Christie Grace, MS, LPC-IT
(she/her)
Specialties
Children & Adolescents
Teens
Adults
Depression
Anxiety
Families
Couples
Trauma
OCD
ADHD
Neurodivergence
PTSD
Attachment and Relational Concerns
Workplace Burnout
Are you struggling with anxiety, trauma, or a mind that won't stop running the same loop? Do the faces change with the people you interact with, but you keep having similar struggles at work, with family, friends, and in your romantic relationships? Do you experience intrusive thoughts or rumination? Physical responses to situations but don't know where they're coming from? Are you avoiding people or situations? Is there tension with your partner that standard couples therapy has not addressed?
Maybe you've tried therapy before, but it never quite got beneath the surface, and you were simply given a set of "tools" to cope. Or maybe you're just beginning to realize that patterns from earlier in your life, especially in your closest relationships, are still shaping how you think, feel, and connect with others today, but you don't have words to explain why?
You don't have to carry it alone.
No two people are the same, so I tailor our sessions to meet each person's unique needs. I approach everyone through a biopsychosocial lens, looking at biology, environment, and psychology together, because you are not just a diagnosis. Whatever brings you here, you deserve compassionate, nonjudgmental support and a plan that fits your life rather than a generic template.
Compassionate support for healing the patterns that keep you stuck.
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CBT focuses on reframing negative thought patterns and changing behaviors to improve mental health.
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DBT focuses is a type of talk therapy that focuses on mindfulness, interpersonal effectiveness, emotional regulation, and distress tolerance.
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ACT encourages accepting thoughts and feelings, even when they’re unpleasant, while committing to actions aligned with personal values.
MODALITIES
Sessions with me are…
Warm, compassionate, and direct.
I bring genuine care to our work together, and I want you to feel safe, seen, and understood as we go at a pace that fits you. My clinical background spans intensive outpatient care, inpatient treatment, private practice, and high acuity correctional mental health work. I've sat with a wide range of hard things. I have a high amount of empathy and do not judge. This is a safe space.
My background
I received my Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Marquette University. My education also spans majors in Biology, and Sociology--focusing on public health disparities, community justice, and human rights (University of Wisconsin-Madison), the biopsychosocial foundation that shapes how I see and work with the people I sit with.
My path to this work wasn't a straight line. Before training as a therapist, for over thirty years, I have navigated different job environments. I've worked as a waitress, tutor and mentor, factory setting, in the corporate world for years, and working in scientific settings, which taught me how to think in systems while working with people and conflict resolution, and stay steady under pressure long before I ever sat across from someone in a session. I know what it is like to face job loss, personal loss, and work with all kinds of tough situations. That background still shapes how I practice: kind, person-centered, methodical, evidence based, and grounded.
Volunteering has been part of my life since I was a kid. I've worked with children, older adults living with dementia, people navigating crisis or loss, and caring for people at every stage of life has always come naturally to me. I also have done a lot of fundraising for animals.
I have many hobbies. I spend time with my friends, I enjoy spending time in nature, I am a long-time martial artist (Kung Fu) and meditator, practice Qigong and Thai Chi, I sing and play instruments, volunteer, and when I have the time, I still engage in private tutoring and quick martial arts lessons for those who need fast, intense training. Currently searching for great dog to adopt!