Testimonials

Writing Clients

There is truly no dollar amount that I can place on the feeling of fulfillment and satisfaction of getting my pieces widely read and taking my writing seriously for the first time in my life. Working with Gila has been exactly what I needed - and more than I dreamed possible. One of the things I deeply appreciate in Gila is how well she knows not just the craft of writing, but the logistics of the trade. In our first few sessions she coached me in improving two pieces I'd started a while ago. Then she walked me through the steps of selecting publications, finding editors' contact information, and pitching each piece. Amazingly, each piece was accepted in a great publication within a few weeks! I am excited to continue working with Gila as I finally fulfill a longtime dream of taking my own writing seriously.
- Shoshana F., Rabbi

Not only is Gila kind and empathetic, she is an incredibly skilled as a writer and coach. She asked the right questions to understand my goals to take my writing to the next level, and guided me to the best way to move both my writing and my writing career forward. I feel that I have a much better grasp now of the type of writing I want to do, and the skills and ability to execute it. I learned a lot from working with Gila, and definitely look forward to collaborating with her again.
- Sarah L., Writer and Marketing Advisor

Gila was tremendously helpful in working with me on my personal essay. She was able to identify and articulate my thesis immediately, and we went through each part of it, paragraph by paragraph, and identified specific instances where the writing or the ideas behind them could be clarified, deepened, expanded, or minimized. After the consultation, I walked away confident that my essay was dramatically improved, and was excited to begin the revision process. Given her extensive experience as a writer and freelancer, she also had great advice on how to make my essay suitable for publication. I look forward to working with her on my other writing projects as well.
- Charles F., Physician

Gila creates a thoughtful and safe container to do powerful, curious inquiry and self-reflection paired with high quality technique. She strikes a perfect balance of cheerleader and ally, supportive, encouraging, and real. She is a passionately aspirational writer and teacher who can't wait to see what you think of these five essays she loves. I gained great exposure to new writers, types of writing, and techniques. She is deeply committed to supporting you on your journey as a technically adept writer, a publishable essayist, and as a whole, messy, and beautiful human being.  
- Julie A., Community Organizer

Gila is such a thoughtful, open and warm teacher and facilitator; she transformed a Zoom room into something more like a living room salon. The readings were new to me and provocative. The writing prompts were so generative and invited me to bring forth important scenes and moments that had been dormant in my memory. I loved this class. I now have snippets and passages of writing that I would really like to flesh out, and some readings I would love to dive deeper into.
- Luling Osofsky, writer

I have gained interest in - and opportunity to - spend my own time more creatively. I have gained an appreciation for the experience of motherhood because the reading, writing, and reflections shared added so much richness and texture to the daily work and joy of mothering. I feel I've gained a way to look at my life more creatively. Gila is so generous with her own impressions and sharing, and she’s supportive and positive in response to everyone's writing.
- G.S., therapist

Gila chose amazing readings – I want to go back to so many of the pieces and read more – and she created such thoughtful class themes. The writing prompts were wonderful, and it was nice to have time both to write and discuss during class. I loved gathering with a small group of mothers at different points in their mothering journeys. Gila helped create a very easy, warm, and supportive environment. The class added depth and nuance to my understanding of motherhood, and gave me a window into the riches of writing on the topic. It still feels like a challenging topic for me to write about, but I feel more convinced that it's possible to do well.
-  Liz Aeschlimann, Interfaith Chaplain and Nonprofit Consultant

In Gila's class was the first time I felt comfortable to write vulnerably and about content I have always wanted to explore. I can definitively say, during her course, I grew the most as a writer. This growth was thanks to Gila's lectures and feedback and I am more than grateful. She has been such an understanding and encouraging teacher. I could gush further but I'd rather stop while I'm ahead.
-  Alex N., Student

As an MFA student, I’m accustomed to receiving feedback from other students and professors regarding my work. However, Gila’s feedback—on both the granular and the macro level—was more nuanced and incisive than what I normally receive. She quickly identified areas within the story where one or more elements could be clarified or expounded upon. Instead of simply prescribing a solution, she asked thoughtful questions and allowed me to explain what I was trying to accomplish with a given character or plot point. She then provided insightful feedback regarding ways in which to better implement my vision for the story. I left the our meeting with renewed enthusiasm for drafting my stories.
- Alicia M., Editor & MFA Student

This course was my first time participating in a writing workshop, and it's crazy, I didn't know I was capable of the type of writing we were creating. It was a perfect balance of reading, writing and sharing. It was definitely worth the time and money, and I would love to participate in one again. 
 - Austin B., Finance Associate

Taking Gila's Motherhood and Writing Class was exactly what I needed. The writing prompts and set time to just write - this was the highlight of my week every week. I also loved the outside class reading. I discovered pieces and authors I would have never come across. Motherhood has been so isolating and to be able to connect with other mothers each week to take time to be creative was a breath of fresh air. Holding the time and space each week was profound, and a reminder to just sit and write even if it's a few minutes a week. Highlights of this class included the exercises to write about different topics, the readings each week, and connecting with other mothers that had so much wisdom, empathy, and joy. I look forward to taking more classes with Gila and expanding my writing portfolio.
- Sandra G, mom of an amazing toddler

 Gila is such a wonderful teacher and facilitator of the community writing experience. I loved the writing course I took about motherhood. The writers she included in the reading were wonderful, and the mothers taking the class were all wonderful writers in their own right. It was a fantastic womb of writing about our experiences. Thank you, Gila!
- Carmella Guiol, writer

Anxiety Clients

I really enjoyed talking with Gila and found her to be particularly helpful because she is both supportive and practical. Gila explained really complex scientific concepts in an easy-to-understand format that really resonated with me and helped things click into place. For instance, learning that once the "lizard brain" that controls anxiety kicks in, our prefrontal cortex turns off, which is why rational thought becomes so hard in the midst of a panic attack. Who knew?! She also gave some really simple, practical tips for dealing with anxiety and panic, like a simple phone app or finger tapping technique to distract my anxious brain. More than anything it was just really nice to talk to someone who understood what I've been going through and could relate. I've found my anxiety to have improved significantly, and I credit a lot of that to the knowledge I gained from talking to Gila and feeling more confident in my ability to handle my anxiety symptoms as they come up.

M. M., Lawyer

I found Gila's calm demeanor and informed point of view incredibly comforting. Seeing and hearing someone who experienced something so similar to me explain that everything I was saying was normal, I'm not losing it, was incredibly helpful. Learning more about the science of my symptoms was a game changer. She helped ease my fears around the derealization I've been experiencing, which is a key component to alleviating it altogether. The follow-up email I received from Gila was full of helpful tools and information to keep me progressing through my recovery process and was above and beyond anything ever provided to me from the many doctors and therapists I've seen in the past. Since speaking with Gila, my fear has continued to diminish and my symptoms have started to alleviate. I've prioritized relaxing my mind and body and am encouraged by the continual progress I'm seeing on a daily and weekly basis. It's also comforting to know I have someone to reach out to if things were to get bad again.

A.C., Copywriter 

I have seen a ton of changes since I started talking to Gila. It was very helpful to know scientifically what was happening to me, because then I knew that I wasn't going insane, it was just a chemical imbalance/surplus. Not only was just talking to someone that deals with the same thing I have helpful, but also the tips and emails were very helpful. If I ever needed reassurance, I look back at her emails which helped because I can't always think straight when I'm in the moment. When I have something written down, it helps a lot. It is very helpful to know that many other people deal with depersonalization, that way I know that I'm not alone. The changes I've seen consist of being able to think more positively, training myself to know what to do when I'm feeling anxious, and being able to know that I can get through the episode. 

R.L, High School student

Thank you so much, Gila. Talking to you has made me feel so much better and words can not describe how much I appreciate the work with you. I have made so much progress I now want to help others deal with their anxiety.

R.K., college student