About me

I am Kristian Gambardella (he/him) and I'm happy to connect with you! I am a neurospicy white queer trans man. I have supported children and youth of all ages as a social worker, therapist, and non-profit project director. I care deeply about building community spaces for trans youth and their families to find connection and belonging.

My journey into coaching grew from my clinical background and passion for helping youth & families navigate change. I earned my master's degree in Social Work at Silberman School of Social Work focusing on Clinical Practice with Individuals, Families, and Groups. While at Silberman, I completed an advanced year-long child trauma educational program developed by the National Child Traumatic Stress Network. I have worked in clinical settings including UCSF Child and Adolescent Gender Center and Kaiser Permanente Child & Family Psychiatry at Oakland and Richmond.

I founded BASTA with the belief that we all deserve to feel enough, and that sometimes, when we've simply had enough, we need a little extra support to get unstuck and move forward. The word "basta" is borrowed from Spanish and Italian languages; is often spoken with conviction to mean 'that's enough' or 'stop it.' For me, it represents more than a connection to my Italian cultural background. It captures the heart of what BASTA stands for: enoughness, self-advocacy and the readiness to create change

I bring my full silly caring self into coaching & mentoring. I am a cancer crab to my core and feel most free in the water. Community care, sunsets, boogie boarding, time with my ball-obsessed pup, and supporting postpartum yoga classes as a baby holder are what's carrying me through this challenging chapter.

Image description: Kristian is a white trans man with short brown curly hair and a beard. He is standing in front of a blank wall. He is wearing a denim shirt and necklace with a ring and has a watch and yarn bracelet on. He is smiling and holding a wooden fidget toy.