Christina Jenkins, LPC

Hi my name is Christina Jenkins and welcome to my therapy practice. My training as a Licensed Professional Counselor was completed at Southern Connecticut State University. I often say this career chose me, this statement is reflected in feedback from clients as they frequently share that they have traveled further on their journey with me than they have in past attempts.

I was born to be a counselor, it lights me up and energizes me and I learn as much from the people who cross my path as they do from me. I am a life-long learner you will often find me at a conference, workshop, or with my head buried in a book. I operate from a meaning-focused, humanistic, existential perspective. I employ the use of Dialectical Behavior Therapy often using metaphor and narrative re-framing, as well as some Cognitive Behavioral Techniques. More than any model though I operate from a place where my presence creates space for client’s to explore their most profound truths. This often includes healing around past grief, disappointment of unmet expectations, defining needs and learning how to allow for them, and much more. This process can be extremely uncomfortable at times, as client’s unearth feelings and experiences they have worked hard to compartmentalize. However, if you have found yourself stuck at some point in your life with patterns that are repeating, or you are unable to live a life that feels authentic for you, I would be honored to be a part of your journey into a life that feels like your own.

Something clients have shared they appreciate about working with me is that rather than being an expert providing advice on their life, I believe the client is the expert on their own life and I am just an objective party who can impartially help point out things that can encourage growth. I am a fellow human being willing to get in the trenches of what the client is feeling so they are not alone in that journey. An empathic compass and a warm guide on journey’s that are often filled with discomfort and anxiety. 

My post graduate experience included many adolescents, as my supervisor was a retired school psychologist. As I began this work it often included seeing the parents as well for private sessions and working the change from that angle. Through my training I naturally evolved into incorporating family work through the individual. At present I see primarily 18 and up, I work best at an adult level. I include a lot of psycho education and between session resources. If you are currently struggling with addiction the work with me can be very destabilizing, and I recommend that you address this first through a program, or with a Clinician that specializes. I do not appreciate the smell of marijuana and if you feel you cannot go without, and will smell of it during session or be high, we would not make a good fit. It is important you be clear and present for the type of session work that I do.

Each individual has a life story that is unique and important to them, in my practice this is respected and valued. The people I tend to end up working with are typically complex post traumatic injury survivors, who have had a number of traumas throughout their lives and are trying to make sense of their nervous system, and world views. I have a strong knowledge in narcissistic abuse and family dynamics, and the recovery that is specific to that. I use attachment focus, co-dependence recovery, and internal family systems principals. I become most engaged as a counselor with clients who are interested in deep personal work, and who feel very motivated towards being challenged to produce change in their lives. During this process I will accompany as you examine your belief systems that have been created. I am creative and dynamic in my clinical approach. I ask you to accept that while many things happen outside of us that we cannot control, there are always choices in our process and how we handle the situations.

I have a deep appreciation for philosophy and for people individually finding the meaning in their experiences. I am a survivor and have made a lifetime art of recovering from Post Traumatic Injuries. I believe wholly in found family. I live in Connecticut with my partner and two dogs. I have raised three children who are at present launching into the world, and one of my favorite things is witnessing their becoming. I am an avid reader, a writer, and enjoy intimate gatherings with the people I am privileged to be close to. Elizabeth Gilbert is my favorite writer, and I love her approach to life. Some other favorites are Dr. Ramani, Dr. Sam Vaknin, Dr. Brene Brown, Dr. Yalom, Dr. Gabor Mate, Dr. Frank Anderson, Dr. Lissa Rankin, Dr. Nicole Lepera (the holistic psychologist), Lisa Romano, Dr. Eli Harwood (the attachment nerd herd), We can do hard things podcast, and many others!