I am a therapist who believes that you know what you want, and what is best for you, but you do not know how to do this and you, me, we all are up against serious life obstacles and could benefit from a caring, realistic, genuine and honest feedback, suggestions, ideas that actually may work towards what it is you may be living, surviving and wanting more for yourself and life. I am open to whatever is possible, will seek new and creative methods for treatment with the ultimate goal -to reduce suffering. I will advocate for what you want for yourself and will provide you the utmost dignity and respect while we explore and figure out together, your wellness path.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
Our first session will provide you an opportunity to meet with me and choose if you feel comfortable and just and overall 'good vibe'. I will ask you what you want to get out of therapy and as equally important, what you do not want from therapy and what are your expectations of me as your therapist. We are a team, yet I work for you.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
I think it is the diversity of people, places, organizations, etc. that I have been a part of as a therapist over the past 20 years. I also believe being a forensic interviewer has allowed me to be a part of humanity in ways that other therapists may not have experienced. It has humbled me and brought me a greater perspective that what I do as a therapist is and will never be 'about me' . I have enormous regard for the human experience and want to use all my abilities to provide support and empower each individual to be able to have more control and self-worth with their own path in this very short life we have.
Describe the client(s) you are best positioned to serve.
That they continue to be open to fear, to try for more, believe that they deserve (this may be a challenge for some, but it is important to believe that you deserve, or be open to trying to believe that you deserve) a life of love, happiness and support and that you can be completely in control of our process, and allow yourself to try again with someone that will work for you.
About Christina Steele-Lietz
Appointments
Virtual
My treatment methods
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I have been using CBT in practice for 8 years, with individuals, groups, all ages, and diversities. CBT is helpful for nearly every diagnoses and symptoms you can think of. It can help you identify and explore the ways your emotions and thoughts can affect your actions. Once you notice these patterns, you can begin learning how to change your behaviors and develop new coping strategies all towards the goal we all want- to feel better. No homework with me with the exception of trying to apply what it is you want to try from our sessions towards what it is you are wanting therapy to do for you and your life. Then we explore how that did or did not works with reducing stress, depression, anxiety, anger, grief, etc. and expand on that, or learn something different.
EMDR
This therapy aims to help you work through painful memories with your body’s natural functions to recover from the effects of trauma. If you feel like you have processed everything and that you have had therapy that may or may not have been helpful, but still feel like something is missing, that it could be and you want it to be better, then EMDR is something for you. This therapy aims to change the way that the traumatic memories are stored in your brain. Once your brain properly processes the memory, you should be able to remember the traumatic events without experiencing the intense, emotional reactions that is the most painful, disliked and disruptive part of life events /trauma. EMDR can supplement existing therapy or be done before engaging in traditional therapy modules.
Acceptance and commitment (ACT)
Acceptance does not mean it doesn't affect me or that I don't like it , or agree with it, I may even hate it, but it is about coping with the things that I cannot control, do not like, have undesired, even explosive (emotional or physical)reactions to. It is learning how to live with all of this and how to create healthy boundaries and help myself through these events, people, etc. ACT can help depersonalize, the very personal events of life and behaviors/actions of others and my own.
Mindfulness-Based Therapy
Mindfulness is not about clearing the mind, it is about filling the mind, with more of what you want to fill it with, while holding what you don't want to be there, in a protected but observed space. Mindfulness can feel really good and is not as hard as what you may have heard. It is about a balance of positive and negative and being a part of the negative in the way that provides respect and honor to the negative and learning how to have both in ways that do not completely overwhelm you.
Trauma-Focused CBT
CBT also has TF-CBT (Trauma focused). Trauma is whatever is an emotional response that is caused by a distressing event or series of events and do not have be 'big'. Trauma is unique and individual to each person. If something has occurred, or is occurring that interferes with how you feel and live the life you want to, CBT and TF-CBT will includes not only updating and reexamining the meaning of old memories and emotions, but also developing a new language with which to describe, experience, and understand the past and present.
