Hi! I'm Cristina Marra, LMFT. I have 15+ years of experience. I like to help adults and adolescents deal with life's challenges. I help mostly with depression and/or anxiety. My therapeutic approach depends upon the presenting problem and client. The approaches I rely on the most are client-centered, cognitive behavioral therapy, mindfulness, and EMDR, as needed. I enjoy helping people by listening in a way that the client feels heard and understood. This then allows for better work to happen as strategies and coping tools are developed. I enjoy working with many different types of issues as we are all complex. My communication style I believe in, an open, caring, honest, and direct style of communication. I don't believe any subject is off the table.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
The first session is about getting to know your background and what brings you to therapy. We will jointly begin to peel back the onion and start to understand not only how your background may have shaped you but also how currently held beliefs may be impacting the current situation. The first session is the beginning of a productive journey and healing partnership. I applaud you for taking the first step to feeling better.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
Clients seem to feel very comfortable with me and that is very important in therapy. Creating a safe space in which clients can be themselves and explore their thoughts and feelings is critical to healing. The "magic" in therapy, as I see it, comes from the relationship that exists between therapist and client. It is through this relationship that presenting issues can be understood and worked with. In addition to creating a safe space, my varied experiences allow me to relate to a lot of different clients. I am multi-cultural, have worked in various settings (including corporate America for many years), and have held many roles.