LPC, 12 years of experience
New to Grow
My name is Christina Marrero, and I am an art psychotherapist based in Philadelphia. Not every client will engage in art-making, but creativity, sensory engagement, and flexibility are at the core of my practice. I have been practicing for 12 years post-graduation, and have worked in a variety of settings. I am a neurodivergent adult, and tend to work mostly with neurodivergent adults who have been diagnosed late in life. I am also a gamer, a reader, and pet lover.
In the first session we will talk about why you have chosen to be in therapy now. We will build a short narrative of who you are and where you've come from through a combination of conversation and assessments. We will talk about what you hope to get out of therapy, and what our options are for moving you in that direction.
I am able to integrate ACT, CFT, and art-making into a multi-directional therapeutic approach. This allows us to flexibly approach what you are bringing into each session while still working toward your primary goals. It is also important to me to understand how you think so that we can be sure our approach is working for you. Therefore each session contains space to discuss what is coming up for you, and what is happening between us.
I work with thoughtful, sensitive, neurodivergent adults to help them build meaningful lives. This may include changing patterns, opening up to new experiences, learning to hold oneself accountable, defining a new life path, or integrating past experiences. During therapy, clients learn to observe, and change their relationship to, their anxieties, depressive thoughts, and trauma-based fears. Clients open to practicing skills on their own will benefit most from my practice.
I use ACT to help clients follow through on meaningful choices in the midst of difficult emotions. ACT improves the ability to tolerate distress and open up to what really matters to you. ACT involves building skills, taking action, and learning to make values-based decisions. ACT is transformative for neurodivergent individuals because rather than trying to meet outside standards, you are building a life that works for you.
Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) is the practice of building self-compassion, and learning to express and receive compassion. It is especially useful for those struggling with low self-worth, critical internal dialogues, and those with marginalized identities. It is sensorily deep, and can assist with soothing overactive nervous systems.