ABOUT
About Cathexis
THE TEAM
Justin DeGarbo
Founder and Clinical Director
MA, AMFT #155093
Associate Marriage & Family Therapist working in residential treatment in Los Angeles. Built Cathexis from the ground up — clinical framework, neuroscience architecture, and every line of swift.
Ioana DeGarbo
Co-Founder & COO
Chief Operating Officer
THE STORY
I grew up in a small town in southern Colorado. In the winter of 2012, I asked for help. I’ve been in recovery ever since.
I wanted to understand what had happened inside my body. That question pulled me into the mental health field — residential treatment in Los Angeles, then Pepperdine.
I earned my Master’s in Clinical Psychology in 2025. I now work as a Primary Therapist. AMFT.
The people who got better were the ones who learned to read their own bodies. Access was the problem.
The Human Experience Framework began as the clinical foundation for the Cathexis App. It now stands on its own as a published framework.
That’s Cathexis.
CREDENTIALS
Justin DeGarbo
Education
MA, Clinical Psychology — Pepperdine University, Graduate School of Education and Psychology (2022-2025)
Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor Certification — Loyola Marymount University (2020)
BA, English — Colorado State University Pueblo (2007-2010)
AS, Business + AS, Biology/Chemistry — Trinidad State College (2005-2007)
Licensure
Associate Marriage and Family Therapist • AMFT #155093 • California Board of Behavioral Sciences • Issued May 2025
Clinical Experience
Primary Therapist — Purposes Recovery (Jul 2025 - Present)
MFT Trainee — OPICA Adult Day Program (Apr 2024-May 2025)
Program Manager — Lightfully Behavioral Health (Mar 2022 - Jun 2024)
Resident Advisor / Counselor — The Pointe Malibu (Nov 2017 - Feb 2022)
Client Services — Soba Recovery Center, Malibu (Dec 2013 - Dec 2016)
Theoretical Foundations
Barrett (constructed emotion), Friston (predictive processing), Panksepp (primary affect systems), Damasio (somatic markers), Nader/Schiller/Ecker (memory reconsolidating), Solms (Neuropsychoanalysis).
Ioana DeGarbo
Education
New York University
Professional Experience
Advisory Managing Director — CohnReznick LLP (Present). Financial due diligence for corporate and private equity M&A.
Director, CFO & M&A Advisor — Buxbaum Healthcare Services.
Senior Associate — KPMG, Audit and advisory services.
Senior Associate — RSM US. Audit and assurance services.
Specializations
Healthcare M&A and due diligence. Earnings quality analysis. Working capital assessment. Financial reporting evaluation. Carve-out financial statement preparation.