About Gabriela
Connect with Gabriela
Gabriela Zapata-Alma, LCSW, CADC, (they/elle) is a liberation-centered bilingual, multicultural clinician, speaker, author, educator, and national subject matter expert with 20 years’ experience serving individuals and communities impacted by interpersonal and structural violence.
In addition to their boutique practice, GZA INK, Gabriela serves as the Associate Director of the National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma, and Mental Health, as well as holds a halftime appointment with the University of Chicago, where they direct the Alcohol and Other Drug Counselor Training Program within the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice.
Gabriela is known for their visionary leadership and unwavering commitment to healing and justice, shaping trauma-informed, survivor-centered practices on a national scale. They have led human rights-based initiatives that have driven systemic change, bringing a uniquely integrative lens that bridges clinical practice, academic rigor, and policy advocacy. Their leadership spans numerous national boards and advisory councils, and their work includes co-developing national toolkits, curricula, and best practice guidelines — always centering the lived and living experiences of survivors.
As a frequent keynote speaker and published author, Gabriela’s voice is grounded in both expertise and experience. A survivor themself, they center survivor-led solutions, non-pathologizing approaches, and intergenerational healing in all they do.
Gabriela is honored to provide their expertise to policymakers seeking consultation on how to make proposed legislation more effective for supporting equity and justice, particularly for underserved populations and those impacted by trauma, marginalization, oppression, and structural violence.
Their expertise and authorship have been included in multiple projects implemented by the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation, as well as by the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform under Rep. Elijah Cummings and later, Rep. Carolyn Maloney.
Awards & Recognitions
They have been recognized with numerous awards, including:
Health & Medicine Policy Research Group’s Health Award
Awarded for their work providing trauma-informed supportive housing as well as addressing the criminalization of marginalized communities in communities disproportionately impacted by overdose.
The Rising Star Award from the Illinois chapter of the National Association for Addiction Professionals (NAADAC)
Awarded in recognition of their leadership in developing and implementing trauma-informed, harm reduction-based care for substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health conditions.