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Dott.ssaGemma ColaoPsicologa Clinica

About me

Dr Gemma Colao.

Clinical psychologist with cognitive-behavioural orientation. I work with adults navigating emotional difficulties, anxiety, stress, trauma, grief and personal transformation pathways. Experience in complex hospital and clinical settings.

The path

How I came to clinical psychology.

I came to psychology with the conviction that listening is a profoundly transformative act. During my Master's in Clinical Psychology I chose a path combining scientific rigour with attention to subjectivity — two dimensions I consider inseparable in clinical work.

In the following years I deepened my training in emergency psychology and enrolled at the School of Specialisation in Cognitive-Behavioural Psychotherapy at Studi Cognitivi in Milan, the national benchmark for evidence-based CBT training.

Hospital experience

Mind and body in care pathways.

The clinical experience I gained in hospital settings — cardiac surgery, cardiac rehabilitation, neuro-orthopaedics — was a school of depth. Facing illness, surgery or rehabilitation is not only about the body: it involves feelings of fear, loss of control, changes in self-image and the renegotiation of relationships.

This experience now informs how I relate to those going through a care pathway — their own or a family member's — and the sensitivity with which I accompany people navigating high-impact emotional experiences.

The therapeutic relationship

What working together means.

I think of psychological work as a space of shared construction, not an experience in which an expert provides answers. My role is to offer tools, knowledge and qualified listening; the real work happens in the relationship and in the time dedicated to self-care.

The cognitive-behavioural orientation offers solid ground: clear tools, shared goals, regular review, attention to generalising what is learned beyond the session. The autonomy of the person is the aim, not an accessory outcome.

Training and experience

  1. Academic training · 2014–2019

    Laurea Magistrale in Psicologia Clinica

    Sigmund Freud University · Milano

  2. Master · 2019–2020

    Master in Psicologia delle Emergenze

    Programma accreditato

  3. Specialisation · 2021–presente

    Scuola di Specializzazione in Psicoterapia Cognitivo-Comportamentale

    Studi Cognitivi · Milano

  4. Clinical experience · 2023–presente

    Responsabile del Servizio di Psicologia (Head of Psychology Service)

    GVM Villa Torri Hospital · Bologna

  5. Internship · 2019–2020

    Tirocinio professionalizzante

    Centro NOTEC — Ospedale Sacco / IRCCS Policlinico San Donato · Milano