LCSW, 3 years of experience
New to Grow
Hi, I am Cristina! I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with 6 years of overall experience, 3 with a focus on therapy. I have experience working with children and adolescents, foster care experiences, LGBTQ+ individuals, and young adults. Working within a hospital setting, I have worked with clients of various diagnoses and chronic experiences, with a particular focus on hearing loss. As a therapist, it is not my role to be the expert in your life, but to guide you to help you master the challenges that life throws at us all.
Our first session will touch upon a few things. We will start with introductions, along with information on policies and consents. We will dive into what brings you into therapy and tailor our treatment plan to you and your needs. The most important part of the first session is establishing rapport and ensuring that we are a good fit with each other. I use an easy going and low-pressure approach, and strive for the client to feel comfortable to open up and speak freely.
I am neurodivergent, which has allowed me a unique perspective and allows me to connect with client experiences at a deeper level. I am very laid back, and try to adjust my approach to what will work best with my clients.
My preferred clients are adolescents and young adults who are traversing through the struggles that come with age and new life experiences. It is important that the client wants to take an active role in their mental health and is open to exploring their thought processes and experiences.
I work to help clients identify and challenge negative thought patterns and behaviors. We will work together to learn coping strategies that work for the individual, considering everything going on in one's life.
My goal in gender-affirming therapy is to support the client in being authentically themselves, affirming their identity, and going through various aspects of their life, considering any effects on their physical, emotional, and social well-being.
Using a client's strengths and circumstances, the client will work to create solutions to address problems they identify. Focus will be on moving forward and not dwelling in the past, highlighting what is within our power to change.