’m endlessly grateful.

Website: https://www.bewell-therapy.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bewellwithkristen_

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/kristengioscia

Other: https://Tiktok.com/kristensedit_

Image Credits
Kenna Hisky Photography (beach photos)
Kaysha Weiner Photography (office photos)