Christina Bianchini
Christina Bianchini (she/her) is a Registered Professional Counsellor (#3239) and Master Practitioner in Clinical Counselling with the Canadian Professional Counsellors Association.
I knew that I wanted to be a Counsellor and help others from a young age, even becoming a peer counsellor at the age of 14.
I am proud to tell my clients that sitting in my seat has been influenced by the countless hours I have spent in theirs. The self discovery, healing and tools I have acquired as a result of my own therapy have drastically changed my life, and I want to share that experience with others. You don’t have to do this alone.
As an adolescent, I struggled with a lack of self-esteem and often felt an emptiness and lack of fulfillment. As I moved into adulthood, my quest to ‘not feel’ resulted in severe episodes of depression, anxiety and isolation, and I struggled with close relationships.
At some point I had enough of living a life devoid of feeling, purpose and direction. I no longer wanted to live in the cycle of pain and avoidance. As I moved away from my life of isolation, I was able to heal the root of my problems instead of treating my symptoms on the surface. I found new hope and realized that my struggles contained great lessons and strengths from which I have created amazing relationships and a fulfilling experience of life.
Areas of counselling expertise
- Relationships (Attachment Issues, Improved Engagement and Communication, Singles/Dating, Recovering from a Break-up, Sex and Intimacy, Re-Igniting Love, Healing Infidelity)
- Self esteem, improving relationship with self
- Depression, (Suicidal Ideation, Isolating, Loss of Interest in Life, Feeling Stuck)
- Trauma (Sexual Abuse, Childhood, Loss)
- Anxiety (Social Anxiety, General Anxiety, Panic)
- Teens
- Emotional Eating (Food Addiction, Body Image)
Therapy modalities Christina uses in her counselling practice
My framework is attachment based, and blends coaching, experiential/somatic work, mindfulness and transpersonal modalities.
- Compassionate Inquiry
- Gottman Method Couples Therapy
- Bader-Pearson Developmental Model Couples Therapy
- Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples (EFT)
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
- Bowen Family Systems Therapy
Personal qualities / strengths as a counsellor
I consider myself a progressive therapist which means that I bring my humanity to our sessions through my emotional engagement. The therapeutic relationship is so important to positive outcomes in therapy. I am empathetic, genuine, relateable and intuitive. I have been told that I have a gift for asking thought provoking questions to support you to dive deeper into your understanding of yourself.
In couples therapy, clients appreciate my direct approach and my willingness to seek to understand both partners. My more relaxed approach often helps resistant partners to engage in the process of therapy.
I am also constantly learning and researching to best serve my clients with the most current advances in therapy and neuroscience.
Education and professional development
- Diploma in Applied Transpersonal Psychology, Clearmind International Institute 2012
- Gottman Level 1 Certification – current
- Smart Body, Smart Mind – Irene Lyon 2021 – current
- Psychedelic Assisted Psychotherapy Primer – Dr. Zachary Walsh 2021
- Emotionally Focused Therapy for Individuals (EFIT) – VCFI 2020
- Finally, Truly Loving Yourself (Inner Bonding Process) – Dr. Margaret Paul 2019
- Compassionate Inquiry Training with Dr. Gabor Mate 2018
- Unraveling the Mystery of Memory in the Treatment of Trauma with Peter Levine and Diane Poole Heller 2018
- Attachment in Couples Therapy: Online Training with Dr. Dan Siegel 2017
- Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy Online Training with Sue Johnson Ed. D. 2016
- Developmental Model of Couples Therapy (36 hour training) with the Couples Institute 2015
- Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) for Couples Externship, Vancouver Couples and Family Institute 2013
- AEDP for Couples: Find Love Hidden in the Everyday: A Case that Inspires Building Bridges between AEDP and EFT with David Mars, Ph.D., May 2013
- Trained Facilitator of the Advancement of Excellence 2011
- Program Leadership Training, The Excellence Series, Context International
- Train the Trainer Certification, Peak Potentials 2009