Adoption Therapists in Isanti County, MN

Life can be hard. Let's collaborate to meet these challenges and find a way to more successful living. I work with individuals of all ages in addition to working with the whole family when indicated. With teens and adults, I use mindfulness and different therapies depending on what is needed. A free 30 minute consult is offered so we can meet and determine if our philosophy of change is a good match. I look forward to meeting you and working together for change.

I am honored to offer space to process and reflect and help clients connect to themselves and others in a deeper way. I believe we each have our own inner widsom and therapy is a place to discover that wisdom. Clients describe me as down to earth, creative, compassionate, funny, direct, warm and intuitive. I specialize in grief and loss, education, healthcare and mental health professionals, secondary and primary trauma and clients who have connection with adoption or foster care. I work from strength based and trauma informed models and draw from IFS, Attachment, Narrative and Somatic/Experiential/Sandtray modalities.

How many therapists did your parents have you see as a kid? Has anybody in your life commented on your "adoption issues"? How many times a day do you ask yourself where and how do I fit in? Maybe the mindset you used to help yourself survive childhood is now hindering your growth in adulthood. Why aren't there more therapists who are adoptees? These are some of many questions and issues I hope that we can work on together. I aspire, because I am an adoptee, to have you spend less time explaining what adoption was, and more time working on current issues.

Are you struggling with connecting with your partner or child after the birth or adoption of a child? Have you thought you just don't feel like "you" after giving birth? Maybe you've thought, "Something is wrong with me. Maybe I'm not cut out to be a parent...." Did you and your partner experience a traumatic birth? Or a birth that didn't go according to your plan? You might be struggling with the expectation of being a parent vs the reality you're facing and want to make change to make it fit. Let's talk about how we can make change together.

What I offer is genuine concern, empathy, kindness, and the kind of listening that lets you know you've really been heard and understood. I can help you identify what is causing your pain and will offer practical suggestions and specific tools you can try right away to try to improve your situation. Together we can look at your difficulty, find a way through, and make meaning out of your experience, which will lead you to a more grounded sense of self, healthier relationships, and a more satisfying life.

I believe the process of therapy is about the therapist and client joining together in a collaborative effort to work toward goals. Every person has strengths and values that are essential to living their best possible life. Sometimes obstacles get in the way of living those values and recognizing our strengths, including family, trauma, health concerns, and mental health difficulties. Through a systemic and trauma-informed lens, we will create individualized goals and approaches that best meet your needs.

Life can be hard. You may worry too much. Maybe you have difficulty finding the energy to do what you need to do. Or saying things that you regret later. Maybe you have trouble concentrating and focusing. And sometimes the hopes and dreams you have for the future don't always turn out the way you expected. When these things happen, you may forget how to draw on your strengths and capabilities to make things different for yourself. I can help you rediscover strengths as well as develop new, effective strategies for bringing back your joy for living and having deeper, more meaningful relationships.

My approach is gentle and eclectic, person-centered and collaborative. You are the expert of yourself and sometimes it's helpful to have someone to listen to understand. I like to provide validation, exploration, and support. First timers to therapy and those taking the leap to try out therapy again seem to appreciate my style. Whether you are rediscovering yourself, going through a stressful time, wanting to process trauma, etc., I'll be here alongside you. I consider the family system, childhood/caregiver attachment, parenting styles, generational trauma, systemic racism, larger society, etc. and all these impacts.

I'm currently accepting new telehealth clients. I see clients for individual telehealth therapy ages 12 and older. Since working as a mental health therapist my clinical experiences include Anxiety, Depression, OCD, trauma, autism, ADHD, challenges making and keeping friends, grief, self-compassion, adoption and attachment, and domestic abuse perpetrators and victims.

My office is a warm and comforting place for you to tell your story, deal with life's stressors, treat depression and anxiety, work on healthy relationships, or heal old wounds. I provide a more holistic perspective in my appraoch to therapy, looking at the total needs you might have to best help you to heal and grow. It is very important to me that you feel heard and well cared for in your therapy process. We will work together to help you to make changes and to feel stronger.

As a therapist, I am committed to being a source of unconditional positive regard, asking hard and important questions, offering observations to identify connections in experiences, exploring and challenging negative self-beliefs, offering tools and skills in the capacity desired, and celebrating the ups and the downs of the process. I believe human growth, change, and healing is most easily found when we allow ourselves the chance to be uncomfortable. I am a Certified Accelerated Resolution Therapy Practitioner and have found it to be an incredible tool for increasing healing with life’s big and small difficulties.

Have you lost someone or something that is important to you? Is life presenting you with changes that are difficult to navigate? Are relationships hard for you? Has your past created difficulties that you just can't seem to separate from? Do you feel overwhelmed by the pressure to raise perfect kids and meet the needs of everyone around you?  Does your family need help? Are you a helper or therapist and need your own support? I am here, to connect with you and help you feel better.

***Accepting new clients for in-person and online sessions*** Feeling stuck? I can help you work through difficult relationships, grief, life transitions, or addictions. I work with youth, college students, adults, and couples coming to therapy for a variety of reasons. I have a person-centered counseling style, and work with clients to meet their goals. Everyone's experiences and challenges are unique, and my goal is to help clients develop skills to better manage these issues.

Christina enjoys working with individuals, couples and families helping support them in making changes they want to make. She has her B.A. in Sociology and Diversity Studies from SCSU and her M.S. in MHC from Walden University. She is an LPCC, Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor in the State of MN. Christina has worked 10 years in clinical counseling. She has 24 additional years working with children, and families with services that are person-centered, strength-based and therapeutic. She has worked in foster and long-term residential based programs, as well as crisis, substance abuse treatment, vocational and education areas.

Jess Holly received her Bachelor’s degree in Child Psychology from the University of Minnesota and went on to earn a Master’s degree in Clinical Social Work from the U of M. Jess previously worked for a children’s community mental health agency in Minneapolis and surrounding areas where she provided in-home therapeutic support to children and their families facing serious and persistent mental and behavioral health challenges. Jess also has experience treating adults with anxiety and depression.

I have been a therapist for twenty years and have helped individuals recover from trauma. I have worked to help people navigate their journey in the aftermath of trauma and work to foster a sense of resiliency. My work is compassion focused, culturally aware and works to build ones empowerment.

My professional experiences have taught me that my passion is working with children and families. I have a wealth of knowledge in infant and child mental health. Also, I work with children who have trauma histories and the families that care for them. I have experience assisting with adoption issues, family work, anxiety, depression, PTSD, coping with life change, and child and adolescent mental health issues. Working collaboratively with parents is also an essential part of my therapy practice.