Christina Claudia
Child/Adolescent | Couple | Families
Getting to know me:
I am a second year Marriage and Family Therapy student at Wheaton College, interning at the Center for Family and Relational Health under the supervision of Dr. Wendy Smith. I grew up in an international school context and spent my undergrad years in the U.S., after which I moved back home to Indonesia and worked in student services and development at a college campus . In the four years I worked there, I met my husband and got the opportunity to listen to the students' stories of challenging family dynamics. This experience inspired me to pursue MFT.
Client Focus/Interest
I am primarily interested in working with teenagers and families to strengthen parent-child relationships as teens start to explore who they really are and where they belong. This season of life can feel highly stressful, overwhelming, isolating and never-ending, but through therapy, there is hope for your home to be the kind of space where meaningful connection is possible.
How can family therapy help me?
Relationships can be challenging to navigate, especially ones that mean a lot to us. Often, we find ourselves feeling like we’re always saying the wrong things, unable to help the ones we love most, or on the other hand, feeling like we are never fully understood or seen by our partners, children or parents. We feel trapped in a cycle of frustration and hurt when all we want is a moment of connection and understanding with our loved ones. I believe therapy is a way out of that cycle; a way for you and your partner or family to find ways to see and understand one another and to rebuild a stronger and more resilient relationship moving forward.
Why family/couples therapy and not just individual work?
While individual therapy can be helpful for many emotional struggles, couple and family therapy offer the opportunity to explore and challenge deep relational issues that are often a factor in our distress. We may find ourselves getting sucked into frustrating relational patterns with our partner or family, leaving us feeling stuck and helpless. My hope is that therapy will be an opportunity to experience lasting change where you can be free to be who you are in your most valued relationships.