Meet Chris, a passionate Psychotherapist in training currently pursuing his MSEd in Mental Health Counseling at Hunter College. With a rich background in psychological research, suicide prevention, and the creative arts, Chris draws from a vast array of experiences to inform his approach to therapy. He believes deeply in each person’s innate inclination towards growth and fulfillment, viewing his role as a warm, supportive facilitator who creates a collaborative, non-judgmental space where clients feel safe to explore their emotions, understand behavioral patterns, work through trauma, and discover meaning in their lives.

As a budding clinician, Chris takes a client-centered, relational approach, prioritizing the therapeutic alliance and viewing his clients as fellow travelers on a shared journey. This journey, he acknowledges, can sometimes have clear paths with visible obstacles, while at other times, it can be winding and uncertain with no definite goal. For this reason, Chris aspires to combine pragmatic techniques like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Motivational Interviewing, and mindfulness-based practices with more exploratory, experiential methods, such as Internal Family Systems (IFS) and psychodynamic therapy. His goal is to help clients slow down, gain deeper insight, integrate emotional experiences, develop resilience, and cultivate personal change.

Chris aims to focus on anxiety, depression, trauma, ADHD, and feelings of stagnation or a lack of self-esteem and meaning. For clients who feel stuck, he hopes to offer step-by-step support using relatable analogies, simple practices, and reflective questions.

In addition to his clinical work, Chris is passionate about mental health advocacy. Drawing on his research experience studying the effects of discrimination and structural oppression, he is committed to addressing the impact of systemic inequalities on well-being.