About Christina

Hi, I am Christina.  I am trained as a Licensed Psychotherapist and Intentional Creativity Teacher.  I earned a Masters Degree in Social Work, and have a deep passion and belief in the healing arts.  My interests lie in bringing a blend of modern, ancient, and contemporary evidence-based practices in assisting women to develop greater outcomes in their personal relationships with themselves, and others. I have certificates and extended education in Postpartum Depression, Alchemical Hypnotherapy, Intentional Creativity, and Yoga. I am well versed in 12 step recovery.  I also study Dreams, Core Shamanism, and Herbalism.

I utilize a combination of approaches that assist in balancing and creating harmony in the mind, body, emotions, and spirit. In my practice I like to incorporate a combination of healing art modalities. I have studied healing and visionary arts and their ability to allow individuals to sink into a powerful transformational meditative state of being. And with the use of intention and sacred ceremony, I have witnessed in myself and others the ability to tap into sources of inner wisdom and deep profound healing. In my art practices, I like to incorporate the use of dream symbols, and archetypal images as these can be used as great sources of information from our psyche and collective unconsciousness.

My greatest interest in depth psychology has been studying the ancient practice of Shamanism, which has its roots in indigenous society ,tracing back to the lineage of many of our ancestors. This form of energetic healing has gained a great interest in our modern culture and is often called upon as a last resource when an individual has exhausted all other forms of healing.

What’s more exciting, in present-day, the ancient practice of Shamanism is being explored more and more in psychotherapy, and a person can learn to access these sources of information for themselves while creating the ability to initiate healing and empowerment. This non-drug experience can create an ongoing activation allowing the individual to connect with evidence that previously was unavailable. In my practice I use a drum to explore and gain access to these hidden psychological depths .

It is my utmost intention to support women to gain balance and perspective in their personal lives, collaborating with them, using a blend of diverse and eclectic therapeutic approaches that ultimately can provide lasting personal growth and satisfying consequences.

About Christina’s Art

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Clinical Psychotherapy

There are hundreds of psychotherapy theories. I offer and teach many evidence-based practices in my sessions. I offer 25 years of experience, and my passion is in providing support and empowerment to women and teens.  ”The term psychotherapy originated from the ancient Greek word, psyche (ψυχή meaning “breath; spirit; soul”) and therapeia (θεραπεία “healing; medical treatment”)”. “Psychotherapy or talk therapy, is a way to help people with a broad variety of mental illnesses and emotional difficulties. Psychotherapy can help eliminate or control troubling symptoms so a person can function better and can increase well-being and healing. Problems helped by psychotherapy include difficulties in coping with daily life; the impact of trauma, medical illness or loss, like the death of a loved one; and specific mental disorders, like depression or anxiety. There are several different types of psychotherapy and some types may work better with certain problems or issues. Psychotherapy may be used in combination with medication or other therapies”.

~ American Psychological Association

Intentional Creativity Workshops

Founded by Shiloh Sophia, “Intentional Creativity is a choice to consciously access and express our stories and internal landscapes through creative process. A way to work with the places within, which we often don’t have language for. Any chosen medium may be used as a form of self-expression. Painting, writing, dancing, singing, and all forms of self-expression can be vehicles through which we discover more about who we are, and therefore, heal and access”.

~ Shiloh Sophia

Alchemical Hypnotherapy

Alchemical Hypnotherapy was created by David Quigley in 1984. Alchemy is the daily spiritual discipline of working with inner guides or (archetypes), especially the inner mother, the inner father, the inner child, and the higher self. “Alchemical Hypnosis helps clients find their inner healing resources within the subconscious mind and teaches them to work with these powerful resources everyday. Alchemical Hypnotherapy is based on the practices of the ancient Alchemists (converting the “lead” of our unconscious into the “gold” of wisdom and fulfillment), and uses hypnosis to access powerful internal resources and guides within the subconscious mind to affect lasting change. Through Alchemical Hypnotherapy we are not dependent on the therapist, instead are empowered to access our own latent healing and transformative power within”.

~David Quigley

Red Thread~New Moon~Intentional Circle

Red Thread Circles are a call for Women to connect. The Intention of a Red Thread Women’s Gathering is to provide a sacred space for women to come together, use their voices, be heard, be seen, and feel supported. Women throughout history have gathered in circles to empower each other and share wisdom. Our ancestors relied on following the cycles of the moon…moon rituals bring an indigenous aspect  to our modern life.  During the phase of the New Moon our ancestors “planted new seeds”. This serves as a good time  to plant or manifest and dream aspects into our lives, those places where we would like to see positive change and lasting growth. We can use the New Moon as a metaphor of planting new seeds in our lives. Our internal story creates our life, we speak our intention to harness any quantum potential reality into our everyday psychical reality.

“Legend says that those who are destined to meet are connected by an invisible Red Thread.”

~Shiloh Sophia

Trauma Therapy

Evidence based practices include Brain spotting,  EMDR, Yoga,  Body Movement, Hypnotherapy, Group Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), Finding Your Voice, Communal Rhythms and Theatre.

One of my favorite books on trauma is, “The Body Keeps the Score” by, Bessel Van Der Kolk, MD

 

Watch a video on Brain-spotting

Core Shamanism Psychotherapy

In our modern times there has been a resurgence of interest in the practice of Shamanism. We now have many wonderful Shamanic practitioners reintroducing the practice back into our culture, and many books have collected thousands of case studies of successful healings of a variety of emotional and physical problems. I use a non-drug technique and drumming to teach individuals to “journey” to non-ordinary reality.  When we listen to a drum beat, the brain wave slows down first to an alpha state…then to a deeper state called theta.

“Training in Core Shamanism includes teaching students to alter their consciousness through classic shamanic non-drug techniques such as sonic driving, especially in the form of repetitive drumming, so that they can discover their own hidden spiritual resources, transform their lives, and learn how to help others…  “Shamanism is not ‘New Age.’ It is Stone Age and has been living ever since.”

~Michael Harner, Anthropologist and founder of Foundation for Shamanic Studies. 

We know from the archaeological evidence the practice dates back at least 40,000 years. Some anthropologists believe that the practice dates back over 100,000 years…Shamanism teaches us that everything that exists is alive and has a spirit. Shamans speak of a web of life that connects all of life and the spirit that lives in all things. Everything on earth is interconnected and any belief that we are separate from other life forms including the earth, stars, wind, etc is purely an illusion.”

~Sandra Ingerman MFT, author of Shamanic Journey

I have studied in person and online with modern day Shamanic Practitioners since 2013

 

Grief Counseling

Dream Consultation