I am a Licensed Professional Counselor with more than a decade of experience in the mental health field. I am passionate about helping individuals address unresolved trauma, life transitions, and life stressors to achieve optimal wellness in multiple areas of their lives. I practice evidence-based practices and I am engaged in continuous exploration of research of effective therapy interventions. I wish all prospective clients knew that the achievement of serenity and contentment is attainable for everyone and at any age. I wish they knew that psychotherapy can be a very rewarding endeavor that will help them in gaining perspectives, finding unexpected solutions, building life-long personal resilience, and allowing positive transformation in all aspects of life. At this time, I am no longer accepting couples, only individual psychotherapy.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
Any client, on their first session with me, can expect a safe and compassionate relational context where they can begin expressing their emotional narrative. A client can also expect needed encouragement, legitimate and honest reassurance and, when appropriate, a bit of sense of humor. During a first session, I focus on building a trusting partnership (therapeutic relationship) with my client. I want my client to understand that he/she/they can be heard. I also want my client to trust that, through an appropriate therapeutic process, there is much hope for the achievement of positive change. During the first session, I also provide psychoeducation on important aspects of the therapy process.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
Prior to becoming a counselor, I completed my graduate studies in Anthropology and worked as an anthropologist. My personal, academic and professional experience guide my practice, whereby I am suited to help clients with diverse backgrounds. I utilize integrated approaches to psychotherapy, combining CBT and psychodynamic approaches. I am trained in AEDP (accelerated experiential dynamic psychotherapy).
About Cristina Piastrini
Serves ages
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VirtualMy treatment methods
Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP)
(I am no longer accepting couples). When practiced by a trained therapist, AEDP is an effective, research-based practice that aims at exploring and reprocessing long-standing and unresolved psychological dynamics so to provide long-term relief to a variety of mental health symptoms. AEDP is effective for individuals and couples, and can effectively be practiced in tele therapy as well as in-person settings. In my practice, I provide a safe context where clients can address psychological unresolved dynamics. I often see the sense of relief that my clients express when they are able to reconnect to and reprocess psychological dynamics that, often unconsciously, had impacted their sense of well being for a long time.
Attachment-based
(I am no longer accepting couples). Attachment-Based therapy can provide long-term resolution to mental health symptoms deriving from residual effects of traumatic or inadequate early relationships. This type of therapy is appropriate for both individuals and couples. At this time, I am not accepting couples.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
(I am no longer accepting couples). One of the most effective types of psychotherapy, CBT aims at reducing a wide range of mental health symptoms by exploring and changing unhealthy ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving. With CBT, clients can learn tools and coping skills that they can practice so to achieve improvement of symptoms in therapy and as life-long self-help. CBT does not need to be a mechanical and rigid practice. In my practice, I help my clients achieve changes in accordance with their sense of personal authentic selves and in accordance with what really inspires them to engage in a process of change.
Culturally Sensitive Therapy
Every client represents a distinct and fluid cultural context. In my practice, I am committed to explore, respect, and honor all cultural backgrounds. My academic experience in anthropology helps in my therapy practice.