Chris Schrimscher (He/Him)

I have worked extensively with mood disorders over the years and bipolar disorder has been a common diagnosis that my clients have had. Through extensive training, supervision, and exposure to bipolar disorder symptoms, I hope to offer my clients stability and support. I have training in identifying mood changes and challenges with specific skills to help folks better manage depressive and manic episodes, respectively.

Many of my clients have experienced trauma in their life. As I have shifted into being the co-owner of a trauma-focused clinic with a wide variety of perspectives from similarly trained staff, I have begun to focus more extensively on the way that PTSD functions and is managed. My partner and I offer several services, groups, and supportive aspects for folks with PTSD. I have also trained in working with PTSD and take a new certification twice a year.

Suicidality has been my passion for years, stemming from my work on crisis lines, nonprofit teams, and specialized clinical teams. Many of my clients have a past of suicidal urges and behavior, and are currently working to manage these feelings today. Whether suicidal thoughts and urges come from trauma, mood disorders, intense grief, or something else, I am always happy to have the difficult conversations with my clients to keep them safe and grounded.

My first and main passion is using DBT, which I was taught in graduate school then trained extensively under a board-certified DBT therapist at a DBT-specific clinic. I also teach DBT skills and theory to members of my team and the local community of clinicians. Using a combination of DBT work alongside narrative and trauma-focused approaches has allowed me to see a broader variety of complex clients.

I enjoy a variety of trauma therapies combining somatic approaches with narratives as well as processing and skill work. As the co-owner of a trauma-focused mental health clinic, we are often reviewing manuals, approaches, and lectures as well as consulting with other members of team. Many of my clients have experienced trauma and are looking for ways to process and ground themselves. I enjoy working in a trauma-focused style with all of my clients.

I enjoy the use of narrative language with clients, which may include reframing difficult concepts into more storytelling, narrative-focused concepts. I have found that many of my clients respond way to reframing their experiences in ways that allow them to see new perspectives. I have worked and consulted with colleagues that use Narrative approaches to therapy.