Hi, Im Christina.
Im a licensed clinical social worker and emotional intelligence coach with twenty years experience in the field. I love working with people who want to grow and challenge themselves. Its an honor to be a part of peoples transformations.
The hook was set with the first psychology class I ever took. No subject had ever made so much sense and intrigued me so. After completing undergraduate work in psychology with a minor in sociology, I decided to pursue a masters degree in social work. I found social work to be a great fit, as we are taught to focus on peoples strengths more than what is wrong with them and because its a holistic approach to working with people.
The early years
My early years of practice were in community mental health where I saw people struggling with many different issues: depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, relationship issues, personality disorders, addictions and tough life transitions. It was in my first year of community mental health work that I was introduced to mindfulness as an important skill to teach people and to practice myself.
Mindfulness practice, therefore, has shaped who I am and how I work with clients.
Next, I branched out and created my private counseling practice where I continued as a generalist, but had more flexibility to create my own schedule. After a dozen years of running a small private practice, I was recruited by St Johns hospital in Jackson Hole to work as the clinical social worker for their Hospice and Home Health department. Hospice work holds a special place in my heart. The experiences Ive had working with people who are dying and their families were both humbling and inspirational.
An ah-ha! moment
But, then I was promoted to a leadership position at the hospital. I took it on as a challenge and learned A LOT! It was a challenge and I ultimately decided to move on. What I carried with me from that work was the knowledge that there was something important for me to learn from that experience. It took some time digging up insight and one more leadership position for me to learn what I needed to. The lesson was that I needed to begin to work with leaders to help them to better understand themselves and those they work with...to help them to build self-awareness and empathy so they may create healthier, happier and more effective organizations!
So this is where Im at today... Im back in private practice seeing clients for counseling in Driggs, Idaho and Jackson, Wyoming. Im working on my certification in the Goleman Emotional Intelligence Coaching model and I am currently accepting coaching clients. I continue to live and work in the Teton Mountains, which is my basecamp from which I travel with my family. I am now looking forward to taking my clients with me (virtually) when we go sailing - our next big adventure!
