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2 therapists available in Tempe
I am a dedicated and competent therapist with extensive knowledge and experience in mental health assessment, treatment planning, ...
About
I am a dedicated and competent therapist with extensive knowledge and experience in mental health assessment, treatment planning, and Evidence-Based practices. I am capable of building excellent therapeutic alliances with culturally diverse individuals, families, and groups. I base my assessments and therapeutic practice on the biopsychosocial model, and I practice with attention to systemic dynamics and cultural factors, and with emphasis on clients’ personal resilience.
Cristina is a Licensed Professional Counselor with more than a decade of experience in the mental health field. She is passionate about helping individuals, couples, and families address unresolved trauma, life transitions, and life stressors to achieve optimal wellness in multiple areas of their lives. Cristina practices evidence-based practices, and is engaged in continuous exploration of research of effective therapy practices. Cristina completed her Master in Counseling at Northern Arizona University. Prior to becoming a counselor, Cristina completed her graduate studies in Anthropology and worked as an anthropologist.
Her personal, academic, and professional experience guide Cristina's practice, whereby she is suited to help clients with diverse backgrounds. Cristina utilizes integrated approaches to psychotherapy, combining CBT and psychodynamic approaches. She is trained in AEDP (accelerated experiential dynamic psychotherapy).
Cristina believes that everyone can improve, and even achieve optimal mental health at any age. However, there needs to be commitment to the therapy process for positive and lasting results.
Education and training
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I am an independent female focused on empowering others through humor and honesty to find change....
I am an independent female focused on empowering others through humor and honesty to find change.
Shelly Ehmann is a Licensed Professional Counselor with 37 years of experience providing therapeutic services to individuals, families, and groups. Shelly specializes in treating anxiety, depression, grief, and trauma. She is a Certified Trauma-Informed Professional with extensive experience supporting clients through various diagnoses and emotional challenges. Shelly’s work is rooted in compassion, clinical insight, and a deep belief in the power of healing and change.
Shelly earned her Master’s in Counseling from the University of Phoenix. She incorporates humor and honesty to build trust and insight. Her approach includes assigning reflective homework, encouraging self-awareness, and facilitating the processing of thoughts and emotions to support meaningful change.
Shelly is passionate about empowering clients to achieve their best life. She emphasizes meeting clients where they are, validating their experiences, and collaboratively setting goals. Her approach fosters growth, resilience, and emotional clarity through honest conversation and therapeutic connection. Schedule an appointment with Shelly today!
You deserve dedicated time with a mental health professional — it can be life-changing.
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Family therapy helps families resolve conflicts and strengthen their relationships. It is led by qualified mental health professionals like psychologists, licensed professional counselors (LPCs), and licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs) who have extensive training in family dynamics and group communication.
Thriveworks family therapists in Tempe, AZ usually begin by asking what everyone’s goals are for family counseling. Family members may need help with very specific issues or with general relationship functioning. But there are three main purposes in family counseling: to educate, to counsel, and to strengthen. Thriveworks also offers online family therapy and in-person services, so you may all meet in an office together or join a video call from your home depending on everyone’s location and availability.
The most effective form of Family therapy will often depend on the family itself, as there are many types of family therapy for therapists to use as they see fit in order to best meet the needs of their clients. However, one of the most commonly used types of family therapy is structural family therapy (SFT). SFT focuses specifically on family dynamics and interactions, looking at how they shape the relationships and structure present in the family. It can be effectively used to treat a variety of concerns.
This answer often looks different to each family that starts family therapy. However, some signs that your family might need to consider family counseling include frequent fights or misunderstandings, constant tension, experiencing loss, behavioral issues, marital issues, divorce, and blended family issues, among others.
In family therapy, therapists will often start by asking questions and assessing individual and family dynamics. From there, they may employ therapeutic techniques such as structured family therapy, CBT, strategic family therapy, and more depending on the present concerns and conflicts. From there, a therapist will work to open lines of communication between family members and facilitate emotional healing and growth.
Family therapy can be incredibly successful, with some studies reporting a success rate of almost 90% for improving participants’ emotional and mental health, and around 66% for improving their physical health.
Thriveworks therapists in Tempe, AZ offer both online family therapy and in-person family therapy. We encourage you to choose the option that works best for you.
Family therapy is usually short term and solution-focused, with most families accomplishing their goals in 12 sessions or fewer. However, it can also last for longer if the probles at hand are more complex — and that’s okay, too.
If your family is experiencing challenges, consider speaking with your loved ones about attending family therapy. Therapy deals with more than monumental mental health issues such as major depressive disorder or bipolar disorder. Therapy can help individuals and families seeking help with everyday struggles and long-term grievances. This can be anything from self-esteem issues in children to changes in the marriage between parents and guardians.
If you and your family are ready to explore therapy, please reach out to Thriveworks Counseling in Tempe, AZ. Our experienced family therapists are ready and waiting to assist you in resolving conflicts with civility and care.
No matter what challenge you’re facing with your family, family counseling may be able to help provide clarity and guidance. At its core, family therapy focuses on conflict resolution through communication and engaged listening. Your therapist will be able to help you develop long-term techniques that include active listening, mindful questioning, and reflective self-assessment. These techniques will help you manage current problems as well as problems that may arise in the future.
Sessions with your Thriveworks counselor will be structured to address specific issues and help strengthen family relationships. Every family is unique and different families seek help for different reasons. Some of these reasons include:
Seeking family therapy isn’t always easy. Not every family member may want to attend, and setting up an appointment that fits everyone’s schedule may seem daunting.
But mental health and familial harmony are just as important as physical health and self-care. Deciding to seek family counseling is ultimately for the health of the entire family unit. With online therapy options such as video and phone counseling, scheduling an appointment that works around everyone’s busy lives is easier than it used to be.
Should you and your loved ones decide to attend a Thriveworks therapy session, you can expect to:
If you’d like to strengthen your family’s relationships, please reach out to us here in Tempe, AZ. Our family counselors are available for evening and weekend sessions. In-person and online counseling services are available, and new clients are often able to see a provider within the week of contacting us.
With everything that goes on in the world, home deserves to be a safe space where we can have meaningful, long-lasting relationships. Call Thriveworks Counseling in Tempe, AZ to begin strengthening your family’s ties.
Includes individual, couples, child/ teen, & family therapy
Includes reducing symptoms with medication & management
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