“Whenever we grow, we tend to feel it, as a young seed must feel the weight of inertia of the earth as it seeks to break out of its shell on its way to becoming a plant. Often the feeling is anything but pleasant. But what is most unpleasant is the not knowing what is happening.”

Alice Walker in Living by the Word

“The heart is like a garden. It can grow compassion or fear, resentment or love. What seeds will you plant there?”

Jack Kornfield

“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing there is a field. I’ll meet you there.”

Rumi

Therapeutic Services

No matter what you are dealing with, therapy can help you create healthier patterns to turn things around. It may take some time, but with support you will begin to see positive changes in your outlook.

Dr. Christenson is a general practitioner who has acquired advanced training in various modalities. She is able to serve residents of Pennsylvania who desire psychological services through a secure telehealth platform. At this time, she is focused on providing therapy to adult clients, however she is also comfortable working with young adults.

Individual Therapy

For individual therapy, Dr. Christenson uses a positive, eclectic approach that looks at all aspects of your experience to support you in getting to the heart of what matters most to you. We start by creating treatment goals and tailor a plan that will help you to begin healing. We look at all the aspects of your life, past and present, and put strategies into place to get you moving in a healthy direction.

Dr. Christenson has the training and experience to address issues related to depression, anxiety, panic disorder, mood/bipolar disorders, personality disorders, women's issues, faith/spirituality, as well as difficulties adjusting to life stessors. She has advanced training in recognizing sleep disorders.

Trauma-informed Care

Many of Dr. Christenson's clients are dealing with issues related to loss or trauma and need specialized support to learn how to manage their experiences with PTSD and dissociation. Dr. Christenson is a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional who is certified in EMDR and the Flash Technique. She draws upon a vast array of mind-body techniques to provide clients with the skills they need to overcome their trauma and to live a more fulfilling life.

Let's work together

What is EMDR Therapy?

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is an integrative psychotherapy approach that has been extensively researched and proven effective for the treatment of trauma. EMDR is a set of standardized protocols that incorporates elements from different treatment approaches.

How does EMDR work?

EMDR therapy uses a technique called bilateral stimulation to repeatedly activate opposite sides of the brain. Therapists often use eye movements to facilitate bilateral stimulation. These eye movements mimic the period of sleep referred to as rapid eye movement or REM sleep, and this portion of sleep is frequently considered to be the time when the mind processes the recent events in the person’s life.

EMDR helps the brain reprocess the trapped memories in such a way that normal information processing is resumed. Therapists often use EMDR to help clients uncover and process beliefs that developed as the result of relational traumas, or childhood abuse and/or neglect. For a more detailed explanation please visit the EMDR Institute, Inc. or EMDR International Association.

This short video will provide you with some helpful information if you copy/paste it into your browser. Introduction to EMDR Therapy (You Tube): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pkfln-ZtWeY&t=2s

In addition, here are some free resources that you may find helpful: https://redefinetherapy.com/resources/

What does EMDR help?

EMDR had been originally established as helpful for PTSD, although it’s been proven useful for treatment in the following conditions:

Panic Attacks
Complicated Grief
Dissociative Orders
Disturbing Memories
Phobias
Pain Disorders
Performance Anxiety
Addictions
Stress Reduction
Sexual and/or Physical Abuse
Body Dysmorphic Disorders
Personality Disorders

Do you experience distressing emotions that appear to you, and perhaps to others, to be excessive given the current situation? Do you tend to be highly reactive to certain triggers? Do you hold dysfunctional beliefs about yourself that on an intellectual level you know are not true?

If so, you may be a good candidate for EMDR therapy. Contact me today for a free phone consultation to see if EMDR might help you release what no longer serves you.