Christopher Marino is a Licensed Professional Counselor who has worked in the mental health field for over 9 years. During this time he has had the privilege of working alongside many children, adolescents, and their families in both the public school system as a behavior therapist and at a local community mental health clinic in the roles of a clinician and program coordinator of outpatient and extended day treatment services.
Chris’s approach places emphasis on the importance of the therapeutic alliance with each and every one of his clients. He recognizes that every person who seeks therapeutic services – whether a child or adult – deserves an environment that offers unconditional positive regard with no fear of being judged, and that everyone deserves to unconditionally accept, approve, admire, appreciate, forgive, trust, and ultimately, love their own self.
While receiving his Master’s degree in Professional Counseling and Rehabilitation from Central Connecticut State University, Chris worked with children and adolescents with developmental disabilities where he gained extensive knowledge and expertise on therapeutic and behavioral modification techniques to better the lives of those with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and their families. In addition to his graduate level training and post-grad experience in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), and other Mindfulness based approaches, he also had the opportunities to learn various expressive therapeutic interventions, ranging from play, art, and drama to use in his sessions with those living with: anxiety, depression, trauma, and other areas that create distress such as oppositional and disruptive behaviors, anger control issues, as well as difficulties with attention and hyperactivity.
Chris has received training and certifications in several evidence-based practices including Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Cognitive Behavioral Interventions for Trauma in Schools (CBITS), Bounce Back, Child and Family Traumatic Stress Intervention (CFTSI) and Theraplay.