Individual Counseling
Christy is experienced in counseling individuals across the lifespan. She has counseled children as young as four using play therapy techniques as well as worked with people in the advanced stages of life. Christy has counseled people who are working to overcome past traumatic experiences, those who are learning to cope with present difficult circumstances as well as with individuals who decide to seek out counseling to better understand themselves in order to live a more fulfilling and meaningful life.
“Christy McLaughlin truly listens. Mindfulness and compassion are hallmarks of her practice. She remembers your life story. She appreciates the complexities of life and relationships. She will respect and honor your choices and help you find the tools within yourself to cope with the challenges of life” -Pat in Metro Denver
Couples Counseling
Relationships can be one of life’s greatest sources of support and personal fulfillment. While relationships are often rewarding, they take time and work from both partners. When a relationship is strained either due to infidelity, poor communication, or just by lack of time devoted to understanding and resolving conflict, it can be frightening and troubling. People often experience feelings of fear and insecurity when their close relationships feel off-balanced and damaged. It is common for both parties to become stuck in their individual communication styles and feel as if there is no alternative way to move through the roadblocks in the relationship. Christy’s work with couples involves creating an environment of trust and respect so both parties can feel safe to share their own experiences as well as begin to understand the other’s perspective. It is essential that couples in conflict learn and practice new and healthy ways of being in the relationship in order to experience lasting change. During counseling sessions, Christy gently challenges both parties to remember what drew them together initially and encourages both partners to consider alternative ways of communicating and interacting in order to restore closeness, respect and intimacy.
Sometimes people seek out couples counseling to find effective and peaceful ways to dissolve a committed relationship. Christy’s role in this type of counseling is to function as a third party by helping both parties communicate their goals and needs respectfully. It is especially important to find a respectful way to separate when there are children involved in the relationship.
If a couple decides to initiate counseling, Christy will continually check in with both parties to have a clear idea of the counseling goals. It is important for everyone to be on the same page in terms of motivation for meeting together in order to make the most out of everyone’s time and resources.
“Have enough courage to trust love one more time and always one more time” –Maya Angelou
I met Christy shortly after my wife had passed away. It was a very traumatic time for myself and my daughter who was 4 at the time. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to get through the grieving process without getting help. I always felt very comfortable with Christy. She was amazing at listening and giving me great advice without telling me exactly what I was suppose to be doing or feeling. She also spent many sessions with my daughter and helped her through the process as well. My daughter still talks about Christy years later. I feel very lucky to have met Christy and I am very thankful that she helped me through the most difficult time of my life. I have always referred Christy and will continue to do so. -anonymous
Grief Counseling
Grief is inevitable. When we love another, we open ourselves up to the pain of loss. While grief counseling is typically thought of as helping someone work through a death loss, loss comes in all forms through our lifespan; loss of health, divorce, disappointments etc. It is essential that people find healthy ways to grieve these losses so as not to cause further emotional distress. Unfortunately, today’s society expects and encourages rapid mourning and does not allow people the time or space to grieve naturally. As a result, often people who are grieving significant losses are left feeling isolated, lonely, and misunderstood. Christy’s extensive grief counseling experience is centered on helping people find healthy ways to remember their loved one as well as adjust to a new life with their loss. She has worked with very young children dealing with grief as well as the elderly. She is passionate about the need to give people space and time to do the hard work of grieving and is adept at helping people find their own unique way to move through the pain and find joy in life again.
“When we honestly ask ourselves which person in our lives means the most to us, we often find that it is those who, instead of giving advice, solutions, or cures, have chosen rather to share our pain and touch our wounds with a warm and tender hand.” –Henri Nouwen
“I never thought I would laugh with my grief counselor. I didn’t want to cry. Christy gave me a safe place to do both. She helped me find ways to work though my grief and continue to function in a world that doesn’t want to give us time or space to grieve. I can never thank her enough” -anonymous