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Christine Dassow, LMHC - Florida Therapist at Grow Therapy

Christine Dassow

Christine Dassow

(she/her)

LMHC
23 years of experience
Virtual

Hi! I'm a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and a National Certified Counselor doing therapy for 23 years. I've always worked in schools, with my last decade in a university counseling center so young adults are my specialized population. My specialty areas are anxiety/stress, ADHD, adjustment/life transitions, self-esteem, academic concerns, and personal development (identity, career, LGBTQIA+). One fun fact is that I'm a trained drumming facilitator so I love using music (and art) in therapy when you are open to it. For more information on me and my services, check out my website: https://imagine-change-counseling.com/

What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?

Your therapy sessions are tailored to your unique needs but every client will have a free 15 minute phone consultation (no video) where I’ll answer any questions you have, find out what brings to you therapy at this time of your life and what your concerns are that you’d like help with, and get you started on the confidential telehealth platforms I use. Next, an intake session will be scheduled. In this intake/first session, we’ll review your submitted paperwork about your history and current concerns and you’ll have already signed consent forms for therapy. This session is more information-gathering than future sessions, which are more exploratory. The best way for me to help you is to know your background so we can make a beneficial treatment plan of goals to reach together. Finally, we’ll have individual sessions. Woo hoo! In an individual session, I like to check in with how you’ve been doing since our last contact, explore concerns, work on new strategies together in session, and have you be able to take away an action step(s) for your relief. Sometimes this looks like thinking/growing awareness of self and sometimes this may mean trying out new behaviors, such as what we tried in session. Everything that occurs in session is agreed upon by both parties. After all, it’s your therapy time!

Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.

I genuinely love what I do and always wanted to be a therapist (from middle school age!). So, this comes through with you as my client, being authentic, helpful, kind, understanding, and helping you get to your next step. I always want you to feel heard and seen.

About Christine Dassow

Identifies as

Specializes in

Serves ages

Licensed in

Accepts

Appointments

Free consults, virtual

My treatment methods

Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)

I use a variety of methods in therapy, tailored to your needs, but CBT is used often. With CBT, we learn what unhealthy thinking patterns you may have that contribute to distressing feelings, then lead you to behave in ways you don't want. Changing your thoughts can help you change many other aspects in your life.

Humanistic

Humanistic therapy is a basis for all of my sessions due to it including Client-Centered Therapy. I'm non judgmental, empathy-focused, and believe you are the expert and I just facilitate the sessions. Existential and Gestalt therapies are also included in Humanistic Therapy, which are used as needed. Existential Therapy is a philosophy of life where you and I explore meaning, purpose, anxiety, loneliness, and isolation as themes (and which can trigger other concerns such as career distress). This is especially used for young adults struggling in certain areas since the 20s are a time of existential concerns and major life choices. Gestalt Therapy is about what's happening in the here and now. There's a few techniques I use when needed, but one I love to use is the empty chair technique, where you may speak to a person to gain clarity and healing while you pretend they are sitting in front of you.

Mindfulness-Based Therapy

I enjoy using mindfulness in therapy to assist you with being in the "now" as opposed to anxiety about the future or depression about the past.

Culturally Sensitive Therapy

I know culture plays a large role for our identities, so I make sure to bring in this factor during our sessions. I want to make sure you feel heard, seen, welcome, and comfortable sharing and being vulnerable, which includes how culture impacts you and us in session.

Integrative

I integrate theories to help you in the most individual way, including CBT, Behavioral Therapy, Expressive Arts Therapy, Humanistic Therapies, and ACT. Expressive Arts Therapy is sometimes not as as well known, which is using art and music to assist you in healing, so I'm highlighting it here. You do not need any experience in the arts, since a basic point in the theory is that we are all creative. I'm a trained drumming facilitator and hold in-person empowerment drumming for a variety of concerns, but use this theory in telehealth to help you gain clarity, relief, and more.