LCSW, 5 years of experience
New to Grow
Hello, my name is Christina H. I have been a therapist since 2020 but I have been in the mental health field since 2016. I am a wife and mother of 4 children ranging in age from 18 to 1 year old. I work at a community mental health agency full-time working with adults with severe mental illnesses so I like to say I am very well rounded due to the diverse issues that I encounter and help clients with on a daily basis. I enjoy working with many populations but my favorites would have to be young people who are trying to figure out who they are, people dealing with life changes and trying to cope effectively, and people who just need help getting through the day to day stressors with some support. Whatever your issue may be, I am up for the challenge and hope I can help to make things better for you!
During our first session, we will most likely have some initial intake paperwork that will need completed. This will also be a time for us to get to know each other. I will be asking you questions about what brings you to therapy, your mental health history, family history, what has worked or not worked for you in the past, your current coping skills, etc. I will also spend time getting to know personal things about you so we can see if we will be a good fit for one another and want to move forward with treatment. After we get initial paperwork done, I envision it to be a pretty laid back session laying out your goals for treatment and how we can accomplish these together.
I am very person centered and like to exhibit positive regard for all clients no matter their background or experiences. I am a good listener and clients can feel comfortable venting to me even if they do not necessarily want solutions. I do like to problem solve and also offer clients a different perspective regarding situations they are struggling with or may feel stuck about. If I do not know a certain technique, approach, type of therapy, I am open to attending trainings or doing research to become educated on these or even referring you out to someone who is well versed in that area. I want the best for my clients even if that may not be with me.
If you are at a point in your life where you feel stuck and don't know which way to go; if you need encouragement or someone to help you recognize your strengths; if you just need someone to talk/ vent to because you do not have a safe, unbiased person in your life; if you need someone to help you sort out your goals and hold you accountable, I am here for that.
I use CBT on a daily basis to help people identify and challenge unhelpful thinking and behaviors in order to improve the quality of their lives.
I use DBT to help patients regulate emotions, improve interpersonal relationships, communicate more effectively, and reduce harmful behaviors.
I use motivational interviewing to help patients identify why they want to make changes in their lives and give them the boost they need to enact change.
I help patients focus in on their strengths and how they can use them to improve areas of their lives.
I have some experience with couples and helping them to manage everyday stressors within their relationships and come to compromises.