Hi I'm Kristina Gonzalez, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker practicing for the past 10 years. I received my Masters in Social Work in California in 2016 and have worked with a wide array of clientele. I started my career supporting individuals cope with the previous and current experiences of intimate partner violence. I then went on to support adults in crisis in a psychiatric care facility, support children and families cope with life transitions related to neuro-developmental disorders, and for many years worked with Military Veterans struggling with various psycho-social concerns in their communities. Since 2021 I have been providing virtual mental health services to adults struggling with an array of concerns all over California from various walks of life.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
In our first session I will spend my time asking you many questions in a conversational style that will allow me to get to know you, learn more about your history, your current life circumstances, and your goals for therapy.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
My clients often tell me that I am good at asking the tough questions, challenging their thought processes, and helping them gain greater insights and perspectives on their past, present, and wishes for the future. I also like to take time to obtain feedback to be sure that my clients are receiving the care they had in mind when stepping into therapy. I work hard to be flexible and take my time to understand my clients as best as possible.
Describe the client(s) you are best positioned to serve.
I love working with people ages 21-40 who are looking for support with emotion regulation and interpersonal issues who struggle to set healthy boundaries in their life, prioritize their own needs, and improve their over-all wellbeing.
About Kristina Gonzalez
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VirtualMy treatment methods
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
I utilize a CBT approach for clients struggling with depression, anxiety, and adjustment disorders, and survivors of domestic violence as a tool to educate on maladaptive thoughts and behaviors. We might utilize a thought log to support clients in gaining better awareness of their inner-dialogue, identify feelings in connection to thoughts and behaviors, also identify unhelpful behaviors keeping them stuck or exacerbating their symptoms.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
I utilize DBT skills education to support clients with symptoms related to Borderline Personality Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, depression, anxiety, and relational and interpersonal issues. The four primary DBT skills are strategies that educate on : mindfulness, emotional regulation, Interpersonal effectiveness, and distress tolerance.
Narrative
I utilize a Narrative Therapy approach when supporting clients process relational or childhood trauma. Allowing them to tell their life story in a safe and empathetic space while also recalling their experiences to improve upon how they view their story as something that is outside of them, and not who they are.
Eclectic
We often have complex needs and on particular modality may not be able to support the client so I often utilize multiple therapies and approaches to best support the client's needs. Often pulling from CBT, DBT, Narrative, Motivational Interviewing, and Trauma-informed.