Christina is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor, Nationally Certified Counselor and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional with a Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and seven years of experience in group and individual treatment. She has worked with individuals struggling with substance abuse issues, dual diagnosis, trauma, family of origin issues,and mental health issues including anxiety,
depression, and eating disorders. She is excited to be utilizing her exceptional experience as a Sarasota therapist.
She works to create a nurturing and warm environment that helps the client to achieve long-lasting improvements to help them meet personal goals. Christina believes in an individualized approach in which the relationship between the client and therapist is paramount.
This style can help individuals begin to process their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, work to uncover the sources of their distress and help to discover the unique coping skills that work best for them.
You can contact me directly by phone: (860) 417-8664 or by email at [email protected]
Theory of Change
I believe change is the process that takes place when an individual discovers a positive and powerful reason for developing and growing. Throughout the process of change, resistance and uncomfortable emotions can arise which is normal and expected. The human brain can perceive change as a threat, making it unsafe to explore change, leaving the individual stuck in his or her own maladaptive patterns. Therapy requires a safe space that is both accepting and free of judgment to help the client nurture themself and to ultimately, work through their barriers for change. Throughout therapy, it is essential that the client identify and feel emotions fully in order to effectively process and release or regulate them. Through this processing experience, the individual is able to tell their story, identify limiting beliefs, and validate their past experiences to build self-esteem and to work towards self-empowerment. I believe in fostering a strong and healthy therapeutic alliance that provides the client with safety, stability, and support. It is within this relationship that trust, empathy, congruence, and openness can lend to the individual increasing their understanding and furthering awareness around how their mind works and why it works the way that it does. Through this awareness, the individual can begin to work on grieving the losses in their life. This grieving process can lead to an acceptance of their situation and life circumstances. The client is then free to practice self-activation and work towards more effectively managing their lives. It is my belief that an individual must heal their past, to empower their present, to positively impact their future.