Hi! My name is Christina, and I am a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) from Illinois. I graduated from Roosevelt University with both my Bachelor's and Master's degrees. I have been providing counseling/psychotherapy for the past 8+ years to clients in Illinois and currently see all clients virtually. I am passionate about working with adult clients who are in early adulthood (18-35). As a therapist who often works with this age group, I frequently see clients who could use extra support but also want to take action by finding solutions for their concerns and/or wish to find more effective methods to cope with what’s bothering them. I commonly work with clients who are going through a big life transition or are trying to cope with significant life changes. Frequent concerns that tend to pop up in my work with clients include anxiety, depression, stress, overwhelm, irritability, low motivation, feeling "stuck", problems sleeping and burnout. I also support clients with perfectionism, health concerns, grief/loss, poor work-life balance, difficulties boundary setting, and/or a desire to communicate more effectively.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
Research suggests that the most important vehicle for change in psychotherapy is the client-therapist relationship. Therefore, our first session will be focused on building rapport and getting to know each other. I want to get to know you as a person, not just what brings you in! It may feel a little bit weird to talk about yourself, but I am here to listen and am eager to learn about you. We will also discuss what brings you into therapy. Of course, I will share a little bit about myself (professionally) and how I can help. We will end the session with identifying some provisional treatment goals, answering any questions you may have, and discussing next steps (like scheduling).
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
One of my greatest strengths as a therapist is meeting clients where they’re currently at in their mental health journey. For me, meeting a client where they are means honoring and respecting them where they’re at in their journey as opposed to where I think they “should” be. This allows you to have more autonomy over what therapy looks like, how it unfolds, and the overall pace of the process. As a therapist, I believe that clients are experts of their own lives and value your say in this process. I also think meeting a client where they’re at sets the stage for individualized care (which is something I very much value as a therapist).