My name is Christine Tirado. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor in CT. I started out my career working with children and their parents for about 8 years and then moved into working with adults with co-occurring disorders. I have been in private practice now for over 2 years in the evenings while working during the day as a Clinical Supervisor for an addiction clinic and now pursuing course work to become a psychiatric nurse practitioner. I love the ability private practice gives me to maintain connection with clients face to face.
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
My goal is to help empower mental well-being and healing through compassionate counseling. Helping you navigate life's challenges, one step at a time. Join me on this journey to build resilience and find inner peace. Message me for appointments and start your healing process today. Let's break the stigma surrounding mental health together.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
I believe that my greatest strength as a provider is my ability to stay down to earth and personable. I am client centered and strength based in all I do. My aim is to always have clients walk away from a session feeling empowered.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
My ideal client is ready to ask questions and try new approaches to behaviors that have had them stuck for a long time. They are ready to be open and honest with themselves about the need for change.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
Cognitive Behavioral Counseling (CBT): 1. **Understanding Thoughts**: CBT starts by discussing your thoughts. You’ll explore how your thoughts influence your feelings and behaviors. For example, thinking “I can’t do anything right” might lead to feeling sad or low. 2. **Identifying Patterns**: I will help you identify negative thought patterns or beliefs that may be unhelpful or unrealistic. 3. **Challenging Negative Thoughts**: You’ll learn techniques to challenge these negative thoughts and replace them with more positive or realistic ones. This could involve asking yourself if the thought is true or looking for evidence against it. 4. **Practicing New Behaviors**: You’ll also work on changing behaviors that come from those negative thoughts, trying new coping strategies or ways to react in certain situations. 5. **Homework and Skills Practice**: Often, you’ll have “homework” to practice skills outside of therapy, like keeping a thought journal or trying new coping techniques.
Christian Counseling
Christian counseling combines traditional counseling techniques with biblical principles and teachings. Here’s what you might expect in a session with me: 1. **Faith Integration**: I will incorporate your faith into the discussion. I might ask about your spiritual beliefs and how they impact your feelings and decisions. 2. **Listening**: Just like in any counseling session, I will listen to your concerns without judgment. I’ll want to understand what you're going through. 3. **Biblical Guidance**: I might use scripture to provide comfort, wisdom, and guidance. I might reference verses that relate to your challenges. 4. **Prayer**: Some sessions may include prayer, either for strength, guidance, or healing. This can help you feel supported spiritually. 5. **Setting Goals**: Together, we’ll set goals for what you want to achieve in your counseling journey, whether it’s overcoming anxiety, improving relationships, or finding purpose. 6. **Practical Tools**: I will share techniques and tools to help you deal with problems, often aligning these strategies with Christian values, like forgiveness and compassion. 7. **Support and Community**: I might also discuss the importance of being part of a faith community and how that can support your mental health. In summary, Christian counseling is about combining psychological support with your faith to help you grow and heal!
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT): 1. **Mindfulness**: DBT emphasizes mindfulness, which means being present in the moment. You’ll learn techniques to focus on your thoughts and feelings without judgment. 2. **Emotional Regulation**: You’ll work on understanding and managing your emotions. This includes learning to recognize your feelings and understanding how to cope with intense emotions. 3. **Distress Tolerance**: This part teaches you how to get through tough situations without making them worse. You’ll learn strategies to help during crises, like distracting yourself or using grounding techniques. 4. **Interpersonal Effectiveness**: You’ll learn skills for better communication and relationships. This means being able to express your needs and maintain healthy boundaries. 5. **Acceptance and Change**: DBT emphasizes the balance of acceptance and change. You’ll work on accepting things as they are while also striving to make positive changes in your life. In summary, CBT focuses on changing negative thought patterns and behaviors, while DBT provides tools for managing emotions and improving relationships, all while practicing mindfulness.