aboutchristinemvalentin

As as a Puerto Rican female who grew up in Brooklyn and Queens,
NY, I've always known two things about myself -

1) I love interacting with children

2) I love helping people solve their problems and have better
relationships.

My journey to get to where I am today entailed a variety of
experiences for which I am truly proud and grateful.

They include :

Starting my work experience at the age of 15 in a small Mom & Pop retail clothing store selling men's clothing for 10 years while going to school full-time

Graduating with my Master's degree from Social Work school in 2006 and being the first Latina in my family to do so

Working at various non-profit organizations in Manhattan, NY where I counseled victims of Elder abuse, adult children concerned about a loved one with dementia and individuals coping with a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

Opening my Private practice 14 years ago to work with adults with anxiety & depression

And in 2018, expanding my private practice to work with children ages 3-8 and becoming credentialed as a Registered Play Therapist.

Why Do I Work with Children?

From a young age, I've always loved being around children. To this day, I am that adult who gets on the floor and engages with kids regardless of who is around. When I see a child struggling because they are not able to effectively communicate with the adults around them, it pains me.

So, in 2018, I decided to pursue two types of training to enhance my knowledge on working with children and families.

The first training led me to become a Foundational Theraplay® Practitioner. As a Foundational Theraplay® practitioner, I work with children and their parent(s)/guardian(s) to build a better understanding of each others' needs and enhance their relationships. To learn more about this approach, visit my family play therapy section for more information.

The second training process required more learning and more supervision and after three years of doing so, I'm happy to say I am a Registered Play therapist - a credential that is designated to therapists who have met the requirements designated by an International organization called the Association of Play Therapy.

What is my hope for my clients?

My desire as a licensed clinical therapist with 15 years of private practice experience is to help my clients, both big and small, lead a healthier more communicative life.

I don't subscribe to a "one size fits all" approach and I don't guarantee success.

What I do promise and offer to the children, families and adults I work with is:

my compassion to understand your issue(s),
my ability to not judge you for your thoughts, your parenting style, and /or conflicting emotions
a willingness to guide you and help you better manage your situation based on what works best for you and not what I or Society thinks you should be doing.

My goal is to have my clients feeling better when they leave a session than when they came in by sharing with them all the knowledge I have gained as a Social worker in the last 18 years and teaching you how to feel more confident and capable of having the types of relationship you want with your child, parent, partner, friends, etc.

I strive to accommodate my client's schedules as much as possible by offering virtual and in-person appointments at times that work for both of us. If I am unable to match your needs, I will do my best to refer you to someone who may be more suitable.

Lastly, sessions are also conducted in Spanish when preferred.

Ready to start therapy?

Contact me today !

Calls and/or e-mails will be responded to within 24 - 48 hours of receipt

email: [email protected]

phone: (718) 314-9280

address: 219 South Street, Ste 201, New Providence, NJ 07974

* Please note e-mail is not considered a secure way of communicating. Please refrain from providing any sensitive/private information about your situation.

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