Christian earned a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Western Illinois University. She is a Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC) and a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) in Illinois. She received Level I Theraplay training and is an Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) trainer. She is currently in the process of completing Dr. Bruce Perry’s Neurosequential Model of Therapy certificate as well as an Animal-Assisted Psychotherapy certificate. Christian has years of experience working in community mental health, school settings, higher education, and private practice with people of all ages and developmental levels including children, teenagers, and adults. Christian enjoys engaging with people as individuals, couples, families, and groups. She is qualified to treat a wide range of clinical issues and can assist with symptoms related to depression, anxiety, Bipolar Disorder, trauma experiences, grief and loss, personality disorders, life transitions and adjustments, behavioral issues, and relationship difficulties. She uses clinical interventions from numerous treatment modalities including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Trauma Therapy, Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Family System’s Therapy, and Play Therapy, and Theraplay.

“Initiating counseling services can be difficult and my goal is to provide a warm and welcoming presence to help create a collaborative therapeutic relationship. I work from a strengths-based approach to empower clients to become experts in their own healing journey. I encourage people to challenge themselves to process and overcome obstacles they encounter while also learning skills that allow them to make positive strides outside of the sessions. Rediscovering individual strengths and capabilities can assist in developing a greater understanding of ourselves and our relationships so we can make changes that enhance overall wellness and quality of life. “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” – Maya Angelou