Hello! I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the state of Pennsylvania and have been in practice for approximately 8 years now. My passion is family-based therapy, which includes family counseling, couples counseling, co-caregiver alliance/ parenting work, and individual sessions. So many aspects of our daily lives are linked with those around us. Whether you want to do therapy alone or alongside someone else, it can be a wonderful tool to help people not only identify their main stressors, but also create a concrete plan to tackle them.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
During an intake session, you will probably hear me say something like... "I know this is not the fun part of therapy but it is important to gather background information to inform your treatment." I often find that when people do start therapy, they often appear very eager to get right into the 'nitty-gritty' details of what's been going on for them. I often try to pace clients and find a balance between getting the necessary background information while also allowing space to get things off their chest. During an intake session we will also review the recommended course of treatment, which includes a session schedule that is developed with both the clinician's and client's schedule in mind.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
I find connecting with others a very organic and enjoyable process. I often have clients tell me that our sessions feel like they're talking to a friend but yet they still feel like it's professional, helpful, and worthwhile. They tend to like my approach because they feel very comfortable, very quickly, and therefore are able to begin discussing and processing things quicker than they originally expected. I'm readily available and work hard to ensure that each client feels they're getting the support they need.
About Cristina Carosiello
Appointments
Virtual
My treatment methods
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
CBT is a helpful intervention implemented to identify negative thoughts, the coordinated feelings, and the consequential behaviors that clients often want to address. This technique can be discussed and processed in therapy and then clients can work at home through the core components of CBT in day-to-day life.
Faith based therapy
FBT is an extremely valuable treatment for children and families struggling with emotional and behavioral issues. I develop family therapy sessions around an ESFT (eco-systemic family therapy) approach where we work through different stages and pillars of treatment. These can include identifying the CNIP (core negative interactional pattern) of the child/parent/family interactions and then work on interventions to improve communication, attachments, and relationships. Identifying, gathering, and incorporating secondary support to the family is important to discuss and address. Improving executive functioning and the co-caregiver alliance (especially in divorced/ blended families) is pivotal to overall success and one of the first steps to a healthy family therapy course.
Couples Counseling
Oftentimes, couples seek counseling when they are at a fork in the road regarding their relationship. Whether they have been feeling 'stuck' for awhile in habitual patterns, a loss of intimacy (physical and/or emotional), or are trying to work through a challenging life event (infidelity, loss, job change, new child), having a third, unbiased party that can lend an ear, offer feedback, coach and model healthier communication, and even challenge current patterns could be the 'make it or break it' decision for a couple.
Trauma Informed Care
Trauma can come in many shapes, sizes, and varieties. Clients who have experienced trauma benefit most from therapy when they feel safe, unjudged, and supported. In order to work through trauma, it is imperative that the clinician and client develop a strong and collaborative working relationship where things can be explored at the client's own pace.
