Christiana McConnell
Choosing to begin therapy is a courageous step. As a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in California, I provide a compassionate, grounded space where individuals and couples can explore challenges, heal from past wounds, and move toward meaningful change. I work with adults and couples navigating anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, life transitions, faith, and trauma. My approach is relational and collaborative — I believe healing happens within safe, attuned connections. Together, we’ll work to understand patterns that may be keeping you stuck, while building practical tools to support emotional regulation, communication, and self-understanding.
I have a background in behavioral therapy and have worked in several different settings including school, group settings, residential facilities, and private practice.
My work is informed by person-centered, cognitive behavioral, and attachment-based frameworks. I also integrate trauma-informed, psychodynamic, and existential perspectives, helping clients explore identity, purpose, and the deeper narratives shaping their lives. I obtained a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology with a specialization in Marriage and Family Therapy from Pepperdine University. I have a background in behavioral therapy and have worked in several different settings including school, group settings, residential facilities, and private practice. Whether you're feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, or simply seeking clarity, therapy can be a place to slow down and reconnect with yourself. My role is not to “fix” you, but to walk alongside you as you strengthen resilience, deepen insight, and move toward the life and relationships you want with yourself and others. I welcome clients from diverse cultural, spiritual, and relational backgrounds, and I am committed to creating an inclusive, affirming therapeutic environment. If you're ready to begin, I’d be honored to support you.
First session
The first therapy session is an opportunity for us to begin building a collaborative and supportive therapeutic relationship. During this session, we will discuss what is bringing you into therapy, explore your current concerns and experiences, identify your goals for treatment, and discuss potential therapeutic approaches and interventions. We will also talk about your expectations for therapy to ensure the process feels supportive, personalized, and aligned with your needs.
Strengths
One of my greatest strengths as a therapist is creating a space where clients can feel comfortable being fully themselves. I am personable, conversational, honest, and flexible, and I believe therapy works best when clients feel understood rather than judged. I value cultural awareness and the uniqueness of each person’s story, and I enjoy meeting clients where they are. My approach balances professional knowledge with a genuine human connection, sometimes using relatable anecdotes or lived insight to help clients feel supported, seen, and engaged in the therapeutic process.
Ideal clients
I enjoy working with clients who are reflective, open-minded, and ready to explore themselves on a deeper level. Many of my clients are navigating anxiety, depression, relationship difficulties, life transitions, identity questions, faith struggles, unresolved trauma, or patterns that no longer serve them. Often, they’re trying to figure out who they are outside of expectations, survival modes, people-pleasing, family dynamics, or cultural pressures. They want healthier boundaries, stronger self-esteem, emotional balance, deeper relationships, and a greater sense of confidence and authenticity. I work especially well with clients who value creativity, curiosity, insight, and meaningful conversation. Therapy with me is a collaborative space where we can explore patterns, emotions, relationships, cultural influences, and personal experiences while developing practical tools for growth, healing, and empowerment.
Treatment methods
Humanistic
From a humanistic perspective, I prioritize creating a warm, authentic, and nonjudgmental therapeutic relationship where clients feel seen, understood, and empowered.
Attachment-based
Through an attachment-based lens, I explore how early relational experiences and attachment dynamics may influence current relationships, self-esteem, emotional regulation, and connection with others.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
Using CBT interventions, I help clients identify unhelpful thought patterns, emotional responses, and behaviors while building practical coping skills and healthier ways of thinking.
Interpersonal
I incorporate interpersonal therapy techniques to explore how relationships, communication patterns, and social experiences impact emotional wellbeing.
Psychoanalytic
I integrate psychoanalytic and insight-oriented approaches to help clients understand underlying emotional conflicts, unconscious patterns, defense mechanisms, and recurring themes that may contribute to present difficulties. My goal is to support clients in gaining deeper insight while also providing practical tools for growth, healing, and lasting change.
Location
Virtual sessions
Identifies as
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Licensed in
- CaliforniaLicense 152556