Christine Bergman L.M.H.C.

Practicing psychotherapy for over 30 years with children, adolescents, adults and families, Christine offers extensive experience and expertise. She is able to address a wide variety of therapy issues and meet the unique needs of each individual and family with skill and compassion.

Some of the Christine’s areas of expertise include: Treatment of Complex Trauma and PTSD; Family Issues; Stress Management; Communication Skills; Conflict Resolution; Behavior Management; Parenting Skills; Play Therapy; Sandplay Therapy; E.M.D.R.; Child-Parent Psychotherapy and working with very young children(0-5). In addition to psychotherapy services, Christine is a Qualified Supervisor for Registered Mental Health Interns and she provides professional training and consultation services for individuals as well as groups.

Areas of specialization provided by Christine Bergman, LMHC

TRAUMA TREATMENT – As a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, Christine is able to offer a variety of treatment approaches to helping individuals who have experienced trauma and are having problems coping due to symptoms such as anxiety, avoidance/isolation, depression, intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, losing track of time, and reliving the trauma over and over. Trauma treatment can effectively help people heal from the past and regain their lives.

SANDPLAY THERAPY – As a Certified Sandplay Therapist (CST), Christine utilizes Sandplay Therapy to provide a powerful, non-verbal approach to treatment. Sandplay is an expressive arts therapy for healing and transformation that is rooted in the work of C.G. Jung and Dora Kalff. The Sandplay process provides individuals with a unique way to express themselves and to gain a deeper level of awareness and healing, unlimited by language. The connection with the unconscious in symbolic expression allows for work that promotes conscious choices, decisions, growth and needed changes. Sandplay Therapy is a powerful treatment modality for adults as well as children. To learn more, visit: http://www.sandplay.org and http://sandsearch.org

PLAY THERAPY – Play is the language of children. Through the use of play a child can be able to express themselves more fully, learn and understand how to solve problems, develop more responsibility for their behaviors and learn to respond more appropriately to situations and problems. The Association for Play Therapy (APT) defines play therapy as “the systematic use of a theoretical model to establish an interpersonal process wherein trained play therapists use the therapeutic powers of play to help clients prevent or resolve psychosocial difficulties and achieve optimal growth and development.” http://www.a4pt.org

WORKING WITH CHILDREN 5 AND UNDER – Preschool children may experience problems with development, behavior and emotional functioning. Early intervention and counseling with a therapist specially trained to work with very young children can help the child and parent to address concerns, support development and prevent further problems. Christine uses a Child-Parent Psychotherapy approach which involves sessions with the parent and child together to enhance understanding, communication, cooperation and healthy development.