Who am I?
I’m so glad you’re here!
My name is Christi and first and foremost I am passionate about empowering the resilience in us all and building relationships and community across the globe.
I started my career in occupational therapy in 2016 where I primarily worked in pediatrics with some stints in sub-acute care and inpatient rehabilitation. This meant that I worked with a variety of individuals from across the lifespan with differing physical, emotional, and spiritual needs
As I worked, I found myself specializing more and more in mental health, working with both children and parents as we navigated things like well-being, parent-child relationships, and navigating what we perceive as challenging behaviors in children.
As this was happening I also began to navigate my own personal growth journey. The more I learned about behavior, attachment, well-being, and relationships, the more I examined my own life and became curious about why I did the things I did. Why do I respond the way I do? Why are some emotions harder for me than others? Why are the relationships I have the way they are?
Through a variety of access points: counseling, mentorship, retreats, and more, I found myself aligning with a life trajectory that that felt full, meaningful, and of course still difficult at times. I began to learn that emotion regulation isn’t just about being calm, but about being able to be with whatever emotion or states showed up for me and trust that I could be ok. It meant stretching and learning new skills that made me comfortably uncomfortable. That’s what resilience is. And that is what I’m passionate about.
If any of this resonates with you, and you are looking for someone to walk alongside you as you find your own empowerment, resilience, and access to the meaningful occupations that matter to you, I would love to work with you!
What is occupational therapy?
Occupations are the everyday activities that are meaningful to you.
For me, my most meaningful occupations are spending time with my family and friends, playing with my dogs, traveling and exploring the world, my work and creative outlets, and relaxing with a good book or video game. I also don’t take for granted the everyday activities OT’s call ADLs (activities of daily living) such as dressing, bathing, feeding, and more.
Sometimes an occupation that was once meaningful to us becomes difficult to access. Sometimes we have physical, mental, or spiritual health changes that impact our ability to participate in those occupations in ways we used to or would like to.
Occupational Therapy seeks to help people gain access to these meaningful, daily occupations through a combination of treatment styles and modalities.
Who do I work with?
Parents
Parenting is an occupation worthy of any and all support you need. If you are looking for someone to be with you as you navigate this journey, I would love to work with you.
Adults & Children
Occupations are wide and varied across the lifespan. If an occupation is meaningful to you, then helping you access it is meaningful to me.
Clinicians
Clinical practice is its own growth journey. I have grown from mentors and am passionate about mentoring others.
Organizations
I work with the individual human, and also the systems they live within. I love working with organizations as they grow and evolve to meet the needs of the humans working within them.
Services
What would you like to be easier for you? Anything that you want to do that is hard for you to do - that is where I come in.
What can Occupational Therapy like?
Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) such as parenting, cooking, cleaning, grocery shopping, meal planning, community mobility, home management, health management, and caregiver support.
Activities of Daily Living (ADLs) such as dressing, bathing, hygiene and grooming
Play (the main occupation of children)!
Leisure participation
Social participation
Work participation such as organization, executive function, aspects of job performance, and more
If there is something that seems significantly more daunting to you and/or is more complex and requires more time and attention, I do offer therapy intensives.
What is a therapy intensive?
Short duration (1-3 weeks)
High Frequency (10+ hrs a week), number depends on individual case and is determined in collaboration with the person and/or family
Scheduled around your schedule
Tailored the person and/or family
20% discount from hourly rate
If you are a clinician, teacher, or other provider who is interested in mentorship and/or personal growth I would love to partner with you. My rate is $100/hr for practitioners with over 5 years of practice. For newer practitioners and students with less than 5 years of practice, my rate is $50/hr.
What does mentorship look like?
The focus can be on clinical or personal growth or both - your choice!
Didactic conversations
Dissemination of new research and findings
Video review and dialogue about your sessions (with appropriate releases in place)
If you choose - personal growth tools to support your own regulation and how you show up in sessions
Someone to cheer you on and believe in you when things feel hard
A safe space to show up however you need to
Other Opportunities
I provide a variety of workshops and have co-hosted several with @bridgeprojectwashington.
If you are interested in a workshop on a particular topic, I am happy to work with you! Workshops can be tailored to the specific needs of your group.
Possible Topics
Trauma-Sensitive Practice
Supporting well-being in daily life
Relational attunement and regulation
Supporting complex behavior
Current neuroscience and neurobiology impacting behavior
Sensory integration and it’s impact on well-being
Neurodiverse affirming care
Building sensory spaces
Regulation and attunement
Biofeedback and use of EDA in tracking regulation and arousal states
Making Sense of Your Worth (fixed curriculum)
And more!
Therapy Modalities and Lenses I Use
Trust Based Relational Intervention (Practitioner)
Dynamic Maturational Model of Attachment and Adaptation - Patricia Crittenden
Psychosensory Intervention - Kim Barthel
Synergetic Play Therapy - Lisa Dion
Biofeedback for Interoception and Regulation - Dr. Stephen Chan
Therapeutic Listening - Sheila Frick
Astronaut Training - Mary Kawar & Sheila Frick
Sensory Integrative Therapy - Dr. Jean Ayres
Safe and Sound & Rest and Restore listening protocols - Dr. Stephn Porges
Neurodevelopmental Therapy (NDT - CEUs completed but not formally certified) - Dr. Karel and Berta Bobath
Making Sense of Your Worth curriculums - Cindy Lee
Follow on social!
Frequently Asked Questions
-
As a private pay practitioner I do not bill insurance. If requested I will provide a superbill (itemized receipt with all necessary codes for insurance). You can then submit the superbill to your insurance company.
If you have out-of-network benefits, your insurance company may reimburse you for a portion of the cost. It is important that you check with your insurance about this potential benefit before starting services.
-
I provide a free phone consultation, just complete the information in the contact form, give me a call, or send me a text!
On a phone consultation we will discuss what you are looking for in a provider, answer any questions you may have, and also discuss my policies and practice guidelines.
After the consultation, if we determine that this is a good fit, we will move forward with scheduling an appointment! If it looks like working together will not be what is most supportive for you at this time, then I can also provide referrals of other providers or resources for you to explore.
-
When we decide to move forward with services, an initial evaluation will occur first. This may include review of pertinent records (i.e. medical, school, etc), formal/informal assessments as determined necessary, collaborative goal setting, and a thorough review of all findings and initial impressions.
We then determine the schedule for sessions, where these will occur. Each session is tailored to you to meet you exactly where you are. You are an active participant throughout the entire process.
Discharge of service occurs when goals are met or when you determine services are no longer needed.
-
Because I am a private pay, out-of-network provider, we are able to set the appropriate amount of time that meets your needs. Most sessions can occur within an hour although sometimes (especially for community based visits) a longer duration may be necessary.
All services are billed by my hourly rate. If you feel that you need more hours a therapy intensive may be recommeded.
Contact Me
Interested in working together? Fill out some info and I will be in touch shortly. Can’t wait to hear from you!