Meet Chris!

Positionality:
I identify as a Black, queer, nonbinary transmasculine person of a Caribbean background.

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My Background & Approach:

As a Black, queer, trans person, I intimately understand how those with marginalized identities are often silenced and made to feel invisible. In my practice, I prioritize creating a space where your voice is centered and valued. I believe that true healing and growth come when we reconnect with ourselves and with others in meaningful ways, and I strive to create an environment where you can fully show up as yourself.

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With a background in Black Studies and a deep understanding of my own intersecting identities, I approach therapy from a systems perspective. I am mindful of how systemic oppression, generational trauma, and structural inequities shape our lives; and my practice is grounded in anti-racist and womanist principles, with a commitment to actively dismantling these harmful forces in our work together.

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I incorporate a social justice lens and culturally affirming, anti-oppressive therapeutic approaches in all aspects of my work. This means not only recognizing the challenges created by systems of power and privilege but actively working to resist and challenge those forces in the therapeutic process. My goal is to support you in reclaiming your narrative, celebrating your identity, and fostering resilience in the face of oppression.

 

Having learned the power of laughter, directness, and community from my family and peers, I bring these elements into the therapeutic space. My goal is to co-create a space with you that holds both accountability and joy, where your strengths are uplifted, and you feel empowered to be your full, authentic self.

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Theoretical & Clinical Orientation:

As a client-centered clinician, I practice from the perspective that you are the expert on your life and I function to provide support and tools for you to self-actualize.  In my practice, I use a trauma-informed attachment lens, meaning that I believe the ways clients show up in relationship with themselves and others are rooted in their earliest relationships with their caregivers. Being trauma-informed also means that I believe our brains are very good at helping us survive and that, sometimes, those survival behaviors or beliefs can hinder us from thriving. I believe those survival patterns deserve to be acknowledged and honored, while supporting clients in moving from surviving to thriving.

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I have training in Internal Family Systems (IFS) and incorporate elements of mindfulness in my work with clients. I believe in an integrative, holistic approach to working with clients and use a mind-body-spirit approach as is appropriate for each client. My psychodynamic training means that we may spend much of the session exploring the way your past affects your present, both in ways that do and do not currently serve you; but the ways in which we talk may look different. I also incorporate creative and nontraditional approaches into my work; for example, we may explore your feelings during a game of UNO or through a drawing exercise. I have found that activities such as these can help to foster comfort during sessions, as well as allow clients to reconnect with joys previously forgotten.​​​