Cristine Steele (she/her)

Burnout isn't a character flaw; it’s a nervous system response to an unsustainable mental load. If you feel "touched out," resentful, or like you’re just going through the motions, I’m here to help. We unpack the cultural and religious "shoulds" that fuel perfectionism and exhaustion. By focusing on sensory overload and emotional regulation, we work to lower the volume on the "mom rage" and help you find your way back to a version of yourself that feels grounded, energized, and whole.

Pregnancy and postpartum are a complete reshaping of your identity, body, and nervous system. Whether you’re navigating the "fourth trimester" or the complex layers of birth trauma and anxiety, you deserve a space to be honest. We go beyond talk therapy to address the intersection of perinatal mental health and sexual wellness. Using somatic tools and Brainspotting, we help you move out of survival mode and reclaim your steadiness, your desire, and your sense of self after baby.

Parenting doesn't get "easier" after the first year. Whether your child is a toddler or an elementary student at Genesee Hill or Lafayette, the mental load is heavy. I support parents who realize they never truly processed the identity shift of having kids. We explore attachment, boundaries, and the stories we carry from our own upbringing. From the chaos of the school run to the quiet of the evening, I help you show up as the authentic parent you want to be—without the performance or shame.

Sometimes, "talking it out" isn't enough because trauma and stress aren't stored in the logical part of your brain—they’re stored in the body. Brainspotting is a powerful, "bottom-up" tool that uses your field of vision to access and process deep-seated emotional pain, birth trauma, and anxiety. Based on the idea that "where you look affects how you feel," we work together to find the literal "spots" in your brain where you're stuck, allowing your system to finally release and heal.

Motherhood is a deeply physical experience, yet many of us feel completely disconnected from our bodies after baby. Somatic therapy focuses on the mind-body connection to help you release "stuck" emotions like rage, grief, and chronic tension. Instead of just analyzing your thoughts, we pay attention to your nervous system’s signals. By practicing grounding and sensory awareness, we help you move out of a constant state of "survival mode" and back into a body that feels safe and like yours.

Hakomi is a gentle, mindfulness-based approach that helps us study how you "organize" your experience. In a state of loving presence, we look at the core beliefs—the "good mom" stories or cultural "shoulds"—that live in your body and drive your burnout. Through small, curious experiments in mindfulness, we uncover the roots of your mom rage or identity loss. This isn't about fixing you; it’s about discovering the deep wisdom in your system and making room for a more authentic you.