Meet Gina

Gina Castle

Gina came to the counseling profession after 17 years in Academia where she earned her PhD and worked as a Tenured Professor of Communication. Gina graduated from Richmont Graduate University with a MA degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling in May 2025 and joined Maverick as an Pre-Licensed Associate Professional Counselor, APC Applied For. She is supervised by Dr. Laura Land.

Gina is passionate about working with couples. She enjoys working in affair recovery, reconciliation, and helping long-term couples reconnect. She partners with couples and explores unhelpful communication patterns, past pain, and deeply rooted patterns to understand and identify their impact on their relationships. She helps couples learn new tools and strategies for enhanced connection, intimacy, and for doing conflict well.

Gina is skilled in working with individuals who struggle relationally and instead display selfishness, lack of empathy, or who with struggle with rigidly wanting to be right.

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MA: Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Richmont Graduate University, May 2025
PhD: Doctor of Philosophy in Human Communication, George Mason University, 2012
MA: Interpersonal Communication Theory, University of Central Florida, 2008
BA: Interpersonal Communication and Political Science, University of Central Florida, 2006
Women’s Discipleship Intern, Central Florida Wesley Foundation, 2006-2007
Trained in Gottman Level 1, for Couples Therapy
Trained in Gottman, Treating Affairs & Trauma
Training in Gottman Level 2, for Couples Therapy
Training in Relational Life Therapy
Training in Relational Life Therapy: Working with Grandiosity

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Experience

Prior to her career change Mental Health Counseling, Gina earned her PhD and worked in academia as a College Professor of Interpersonal and Intercultural Communication and earned tenure at St John’s University in NYC in 2020. After relocating to Marietta later in 2020 to be near family and raise her son, Gina taught at Kennesaw State University, teaching classes in interpersonal communication, with an emphasis on family, friendship, and romantic communication. She left academia in 2023.

During her time as a Professor, Gina was a widely published scholar. She published peer-reviewed journal articles on active listening as a method for improving communication, fostering empathy, and reducing conflict. Additionally, she has published 2 books and 27 total journal articles/book chapters on race-related social justice issues, microaggressions, and intercultural communication tensions.

Gina is also experienced in and passionate about working with C-Suite Executive couples. She is knowledgeable and familiar with the unique pressures, stresses, and opportunities impacting connection and satisfaction when one or both partners is a C-Suite Executive.

Her experience and passion for helping individuals and couples thrive relationally, combined with her experience in communication, make her an excellent support to Maverick clients.

Gina believes deeply in the power of communication and connection as the foundation of thriving relationships. Drawing from her extensive academic background in interpersonal and intercultural communication, Gina’s counseling philosophy is rooted in understanding, empathy, and intentionality. She is committed to creating a space where clients can feel safe to explore their emotions, confront challenges, and find healing.

Ideal

Personal

Gina grew up in Orlando. She relocated to Georgia in 2020 after spending 17 years in the Northeast. She lives with her son and her partner in Marietta. Together, they enjoy watching Jacksonville Jaguars & GA football, hiking with their golden retriever, movie nights, beach & mountain vacations, house DIY, gardening, long walks, and brunch after church on Sundays.

Gina practices counseling with a faith-based approach, allowing each client to determine the level of spiritual integration in their sessions. She supports clients in choosing how much they wish to incorporate faith into their personal growth and healing, without imposing specific spiritual beliefs. For those who choose Christian counseling, Gina uses biblical principles to help individuals, couples, and families address life’s challenges. Her mission is to reflect Christ’s love, compassion, and honesty while supporting clients in their relationship with God. She values both psychological research and the timeless wisdom of scripture in guiding the healing process.