Chris received his MA in Counseling Psychology from Seattle University in 2005 and is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) with the State of Washington. Chris also has deep experience as a strength and movement coach, and as a bodywork practitioner. He holds certifications as a personal trainer and in a number of somatic-based, therapeutic modalities.
Chris is no longer accepting new clients. Chris sees his current clients via Telehealth.
I work collaboratively with clients to discover and create relief, possibility and meaningful solutions. The approach I use comes mainly from client-centered, cognitive-behavioral therapy, existential psychology and somatic-based practices.
I believe that the events and experiences in our lives affect us less than the meanings we assign to them. “Assign a more useful meaning to your past and it becomes easier to take a more useful action in the present.” This view can nourish a sense of self-efficacy and freedom in our lives, but can underestimate the challenges of putting this into positive practice. It is hard to know what “stories” are currently shaping our lives for the very fact that we are lived by them, as much as we are living them. Even as we are able to bring greater awareness to narratives that no longer serve us, their hold can be extremely tenacious, as they have very likely served an essential function in our past.
Reinforced by our nervous systems, the personal stories that come to shape our lives shape our bodies as well. As we begin to loosen semi-conscious narratives about ourselves, we can begin to see new options and possibilities for relating with others and engaging our world, for developing greater resilience and ability to cope with distress. For this to take meaningful hold, it must occur in the body. Within our bodies, we can find compassion and trust, freedom, insight, intuition and strength. We gain greater access to these qualities as we embody more of who we are and wish to be. Therapy becomes an exploration of the strengths and resources you already possess, finding meaningful new ways to show up in your life through the body.
2020 How to Work with the Traumatized Brain, NICABM
2020 Reflexive Performance Reset Certification Level 3, Chicago, IL
2020 Be Activated Integration Series 3, Columbus, OH
2019 Reflexive Performance Reset Certification Levels 1, 2, Santa Monica, CA
2019 Rethinking Trauma, NICABM
2018 The Issues In The Tissues, Tom Myers, San Diego, CA
2017 Be Activated Integration Series 2, Evanston, IL
2017 Applying Mindfulness to Clinical Practice, NICABM
2017 Functional Movement Screen, Level 2, Irvine, CA
2016 Be Activated Integration Series 1, Evanston, IL
2015 MAT (Muscle Activation Technique) Lower, Upper, Trunk Certifications, Irvine, CA
2014 Awakened Heart, Embodied Mind Yoga Teacher Training (200 hrs), Santa Monica, CA
2010 Functional Movement Screen – Level 1
2010 NASM (National Academy of Sports Medicine) Certified Personal Trainer
2005 MA in Counseling Psychology, Seattle University, Seattle, WA
1995 BA in Psychology, Pitzer College, Claremont, CA.