Dr. Carol Gandolfo , AZ Psychologist PSY-005279, CA Psychologist 16933

Dr. Carol Gandolfo is a licensed psychologist with two decades of clinical experience working across diverse settings and populations. She trained in California and built a wide-ranging foundation through internships at a homeless shelter, with a licensed psychologist, at a counseling center, and at a Developmental Disabilities State Hospital. Early in her career she pursued every available case to broaden her skills, providing care to families and individuals affected by domestic abuse, childhood concerns, family conflict, and substance use challenges.

Following those formative experiences, she spent several years at Developmental Centers concentrating on developmental disabilities and serious mental health conditions, including autistic spectrum disorder, intellectual disabilities, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depressive disorders. Her work in those settings also involved forensic responsibilities, such as offering expert testimony for recommitment hearings and conducting competency evaluations and training.

Since relocating from California, Dr. Gandolfo has continued community-focused efforts by volunteering with a fire department Critical Incident Stress Management team, mentoring women reentering the community after incarceration, and serving as a Court Appointed Special Advocate. Much of her volunteer work has centered on trauma response and suicide risk. She holds state psychology licenses in Arizona and California - AZ Psychologist PSY-005279 and CA Psychologist 16933 - reflecting her qualifications to practice as a clinical psychologist in those states.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care with Dr. Gandolfo

Dr. Carol Gandolfo integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Trauma-Focused Therapy into her practice. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, helps people identify and shift unhelpful thinking patterns and behaviors that contribute to stress, anxiety, depression, or relationship difficulties. Trauma-Focused Therapy concentrates on processing traumatic events and reducing their ongoing emotional impact, and it is often used when past trauma, post-traumatic stress, or suicidality are part of a person’s history.

She also draws on Solution-Focused Therapy to help clients set clear, achievable goals and build practical steps toward change. That approach is brief and goal-oriented, useful for addressing specific problems like communication challenges, parenting concerns, or coping with life transitions. Determining the right combination of approaches is a collaborative process. Dr. Gandolfo works with each person to assess needs, preferences, and goals, and she adjusts methods as therapy progresses so the approach fits the individual.

Online therapy with Dr. Gandolfo is offered through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, providing flexibility for busy schedules and varying comfort levels. These options make it possible to connect with licensed professionals and therapists from different locations, support continuity of care during life changes, and allow people to engage in therapy in ways that best suit their routines and communication styles.