Christine attended the University of Pittsburgh for her Bachelor in Science Degree in Psychology and a Master's in Social Work, specializing in mental health. In addition to her work in private practice, she carries clinical experience working in an inpatient hospital setting for mental illness and chemical dependency. Christine specializes in grief counseling, post-traumatic stress disorder, marital counseling, depression, sexual and child abuse issues, esteem issues, obsessive and anxiety disorder, as well as gay and lesbian issues. Christine also provides EAP services. Christine welcomes adult, adolescents and children. Christine also is sensitive to the spiritual background of her clients. Charmaine Stillitano LCSW Charmaine is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 30 years of experience. Specializing in helping children, adolescents and young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Developmental/Intellectual Disabilities, Anxiety, and Social Skill challenges. She believes that each child and family is unique, and their individuality should be respected, while nurturing change toward healthier functioning. Charmaine is experienced in planning behavioral interventions and utilizes the most studied techniques such as Applied Behavioral Analysis. She communicates and collaborates with team members from all disciplines to enhance positive outcomes for each individual child and family. She thoroughly enjoys working together with parents to help children grow to their full potential, as well as helping adolescents and young adults work toward their life goals. Larissa Johnston LPC Larissa Johnston is a Licensed Professional Counselor with extensive experience providing therapy to clients with mental health problems, substance use disorders and also co-occurring disorders. Larissa’s varied experiences have taken place in a variety of diverse treatment settings including Shawnee Academy Residential Treatment Facility, Southwood Hospital, Southwestern Pennsylvania Human Services and Wesley Spectrum Services. She is adept at delivering quality services across the lifespan and is currently working with children and adults in individual, family, and couples counseling. She has addressed various issues in counseling such as bullying, anxiety, depression, and personality disorders. Larissa has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh and a Master’s degree in Secondary School Counseling from Marywood University. Ms. Johnston uses an integrative approach to counseling based on the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Trauma Focused Behavioral Therapy treatment models. Central to her treatment approach is the concept of positive change in which she believes in the capacity for all clients to improve their life circumstances. She encourages empowerment through using strength-based and solution-focused strategies in sessions that can be transferred to the clients’ everyday lives. Patti is a licensed professional counselor as well as a certified addictions counselor. She has worked in the chemical dependency treatment field for eighteen years and has several years of experience in treating the mental health and chemical dependency issues of adolescents as well as adults. Additionally, her areas of expertise and interest include providing treatment to individuals with anxiety and mood disorders, co-dependency and trauma issues. She has many years of experience in working with adolescents and their families. Patti has several treatment approaches including cognitive behavioral therapy, rational emotive therapy and motivational interviewing. She also provides trauma-focused treatment. Patti’s belief is that the most important aspect of counseling is to establish a therapeutic rapport with her clients to initiate the process of inner change. Hillary Smith, LPC Hillary is a licensed professional counselor who works with children and teens on processing their story of trauma. Hillary is trained in trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) which has children and teens (ages 3-18) narrate their story of trauma to highlight distorted thoughts and feelings associated to the traumatic event. Through creating their story of trauma, clients will learn therapeutic techniques to re-examine their perception of this traumatic event. TF-CBT has proved successful with children and adolescents who have significant emotional problems such (e.g., symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, fear, anxiety, or depression) related to traumatic life events.  Hillary also incorporates creative mediums such as, art and letter writing into the therapeutic process.   Hillary is a firm believer in how understanding our mind helps us unveil our true potential and purpose. There can be blocks and other barriers that impede one’s ability to fully understand their capabilities, but doing the inner work that therapy invites us to do can be a catalyst in healing these areas. Hillary weaves solution-focused therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and dialectical-behavioral therapy approaches into her work with clients.  Areas of expertise are anxiety, depression, panic disorder, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, trauma, and grief and loss. Additionally, Hillary encourages creative outlets to be explored and also emphasizes holistic approaches into therapy as a means to promote active relaxation and aid in alleviating mental health issues. Hillary fosters self-reflection and change to resolve past, challenging experiences so that one can have a high quality of life.  Overall, Hillary facilitates healing and encourages personal growth through the lens of mental health, creativity, and holistic approaches.