Therapists in Traverse City, MI

If you are looking for a therapist, you may be feeling hurt, lost, or stuck and aren't quite sure what will help. When our most important connections are ruptured through stress, trauma, and broken relationships, life becomes overwhelming, unmanageable and isolated. Finding a therapist who will listen with intention and compassion can help you feel understood and more connected to yourself and your world. I use a relational-style focused on increasing your awareness and insight so that you feel empowered to move forward.

We all feel a little lost sometimes, the stress life throws at us can be overwhelming. Anxiety, depression, stress, life transitions, and past trauma can feel like they are weighing you down, holding you back from living your life. We work with you to find a path through these struggles and achieve whatever goals or life changes you are aiming for. Therapy can seem intimidating, but we aim to make it a personable, positive experience.

You have been sitting with your thoughts and seem to recycle your memories. You are excellent at suppressing your hurt and stay busy with work and life as a distraction. You no longer connect with others the way you used to and keep friends and family at a distance. The Pandemic may have increased your anxiety and depression and you are uncertain where to begin. Your worry and fear come out as; anger, sadness and controlling behaviors, due to questioning your worth and self esteem. Will I ever feel truly happy? Will I feel truly loved? Will I find my life path and the career that makes my soul soar? Will I learn to forgive?

As a passionate and positive therapist, I will strive to meet you wherever you may be in your life journey. Using your unique story as our guide, we will work together to identify triggers, foster healthy coping skills, develop self-compassion, and heal trauma. I believe that safety and connection are essential for individuals to grow and heal, and I will strive to cultivate that type of environment for you and your loved ones.

Have you ever felt trapped by intrusive thoughts, worry, or fears that don’t go away? You might be afraid to share these thoughts or concerns with others, even those closest to you. Or maybe you're embarrassed because you easily misplace things, often arrive late to important meetings, have difficulty paying attention when others are talking, or constantly feel disorganized no matter how hard you try. It might not seem possible to have a life without your thoughts or feelings taking over. I'm here to tell you that relief is possible and you don’t need to suffer anymore!

I believe in the transformative power of understanding one's emotional responses in order to create lasting and meaningful change. I hope to provide my clients with a foundation of knowledge to help them understand the mechanisms behind their responses and how, with time and intention, they can be changed. I pride myself on my communication skills and seek to provide objective and relatable feedback that clients find easy to understand and implement. Because of this, I find I work well with clients who value learning as a catalyst for change.

It is my belief that much of our pain and suffering comes from struggles within interpersonal relationships. Because of this, therapy can be an incredibly powerful tool to experience a different kind of relationship; one that is full of compassion instead of judgment, support instead of contempt, designed to empower instead of disenfranchise. I specialize in trauma, phase of life concerns, anxiety, and depression. It is important to me that we fit as a team, and I encourage conversations that improve safety and trust within our relationship.

I am dedicated to helping others navigate their complex and uncomfortable emotions and behaviors. At the core of therapy is change. Change itself can be scary, exciting and challenging. We will get through it together.

I am accepting new clients! I work with people who want to experience more joy, calm, fulfillment, and connection, yet feel stuck in states of emotional overwhelm, fear, panic, emptiness, or feelings of disconnection. You may have specific goals you want to work on in therapy, or not know exactly what direction you want to move in, just know something has to change. I will bring a calm energy to the therapy session. I will support you in making desired changes in your life, processing traumatic experiences, or finding acceptance using therapeutic approaches such as EMDR, mindfulness-based talk therapy, and somatic techniques.

We welcome you. We will welcome you regardless of your present status; anxious, sad, angry, lonely, happy, questioning, depressed, lost or otherwise. We will welcome you regardless of your current family situation, relationship or marital status or lack thereof. We will welcome you if you have been to therapy in the past, are looking to come in for the first time, or have no idea what to expect. We will not judge you based upon your personal history, age, race, ethnic background, appearance, sexual orientation or gender identity. We welcome all beliefs, religions, spirituality, and affiliations. We welcome you.

Hi! I’m Christina. I'm Certified in Neuropsychotherapy, an LCSW in NC, LMSW in MI, a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, and IFS & EMDR informed. Does liberation from past barriers, realization of your true potential and finding meaning/purpose in your life feel authentic in your individual growth? If so, I’d like to walk with you. Let’s explore your individuality, beauty, and unique strengths to improve your self-image, and repair your interpersonal relationships through healthy attachment and behavioral patterns to facilitate neuroplasticity.

No matter how hard you try to move forward, you feel like your taking one step back. You’re a high performer with perfectionism tendencies and always put on a smile, which helps you forget your pain. You feel you will never be fully happy and never be able to fully enjoy life how others do, because of your many losses, attributing to your decreased self esteem. You may keep friends and family at a distance, to protect yourself from yet another inevitable loss. You may have stopped exercising and taking care of yourself the way you used to, since it takes too much work and you're just surviving at the end of another long day.

I am a fully licensed clinical social worker. You are the expert of your life, story, and experiences, and it is my job to highlight your strengths and resources to facilitate the change you desire and deserve. Every individual is unique, and our life is often shaped by our identity, experiences, beliefs, and a constantly evolving environment. My goal is to develop a safe, non-judgmental, trusting relationship with you that you can rely on. These struggles are easier to address with therapeutic guidance by your side. I am grateful for the opportunity to work with you and look forward to our first session!

I have a deep belief in the ability for you to overcome difficulties. As a therapist, I believe, you are the expert in your experience and it is my role to provide a safe, understanding, and non-judgmental space for you to heal, grow, and move into a new way of being and feeling. But that doesn’t mean you have to figure everything out on your own–we will work together. I am here to support you in your healing journey. Collaboratively, we will set goals on both what you want to achieve and things that you want to rid from your life.

Have you ever found yourself unable to feel better, despite past attempts to think your way out and move forward? Like a cycle you can't escape? Is it sometimes hard to "human"- to socialize, get yourself to focus, to navigate sensory overwhelm, or even to communicate to others? Maybe you've seen therapists in the past who seemed to be puzzled by you or not on your wavelength so you felt stuck. Are you looking to get to the root of these challenges and heal them for good instead of chronically coping just to get by? Do you need to make a change, but don't want to simply talk about your feelings? The good news is everyone can heal.

I began my journey into the helping profession by directly reaching out to individuals experiencing chronic homelessness in the streets, camps, and surrounding areas of Grand Traverse County as a member of a local Street Outreach team. I continued by earning both bachelor and master degrees in clinical social work from Ferris State University, while gathering diverse experience in a range of settings and roles in the Kent County area; including community living supports, family case management, inpatient psychiatric hospitalization, crisis residential, home-based family therapy, outpatient individual therapy, and private practice.

If you as an individual or you and your partner are feeling trapped, stuck or otherwise struggling with how to manage the difficulties experiencing in life, I would love to connect with you. You may be struggling with issues such as trauma, anxiety, depression, relationship challenges, or difficulties finding your self. I work to help couples find a different way of relating to themselves and to their partners in a way that is more authentic and peaceful.

You’ve spent most of your life catering to everyone else’s needs. You’ve been disguising yourself so long to be what other people need, you’re unsure of who you are. You’ve begun to recognize the pattern of not saying “no” and ignoring your needs to gain acceptance from others. Yet this only leaves you feeling overwhelmed and insignificant. You want to have deep, meaningful, and authentic relationships, but the fear of setting boundaries prevents you from doing so–leaving you in a shame spiral. Underneath the shame, you’re deeply afraid of being rejected and alone. You’re done being stuck, and you're ready to stop the cycle.

Do you feel disempowered by experiences in your past? I can help you reclaim your life after difficult life events and trauma. I utilize holistic evidence-based tools including EMDR, Brainspotting, and parts work to help you heal and create sustaining change in your life. In our sessions, you can expect to understand how your experiences have shaped you, how your thoughts and feelings impact you, and ways to improve your life.