Grow & Heal
With
Psychotherapy
​Change is Possible
About Me
My name is Christine (Chris) Kowalcky and I am a Clinical Psychologist, licensed in MA and OR, currently practicing in Massachusetts where I work with adults across the lifespan on a variety of issues. I earned a Master's degree from Boston College, a Doctoral degree from William James College and I have advanced training in EMDR psychotherapy.
I am a second-career psychologist entering this field sixteen years ago, after spending nearly twenty years in higher education where I worked with adults of all ages (17-70+).
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Since then, my clinical education and training has allowed me to work and learn in a variety of contexts, including community mental health, secondary and higher education, in-home therapy and private practice settings.
My Commitment
My hope is that you experience therapy as a partnership in which you feel engaged and empowered, believing that you are capable of growing and deeply influencing your life decisions and direction. I am committed to supporting you on that journey.
My Services
Individual Psychotherapy
I have helped people navigate life transitions (chosen or unchosen), self exploration, grief/loss, unresolved trauma, family dysfunction and more. I offer therapy tailored to each person and draw from a variety of theoretical perspectives. I enjoy developing warm and trusting relationships with clients and feel privileged to support them.
Specialties & Interests
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Relationship Issues
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Self esteem
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Depression
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Codependency
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Women's Issues
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Identity development
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Life Transitions
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Grief/loss
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Trauma
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Spirituality
EMDR Psychotherapy
EMDR is an abbreviation for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
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When something traumatic happens it gets stored in the brain in a way that our system feels that the event is either going to happen again at any moment, or is still happening. If something occurs that is similar, or simply has an element that reminds us of an earlier trauma, our brain reacts as if that trauma is reoccurring. This experience can be disruptive and overwhelming.
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EMDR helps reduce this distress and moves the storage of that memory to a more functional part of the brain that can experience the event as actually being in the past. The events that used to trigger the brain into over-reaction no longer have that effect. The person can now react to the present without the past interfering.​ ​
For many clients, EMDR therapy can be completed in fewer sessions than other psychotherapies.
My Therapeutic Approach
Grounded in Relationship
I believe that the therapeutic relationship is at the center of any successful psychotherapy. In every context of life, relationships have the power to shape and heal us, and the therapy relationship is no exception.​ In my practice I listen deeply but I am not a silent participant. We work together and, in the process, a relationship takes shape and effects change.
Compassionate and
Non-judgmental
I provide a compassionate and non-judgmental space for you to talk about your challenges, hopes and goals. I use empathy and humor to help you develop insight and self-compassion. Like all of us, I am imperfect and I embrace this because it is freeing. I am happy to help you along your journey of self-discovery and acceptance.
Trauma-Informed
Trauma-informed therapy considers the complex impact that trauma can have on an individual well into the future and prioritizes a safe therapeutic space and the client's power to choose.
If, at any age, you experienced something that overwhelmed your ability to cope, you have known trauma.​​
The Therapy Journey- An Intentional Process
And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom.
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~ Anaïs Nin, author
Hope begins in the dark, the stubborn hope that if you just show up and try to do the right thing, the dawn will come. You wait and watch and work: you don't give up.
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~ Anne Lamott, author
We shall not cease from exploration, and the end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.
~ T.S. Elliot, poet
Sessions 1 & 2/
History-taking
​​If after an initial consultation you decide you'd like to meet again and begin therapy, then we will set up a first session for you to share more about your hopes and goals. I also use this session (and perhaps the second session) to obtain a history from you to help me best understand the experiences that have influenced you and contributed to your current struggles.
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During these initial sessions you also have the opportunity to ask me questions and get a "feel" for what it's like to meet with me.
Session 3/
Treatment Planning
Together, we create a path that addresses and prioritizes your hopes and goals. Sometimes people simply wish to "feel better" or "be happier" and have no specific goals beyond this. Other people have very specific goals. Regardless, we'll talk together about how to best address your needs and what we might do to meet them.
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In this planning phase we also are cultivating the therapy relationship through growing familiarity and collaboration.
Ongoing Sessions
The duration of treatment varies person to person and largely depends upon their goals and any obstacles that interfere with reaching those goals.
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I typically meet with clients on a weekly basis but sometimes see them twice/weekly if the work is more intense and they would benefit from more support and structure.