Christine Bergman, MA, LMHC

Practicing psychotherapy for over 25 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 specialized treatments Christine provides include: Stress Management, Mindfulness Stress Reduction; Communication Skills; Conflict Resolution; Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Behavior Management and 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

SANDPLAY THERAPY - Sandplay Therapy 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 and powerful 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 an powerful treatment modality for adults as well as children. http://www.sandplay.org 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 under the age of 5 - 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.

Behaviors that may indicate emotional problems include:

• displays very little emotion
• does not show interest in sights, sounds or touch
• rejects or avoids being touched, held or playing with others
• unusually difficult to soothe or console
• unable to comfort or cam self
• extremely fearful or reactive
• does not go to caretakers for comfort or help
• cannot play with others
• does not use language or communicate
• frequently fights with others
• very sad
• unusually fearful, avoidant
• withdrawn
• extremely active
• very irritable
• aggressive
• destructive to others and/or others