Cristina Primerano
Life doesn't usually fall apart all at once. More often it's anxiety that's built up over time, a depression that's dulled things, or a sense that you've lost track of what you actually want. I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 11 years of clinical experience, licensed in New Jersey, Oregon, and Vermont. I work with anxiety, depression, relationship issues, life transitions, and trauma.
I use evidence-based approaches like CBT, trauma-informed care, and mindfulness-based techniques, but I adapt everything to what makes sense for you.
My approach draws primarily on CBT and trauma-informed care, along with mindfulness and other modalities depending on what's useful for a given client. Some sessions focus on concrete coping skills. Others involve working through something more difficult, or examining a pattern that's been shaping your life without much scrutiny. I don't give generic advice or push goals that aren't yours. My role is to help you see what you're already capable of, challenge thinking that keeps you stuck, and work toward a life that fits you. You're the expert on your own life. I bring the clinical tools and perspective.
First session
Starting therapy is uncertain territory. You might not know what to say or whether it'll help. The first session isn't about having it figured out, it's just a chance to meet. Beforehand, you'll fill out a few forms: consent, privacy, a short intake questionnaire. Not exciting, but it gives me a starting point. We'll cover confidentiality, insurance, and logistics early on so the practical stuff is out of the way. When we meet, you can start wherever feels right, a specific issue, a vague sense something's off, or "I'm not sure." From there we'll talk through what's going on: your routine, relationships, stressors, whatever seems relevant. My questions are meant to understand your situation, not interrogate you. I'll also check in on safety, whether anything urgent is going on, so we know what kind of support you need right now. I'll say a bit about how I work: mainly CBT and trauma-informed approaches, with other tools depending on what fits. Therapy is collaborative. You bring the experience, I bring perspective and structure. Toward the end we'll talk next steps: how often to meet, what to focus on first, anything to try in between. You don't need to walk in with anything sorted out. My job is to understand what's going on, not judge it. First session is just a start.
Strengths
I think my biggest strength is that I actually listen, not just to what someone says but what they're not saying. I meet people where they're at instead of where I think they should be, and that's usually what gets someone to open up instead of just performing for me. I also don't rattle easily. Someone can bring me something heavy or chaotic and I stay level, which means I can actually think instead of just reacting. I'd rather sit in a hard conversation than steer around it. I've gotten pretty good at rolling with things not going as planned, in sessions and outside them, and I think that helps clients relax a little, like they don't have to have it all figured out either. I also try to show up as a real person instead of playing "therapist," and I think that gives people permission to drop the act too. And I'm persistent. I don't give up on people, or on the idea that things can actually get better, even when the change is slow.
Ideal clients
My ideal clients are people ready to be honest with themselves, even if they're not sure yet what they need. A lot of them have been coping for a long time and something's telling them it's time for that to change: anxiety, disconnection, old patterns that stopped working. Some are in the middle of a transition, a breakup, a career change, a loss, or just the realization that the way they've been living doesn't fit anymore. I work best with people who want to understand themselves, not just get a quick fix. "I keep ending up in the same situations" is a familiar sentence. They're curious about why, even when that's uncomfortable, and they're willing to sit with some uncertainty before things get clearer. They also tend to be people who've spent years taking care of everyone else and lost track of their own needs, or who are dealing with burnout or trauma and are stuck between wanting change and being afraid of it. They don't need me to sugarcoat anything. They want someone honest and grounded, and they're willing to do the harder, slower work instead of settling for surface-level coping strategies.
Treatment methods
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
CBT is used to implement behavioral change and see fast and lasting results.
Acceptance and commitment (ACT)
ACT is used to creatively address behaviors that don't serve us.
Supportive
Supportive counseling is used to ensure that clients have non judgemental unconditional positive regard when working on sensitive issues in therapy.
Motivational Interviewing
MI is used to identify and resolve ambivalence around big life decisions.
Location
Virtual sessions
Identifies as
Top specialties
Other specialties
Serves
Doesn't specialize in
Licensed in
- New JerseyLicense 44SC06109400
- OregonLicense L10312
- VermontLicense 089.0135977