Hi there, I'm Christine. It is a real privilege in life to serve as a therapist, and I greatly appreciate your bravery and vulnerability in seeking out support. I find it immensely rewarding working with Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) and Autistic/ADHD Adults with anxiety, depression, stress, and trauma. I strongly believe in the importance and healing nature of being seen, heard, and understood within a warm, therapeutic relationship, combined with evidence-based techniques, such as EMDR and compassion-focused methods. As a therapist, I am committed to compassionate, curious support to help you live authentically, joyfully, and reclaim that kindness towards yourself to navigate difficulties in life. And with lived experience as a Highly Sensitive Person on the autism spectrum, I tend to connect most easily with others who resonate with these traits, and generally am gentle, sensitive, direct, and flexible in my approach. I would be honored to support you in your journey, and encourage you to reach out if you feel that we may be a good fit together.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
In our first session together, we will start with brief introductions and, at your level of comfort, start to learn more about your story. We will also start to map out a desired direction in therapy, whether you simply want to talk through life challenges, day by day, or have a specific intention. This will help me create a tailored plan for us to work through in future sessions. I will also check in to ensure you feel we are a good fit together, then schedule our next session. It may take a few sessions to find a flow together, as we form that connection and dig into the therapeutic process. It is 100% normal to have some nervousness or overwhelm, especially if this is your first time in therapy.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
It is my greatest strength that I have deep, sustained compassion for those from all walks of life, and advocate for those who are often misunderstood. I'm often described as having a “quiet confidence” and am skilled at balancing passion with wisdom. I am committed to engaging in regular self-reflection and consultation with other therapists. I tend to be the go-to resource for Highly Sensitive People, Autism, ADHD, Neurodivergence, and Trauma/Grief. I'm endlessly curious about learning more about these areas and to continually grow, evolve, and provide the most healing experiences I can for my clients. I embrace my sensitive nature as a therapist and offer gentleness, kindness, and validation as core to my approach. I believe in respecting my clients' autonomy, which may look like respecting your comfort levels in what you choose to discuss - or strategies we use together.
About Christine MacKenzie
Serves ages
Licensed in
Accepts
Appointments
VirtualMy treatment methods
Compassion Focused
Compassion is knitted into every aspect of my approach as a therapist. So commonly, those who experience waves of anxiety/depression without truly feeling like the root has been addressed struggle with a lack of self-compassion and self-kindness. Compassion is not a stand-alone tool, but rather a shifting of the ways we face suffering and everyday life towards kindness, connection, and mindfulness. Compassion-Focused therapy moves us away from that harshness towards ourselves and towards authenticity, joy, and meeting our unmet needs with genuine, unconditional kindness. I may utilize evidence-based techniques from compassion-focused CBT to support clients to develop helpful, compassionate thoughts/beliefs about themselves, others, and the world, as well as to develop coping skills, engaging in activities, and reducing anxiety, depression, and other concerns. My approach with drawing from cognitive-behavioral techniques is to honor and affirm your lived experience in the world and balance that with your desired direction in therapy.
EMDR
I am an EMDR-trained therapist (EMDRIA Approved Training). In a nutshell, EMDR is a specialized, evidence-based therapy that helps you reprocess and reduce the emotional intensity around painful memories using guided bilateral stimulation (this may look like guided eye movements, tapping, alternating audio/sound, and can be done virtually). It can help you get unstuck from unhelpful beliefs and move into feeling more present and at peace for lasting change. EMDR can be different from traditional talk therapy, using the natural healing abilities of your mind to move raw, unprocessed memories into new connections, learning, and growth, with much less emotional pain tied to reminders of the past. It can be a difficult process, and at the same time, we do grounding/resourcing and preparatory work before revisiting the past and you are always in control of whether or not you continue with the process. In my experience, both as a therapist and client, EMDR can give immense, deep relief much more quickly and longer-lasting than traditional talk therapy when it comes to trauma and painful, old wounds. I deeply understand the impact trauma can have on someone over time. I strongly believe in the importance of building trust, connection, and a warm therapeutic relationship that is strengths-based and helps clients to feel at home with themselves and promote healing, growth, resources, and inner safety.