Dr. Christie Joyner (she/her/hers)

In my graduate training at Washington University in St. Louis, we were trained exclusively in cognitive behavioral therapy. This means that all of my courses and clinical supervision occurred under the umbrella of CBT. The premise of this therapy is that by altering distorted patterns of thinking and related problematic behavior, one can overcome depression, anxiety and other conditions. Through homework and regular therapy, I have watched clients make steady progress with this form of treatment

While I did not have specialized training in ACT in graduate school, I learned about it once I started practicing and was immediately drawn to it. I have sought out training opportunities over the years to deepen my understanding. ACT is the therapeutic approach that most closely aligns with my personal psychological philosophy. I view it as an acknowledgement of the condition one is facing and pushing through towards one's values and goals anyway.

I believe Eclectic Therapy is an approach that all clinicians who have been practicing for some time can identify with. In this form of therapy, as a clinician, I am able to rely on all of the knowledge and skills I have developed over the years to meet clients exactly where they are. This keeps me from having to rely on only one form of therapy, and I can instead tailor a therapeutic experience to best meet the needs of each unique client, pulling from all I have learned over many years.

I completed a training experience at an Anxiety Disorders Treatment Clinic in graduate school and it has been the condition I have encountered most during my career. Anxiety can range from being mildly disruptive to debilitating. I teach clients that the goal is not to never experience anxiety, but it is to not let it control you. I take great joy in helping clients gain better control over their experience of anxiety so that they can live life without having to consider anxiety at every turn.

I have always been drawn to issues of family disruption. I completed training in family systems while on my clinical internship to hone my interest. I have found in my work that family is often at the root of much of the stress that many people experience. It can be incredibly helpful to have an objective clinician to look at the family system you exist in with a different lens to help you examine your role in your family, how it may have shifted over time and how it may need to be altered.

I worked at the Department of Veterans Affairs for 14 years. I am intimately familiar with many of the difficulties veterans can encounter when trying to reintegrate into their family and work lives, and civilian life in general. Outside of the federal system, it is often hard to find clinicians who have an understanding of the veteran experience. I am uniquely qualified to meet the needs of this population.