Recognizing patterns and applying actionable techniques for change is the cornerstone of our work together. I customize an emotional insight approach, cognitive-behavior structure, and mind-body tools for each client. We can safely explore how trauma and family patterns may have seeded beliefs and feelings that no longer serve the life you are striving to live. My neurobehavioral training informs how I partner with you to shift thinking, feeling, and reactivity, positively impacting self-esteem and relationships. Between sessions, tools are offered for ongoing continuity.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
You may be new to therapy or may have tried it before. Either way, I will meet you where you are at to begin the journey of insight, understanding, self-care, and actions that can move you closer to a life that reflects your deepest desires and aspirations. I honor and recognize that each of us has a unique history, path, and process. I work in the here and now and utilize historical experience, as needed, to highlight the link between old patterns that may not serve you and new behaviors that we want to implement.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
The combination of my experience and education in both the therapeutic world and mind-body medicine enables me to offer deep tools to shift. I am warm and approachable and bring openness and acceptance to our work. My years of creating programs related to relationships, boundaries, self-esteem, mind-body tools, addiction process, and couples work enables me to not just "hold space" for you but to offer tools to implement to support the changes you want to make.
About Christina Cowger
Specializes in
Serves ages
Licensed in
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Appointments
VirtualMy treatment methods
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I will help you work out how to change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors and wrangle in the "inner critic". After identifying what you can change, I will suggest practicing these changes in your daily life with worksheet-type tools. This may involve replacing automatic thinking patterns with new and more helpful ones
Attachment-based
I co-created a women's residential program based on attachment trauma and developing healthy boundaries to learn to attach in ways that maintain a sense of safety. Issues such as co-dependence, anxious attachment and avoidant attachments are explored, and strategies for new ways of being relational are developed.
Couples Counseling
I have over 15 years working intensely with couples. I taught couples classes at Kaiser years ago. I have worked with couples trying to re-start a marriage, repair infidelity, and generally find new ways of "hearing" and engaging to begin to experience the partner in new ways. I do often give homework ideas between appointments to keep continuity with the progress.
Solution Focused Brief Treatment
Much of my work is about offering tools to make changes. I often work with people for 6-12 months with the suggestion to space out sessions to practice. Eventually, clients launch and may come back years later for a tune-up or to process new and challenging life events.
Mind-body approach
I have 20 years of working with mind-body health. I have studied and trained physicians on the intersection of the body (nervous system, hormones, immune) and the interplay between neurotransmitters and stress hormones. I have researched and written on the topic. I utilize this in therapy as a backdrop when anxiety is present as well as when low mood is present. Some psychoeducational may be introduced to help with both an understanding and intervention.