My Therapy Style
There is no "right" way to be a person and I believe that my most important job as a therapist is to help you become the kind of person you want to be. I believe you are the expert on you and I promise to hear you without judgment or preconceptions, to believe you, to honor your background and beliefs, and to do my best to learn (and keep learning) who you are, where you come from, what matters most to you, and how you think. I think lasting change comes from really understanding why we are who we are and that knowing ourselves really really well is what gives us the power to make new choices and build a future that's different than our past.
My therapy style is active, trauma-informed, and draws together neuroscience with evidence-based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and mindfulness. I also incorporate tools from a number of therapeutic methodologies, including Attachment-Based Therapy, Interpersonal Therapy, Internal Family Systems, and Relational Therapy. Therapy is not a one-size-fits-all process and we'll work together to create a personalized approach to your treatment, blending the tools and concepts that are most helpful and resonant for you and setting aside the stuff that doesn't feel right.
At the end of the day, all that really means is that I start with the belief that you are a good person and you are the way you are for a good reason, and we work together to try to understand that reason, break old patterns, and make the changes you want to make so you can live a life that is rich, meaningful, and valuable to you. I believe our relationship is important and "stuff" will almost definitely show up between us and it's awesome when we talk about it, and I generally try to steer away from discussing whether what you feel is "rational" (feelings are rarely rational - and they're not really supposed to be) or offering quick and easy solutions (if it was that simple, you probably would've just googled it by now).
Therapy is hard work and it can be tough, but I think one of the best benefits of therapy is that it helps you develop knowledge and ways of thinking and engaging with yourself that you can use to pick up where our conversation leaves off, so you’re not just working on what’s going on today, you’re investing in learning new ways of relating to yourself and others that can serve you for a lifetime.
My therapy style is active, trauma-informed, and draws together neuroscience with evidence-based Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and mindfulness. I also incorporate tools from a number of therapeutic methodologies, including Attachment-Based Therapy, Interpersonal Therapy, Internal Family Systems, and Relational Therapy. Therapy is not a one-size-fits-all process and we'll work together to create a personalized approach to your treatment, blending the tools and concepts that are most helpful and resonant for you and setting aside the stuff that doesn't feel right.
At the end of the day, all that really means is that I start with the belief that you are a good person and you are the way you are for a good reason, and we work together to try to understand that reason, break old patterns, and make the changes you want to make so you can live a life that is rich, meaningful, and valuable to you. I believe our relationship is important and "stuff" will almost definitely show up between us and it's awesome when we talk about it, and I generally try to steer away from discussing whether what you feel is "rational" (feelings are rarely rational - and they're not really supposed to be) or offering quick and easy solutions (if it was that simple, you probably would've just googled it by now).
Therapy is hard work and it can be tough, but I think one of the best benefits of therapy is that it helps you develop knowledge and ways of thinking and engaging with yourself that you can use to pick up where our conversation leaves off, so you’re not just working on what’s going on today, you’re investing in learning new ways of relating to yourself and others that can serve you for a lifetime.
More About Me
Hi! I'm Christine. I'm a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. My pronouns are she/her.
I've been providing therapy since 2015 and I absolutely love my job. I enjoy working really hard with my clients and I'm constantly reading about therapy, consulting with other therapists, and learning new ways to help.
I've experienced a lot of different work environments and found common ground with a lot of different people in my life, and I bring all of my professional and educational experiences into my work as a therapist. Before I did this, I tried a whole bunch of jobs. Most recently, I was a lawyer* (civil litigation). Prior to that, I was a manager at a non-profit, a barista, a video store clerk, a movie theater projectionist, and I also worked with comedians writing jokes. I have my Master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Pacific Oaks College in Pasadena, my Bachelor's degree in Cognitive Neuroscience from Occidental College in Los Angeles, and a Juris Doctorate from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. I deeply empathize with the demands of tough jobs, being lonely, being lost, being stuck, being a working parent, managing big expectations, having life change suddenly and without your permission, and the terrifying freedom of dropping everything and changing course.
I completed my therapeutic training working with adults, children, groups, and families at a women's shelter, a drug and alcohol residential treatment facility, and an agency serving kids with Autism Spectrum Disorder and developmental delays and their families. I was a teaching assistant to Dr. Vivian Tamkin in Clinical Skills in Family Therapy at Pacific Oaks College.
I strive to be an ally for members of the LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities and I recognize that "being an ally" is a verb, not a title I assign myself, and that real alliance requires a lifetime of committed action, awareness, and growth.
In my free time, I love to read books that explore new perspectives and I am committed to becoming a better photographer, cook, and gardener. I am also a mother by adoption and it is an area of special interest of mine to support adoptees, birth parents, adoptive parents, and members of conspicuous families.
I'm currently a California Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (#109001) and a member of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists.
* Thanks for reading this! It's really important to me to let you know that I used to be a lawyer, but I'm not practicing as a lawyer now, so I'm registered with the State Bar of California as an inactive attorney, which means I've voluntarily set down my license to practice law and I absolutely must not and will not provide any legal advice or opinion or act as an attorney under any circumstances. If you need legal assistance, please contact the State Bar of California, This page is a great place to start.
I've been providing therapy since 2015 and I absolutely love my job. I enjoy working really hard with my clients and I'm constantly reading about therapy, consulting with other therapists, and learning new ways to help.
I've experienced a lot of different work environments and found common ground with a lot of different people in my life, and I bring all of my professional and educational experiences into my work as a therapist. Before I did this, I tried a whole bunch of jobs. Most recently, I was a lawyer* (civil litigation). Prior to that, I was a manager at a non-profit, a barista, a video store clerk, a movie theater projectionist, and I also worked with comedians writing jokes. I have my Master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Pacific Oaks College in Pasadena, my Bachelor's degree in Cognitive Neuroscience from Occidental College in Los Angeles, and a Juris Doctorate from Loyola Law School in Los Angeles. I deeply empathize with the demands of tough jobs, being lonely, being lost, being stuck, being a working parent, managing big expectations, having life change suddenly and without your permission, and the terrifying freedom of dropping everything and changing course.
I completed my therapeutic training working with adults, children, groups, and families at a women's shelter, a drug and alcohol residential treatment facility, and an agency serving kids with Autism Spectrum Disorder and developmental delays and their families. I was a teaching assistant to Dr. Vivian Tamkin in Clinical Skills in Family Therapy at Pacific Oaks College.
I strive to be an ally for members of the LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities and I recognize that "being an ally" is a verb, not a title I assign myself, and that real alliance requires a lifetime of committed action, awareness, and growth.
In my free time, I love to read books that explore new perspectives and I am committed to becoming a better photographer, cook, and gardener. I am also a mother by adoption and it is an area of special interest of mine to support adoptees, birth parents, adoptive parents, and members of conspicuous families.
I'm currently a California Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (#109001) and a member of the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists.
* Thanks for reading this! It's really important to me to let you know that I used to be a lawyer, but I'm not practicing as a lawyer now, so I'm registered with the State Bar of California as an inactive attorney, which means I've voluntarily set down my license to practice law and I absolutely must not and will not provide any legal advice or opinion or act as an attorney under any circumstances. If you need legal assistance, please contact the State Bar of California, This page is a great place to start.
