Christina Ozanich

Christina has a broad range of experience working with children, adolescents, and young adults (ages 4-25 years old), including those struggling with general mood disorders, disruptive behaviors, and autism spectrum disorder. She has worked in several settings from school-based mental health, residential care, outpatient treatment, and day treatment as well as organizations such as Methodist Behavioral Health Hospital, Dorcas House, Community Service Inc., Independent Case Management, and Centers for Youth and Families. She feels these experiences have increased her knowledge and connections necessary to assist children and families with a broad range of complex difficulties across all aspects of their lives including at home, school, and within the community. Her approach to counseling begins with a foundation of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and includes knowledge and resources from Trauma-Informed Care, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Conscious Discipline, Applied Positive Behavior Analysis, and Person Centered techniques. Her therapy method begins with assessing who the client is, what their needs are, and what they want to gain from therapy. She uses this information to work WITH the individual client to develop a strong therapeutic relationship, determine the best approach to treatment, and assist them in meeting their unique situations and needs. She believes that building a strong therapeutic relationship at the initial stages of therapy will lead to a safe and comfortable environment that will allow clients to face and overcome difficult and uncomfortable topics which is necessary for the growth and change they want to achieve. As a counselor, she believes our thoughts/feelings/behaviors interact and affect one another. She views clients as whole and complex individuals, and use this information to help clients work toward the person and the life they want. She is passionate about working with families and their children. Her goal is to help her clients identify what they can improve and guide them through achieving their personal goals, whether as an individual or a family unit. She thrives in working with teens and young adults who struggle with anxiety disorder, helps her clients learn how to identify and engage in social and emotional life skills, and strongly encourages self-love and acceptance as a key tool in becoming a healthy, functioning individual. She applies cognitive approaches to engage clients in identifying root issues, processing those difficulties, and working through them. Whether you are an individual who has experienced trauma, struggled with acceptance, or are a parent who struggles with feelings of guilt and/or inadequacy, her goal is to help you feel empowered and heard throughout your therapy experience. In her own life and work experiences has provided a unique perspective on the human experience and the benefits of therapy. Everyone goes through a range of circumstances in their lifetime—some good, some not as great—and no matter how well we prepare for success or plan out our lives, there will be trials and tribulations. However, we do not have to face these circumstances alone. Therapy can provide a safe space to air out thoughts and feelings while being heard and validated by a trained professional who passes no judgment and empathizes with the experiences we all face as human beings. We cannot control the things around us, but we do have control of our own thoughts, feelings, and actions despite how we may feel in the moment. As people, we have the power to make daily decisions with our best interests in mind. Self-reflection and therapy can be intimidating and hard, but as a counselor her intention is to make sure her clients are comfortable and have pride in the brave steps they are taking to work toward their best selves through healthy growth.