PLEASE NOTE I HAVE A WAITLIST FOR NEW CLIENTS AT THIS TIME
Meet Christie Pearl, LMHC, LPC
ACOA Therapist in
Richmond, VA and Boston, MA
Hi! I’m Christie. And I’m glad you’re here.
I’ve got plenty of letters after my name, but I like to think of myself as a fellow traveler.
I’ve helped hundreds of Adult Children like you set themselves free from the chains of their past.
Talk therapy can be helpful, but sometimes it’s not enough.
The latest research on the mind/body connection tells us that you can’t think your way out of old survival strategies that are baked into your nervous system from your early life experiences. If all you needed to do was “understand” yourself better from a cognitive perspective, then you probably wouldn’t be reading this right now!
My guess is you’ve thought about it enough.
Why I love EMDR Intensives
As the saying goes, “the body keeps the score” and there are some things that our emotional memory and body memory are holding onto that our thinking brain alone can’t resolve and release.
EMDR is an approach to therapy that helps you resolve and release old beliefs about yourself that were formed in the past when you needed to adapt to growing up in an alcoholic (or other dysfunctional) home.
EMDR helps you feel now what you couldn’t feel then and bring to conclusion what is leftover from the past that is getting in your way today. As a result, you can look at your life now through a present day lens instead of through the cloudy filter of your past experience.
Most of my clients have spent enough time trying to change on their own or with professional help that may have been partially effective at best. If you’re like them, you’re not looking to spend another couple of years waiting to feel better.
EMDR Intensives are an alternative to traditional weekly therapy so that you can get the results you want faster and more efficiently.
What’s Different About Working With Me
There are a lot of great trauma therapists out there. And there are a lot of great business consultants out there who can help you strategize about making your work more satisfying or making better use of your skills. But when you work with me, you get a trauma specialist, business consultant and expert on Adult Children of Alcoholics who understands how the unique challenges of ACOAs show up in their careers - and who also has the training and experience to help you heal and move forward.
My approach to our work together is relational. Sometimes clients come to me after having seen other EMDR therapists and they tell me that they have “had EMDR done to them” before.
I do not see EMDR as something I do to you.
I incorporate EMDR as an approach to healing within our therapeutic relationship. My goal is to empower you in every step of the process.
And I am walking with you every step of the way.
When you work with me, not only do you get a therapist with years of advanced training and experience, but also you get a therapist who practices what she teaches.
I know from doing my own hard work to break free from my past, and from helping hundreds of amazing people like you, that you don’t have to stay stuck. And as a fellow traveler, I am committed to doing my own work so I can help you do yours.
I can support you through the sometimes-challenging-but-so-worth-it process of resolving old self-defeating beliefs so that you can finally be your true self in your work.
My lived experience gives you empathy.
My professional experience gives you excellence.
When you become my client, we enter into a relationship.
That relationship might be shorter or longer in duration, but I like to think of my practice as a “home base” for you that you can return to when you need it.
Clients often tell me that having this reassurance gives them a sense of connection that is very healing for them.
One of the highest compliments to me is when clients return to do another piece of work with me, or when they refer a friend or colleague to me.
I think they recommend me because they know they’re in good hands with me - but you’d have to ask them to know for sure ;)
Education & Licensure
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Licensed Professional Counselor (VA #0701008726)
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Licensed Mental Health Counselor (MA #6647)
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Lesley University, M.A., Expressive Therapies, 2005
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Northeastern University, M.S., Criminal Justice, 1995
Training & Certifications
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EMDRIA Approved Consultant
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Certified EMDR Therapist
AWARDS
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Massachusetts Medicaid Director’s Award for Excellence, 2018
Professional Associations
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Member, EMDRIA
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Member, EMDRIA Performance Enhancement Special Interest Group
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Member, MaMHCA
My values are empowerment and excellence –
for me and for you.
I believe in working to be the best therapist I can be so that I can provide you with the best care possible.
I am committed to clinical excellence and ongoing learning. I seek out regular consultation, stay informed on the latest research, and continuously pursue advanced training.
