Christina Chykirda , LPC

Christina Chykirda is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) practicing in Connecticut who brings a decade of experience in the mental health field and more than 15 years in customer service to her clinical work. She has worked across varied care settings including inpatient, residential, partial hospitalization, intensive outpatient, and traditional outpatient programs, gaining practical experience with many different presentations and life circumstances.

Her caseload has included depression, a range of anxiety disorders (including OCD, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, phobias, panic, and agoraphobia), posttraumatic stress and trauma-related concerns, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, personality disorders, grief and loss, anger and impulse-control challenges, substance and behavioral addictions, eating and food-related issues, domestic violence, and a variety of interpersonal and life-transition struggles. She also focuses on issues such as abandonment, attachment difficulties, codependency, communication and commitment problems, dissociation, and body image concerns.

Christina’s therapeutic stance is empathic, nonjudgmental, supportive, and interactive. She works collaboratively with people to set concrete goals, offers psychoeducation to increase understanding, and uses a blend of approaches including cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy tailored to each person’s needs. She emphasizes active skill-building and may assign between-session work to reinforce progress. Christina expects therapy to be a purposeful process that can involve challenge alongside support as clients develop healthier coping skills and greater self-awareness.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care

Client-centered therapy emphasizes the person’s own goals and experiences, offering a supportive environment where the therapist follows the client’s lead and helps them build insight and self-direction. This approach is useful for clients seeking a compassionate, collaborative space to explore identity, relationships, and life transitions.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviors. It is often used for anxiety, depression, stress, and many daily coping challenges by teaching practical skills and structured techniques to reduce symptoms and improve functioning.

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) teaches emotion regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and mindfulness skills to help clients manage intense emotions and improve relationships. It can be particularly helpful for people struggling with impulsive behaviors, self-destructive coping, or strong mood swings.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Christina collaborates with each person to assess needs, preferences, and goals, and then recommends or blends methods that best support progress. This collaborative process helps tailor treatment and adjust strategies as progress unfolds.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility - sessions can take place by video call, by phone, via live chat, or through ongoing text-based messaging. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules, maintain continuity during life changes, and access licensed professionals from different locations, all while supporting regular contact and consistent skill practice.