CHRISTINA GIFFIN
CHILD & TEEN THERAPIST
Parent ~ Neurodivergent ~ Formerly Rebellious
Walking Alongside Young People for Nearly Two Decades
For nearly two decades, I’ve had the honor of supporting young people through growth, transition, and healing. My work is grounded in deep respect for each family’s story and shaped by both extensive professional experience and my own lived experience as a parent, a neurodivergent person, and a once-rebellious teen.
I approach therapy with warmth and curiosity, holding a strong belief in each person’s innate capacity for resilience, connection, and healing.
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A LONG HISTORY WITH YOUNG PEOPLE
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ROOTED IN
COMMUNITY
Early in my career, I worked with adolescents in a Level 14 residential treatment center, supporting youth with complex emotional and behavioral needs. I later worked with the City of Sacramento, supporting hundreds of economically disadvantaged young people through life-skills development, work readiness, leadership opportunities, and empowerment-focused programming.
Those experiences helped shape my belief that young people need relationships in which they feel genuinely seen, respected, and understood.
I completed my graduate education at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) in San Francisco, where my training emphasized holistic, culturally responsive approaches, liberation psychology, and transpersonal perspectives.
My clinical experience has also included serving Sierra Native Alliance, a community wellness organization supporting Native American individuals and families. Working at the intersection of Native traditional healing practices and Western psychology has continued to deepen the way I think about relationship, culture, community, and healing.
EDUCATION & TRAINING
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M.S., Integral Counseling Psychology — California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS)
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Brainspotting — 50 Hours of Advanced Training; Certification in Progress
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TF-CBT — Required Training Completed; Certification Pending Licensure
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Violet Oaklander / Gestalt Play Therapy — Required Training Completed; Certification in Progress
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Ongoing training in trauma-informed care, expressive arts, and mind-body approaches
SELECTED EXPERIENCE
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Sierra Native Alliance — Behavioral Health Counselor
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Nevada County Superintendent of Schools — Curriculum & Community Partnerships
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City of Sacramento — Youth Development Specialist
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Yuba River Charter School — Assistant Business Manager
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Level 14 Residential Treatment Center — Counselor
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FINDING MY WAY TO THERAPY
After beginning my own parenting journey, I relocated with my family to Nevada City and continued working with young people, first at Yuba River Charter School and later with the Nevada County Superintendent of Schools, where I helped introduce entrepreneurship curriculum across several charter schools.
While I valued contributing to larger community initiatives, I realized how deeply I missed direct, relational work with youth and their families. That realization ultimately led me back to school to become a therapist.