Schedule with Cristina

Dr. Cristina Davis, Psy.D., MA, LMHCA

Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate
(206) 558-2238   |   [email protected]

Where you are and how you feel right now is understandable, but you don’t have to stay in this place forever. I want to help you get to where you want to be. Working collaboratively together, focused solely on you, I will encourage you and push you to accomplish the goals you set for yourself. I offer counseling for children, teens, adult individuals, and couples facing a wide variety of issues. Whether you’re dealing with anxiety, depression, trauma, abandonment, grief, chemical dependency, or other concerns, it would be my honor to work with you to find lasting solutions with God’s help.

Federal Way – Tue & Thu
Kent – Wed & Fri

God’s love for you will never change, no matter what circumstances you may experience. As your counselor, I will seek to point you to the love of Christ, helping you see that He is able to equip you to overcome the challenges you face, with His sustaining power and grace. In our sessions, I will listen carefully to your story without judgment and sit with you in your pain. Together we will develop a treatment plan with measurable steps to help you achieve the outcomes you desire.

My Goal as a Christian Counselor

My goal as your counselor is for you to gain a self-confident approach to life utilizing the skills developed in therapy. It’s important to me that you make progress through our sessions together. My hope is that as you grow in counseling, you will learn and practice the therapeutic techniques outside of our sessions and become more confident in your own ability to overcome the life challenges you encounter.

What I Offer in Christian Counseling

I offer a safe, judgment-free space where you can freely share whatever concerns are on your mind and heart. In our first session, we’ll spend time getting to know one another, and I’ll ask you to share with me your reasons for seeking therapy. In follow-up sessions, we’ll implement treatment interventions, discuss homework assignments, and measure and review your progress.

My Approach to Christian Counseling

A distinctively Christian approach to counseling involves recognizing that while emotions can feel very real, they waver, and therefore, can be unreliable. I can give you the tools and help you develop the skills, but true and lasting comfort is found in knowing that God and His love for you is reliable, never changes, and is unwavering. My faith informs my practice by enabling me to meet each client exactly where they are in life, vulnerabilities and all, knowing that God can take those vulnerabilities and use them to make an individual strong.

Qualifications & Experience

I received a doctorate in Counseling Psychology from Northwest University. I completed my clinical training at Monroe Correctional Complex, Western State Hospital, and Nebraska Mental Health Centers.

My Call to Christian Counseling

I want to use what God has blessed me with to meet you wherever you are in life and help you break free of whatever is keeping you chained. My call to Christian Counseling is recognizing that while I may have acquired a degree, I know there is a God whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. In reference to Him, there is very little, if any, difference between you and me. Ask, seek, knock . . . and you will find.

More About Me/On a Personal Note

I am married. I enjoy food, cooking, and hiking. My friends describe me as down-to-earth, energetic, and an “old soul”.

Areas of Expertise/Specialties

  • Abandonment and Neglect
  • ADHD
  • Anxiety
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • Chemical Dependency
  • Counseling for Children
  • Counseling for Teens
  • Couples Counseling
  • Depression
  • Family Counseling
  • Grief and Loss
  • Group Counseling
  • Individual Counseling
  • Marriage Counseling
  • Online Counseling
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
  • Trauma

Counseling for Children and Teens

Counseling children and teens is very rewarding. My approach to working with children and adolescents is structured, yet flexible to give them choices and as much control as possible. I have worked with youth with a variety of presenting concerns, including those with behavioral issues, ADHD, anxiety, trauma, and intellectual and developmental disabilities (ID/DD).

Whenever possible, I work to integrate parent(s) or guardian(s) into therapy on a part-time basis. This is important so we can increase the responsiveness of the child or teen to the parent(s). In addition, caregivers can expect some homework as well so transitioning out of therapy will be smooth and skills developed in therapy will be maintained after therapy ends.

Family Counseling

My role as a Family Counselor is to amplify the voices in the family that may have gone unheard. In my experience, a family member is usually identified as the “presenting problem.” However, identifying patterns within the family will likely begin the process of understanding how the family system has sustained itself even in the face of hardship and troubles. During family counseling, I will help families change the dynamics and patterns which have kept the family stuck and realign their family system. When therapy comes to an end, families can anticipate experiencing more cohesion and closeness.

Grief

Grief can be a painful and lonely experience. Others may not understand, and it can be difficult to express with words. Navigating the waves of emotions and accepting the loss can be especially challenging. Differences in the type of loss can lead to a spectrum of emotions, such as a deep despair over who or what was lost, or a sense of relief which may leave the survivor feeling guilty. Whether you’ve experienced the loss of a loved one, a loss of a job, or a loss of something else, you aren’t alone.

Sudden and unexpected loss of a loved one can leave a heavy burden on those that remain. If the loss was traumatic, intense emotional reactions that persist for a longer duration are common. You may not have been ready to say goodbye, so reconciling the pain and finding peace can be a messy process. Reoccurring dreams or memories, intrusive thoughts, and blaming yourself or others can occur. While you may want relief from the pain, you may feel a strong desire to cling to all that you have left of the one you lost. Healing, at times, can stir up a feeling of guilt about potentially forgetting or abandoning the person that passed. This internal strife can keep a person stuck in the grief cycle for a prolonged period. Whether your loss was 10 days ago or 10 years ago, I will help you identify helpful coping skills, process through the grief, and assign homework to address areas in your life that may need extra attention to maintain your overall mental and physical health.

Marriage Counseling

Whether you are living like roommates or are on the brink of divorce, the marriage can be restored. Tending to other areas in life and neglecting your marriage will eventually lead to a period of drought, poverty, and starvation. As your marriage counselor, I will encourage you to limit the distractions, ask for help, discuss your options for preservation, prepare emotionally, and plan for what you want your marriage to look like in a year from now. Marital couples must do the work to reap the reward, but WOW! . . . The harvest is plentiful, and the reward is good. Marital counseling can completely change the trajectory of a family! Do not underestimate it, as the marriage is an important foundation to the family system. Let God be the foundation of your marriage, and anything is possible.

Abandonment, Neglect, and Trauma

Experiences of abandonment, neglect, or trauma may be carried by someone throughout their lifetime, particularly when these experiences occur during the formative years. Each of these experiences can shape your perception of yourself and others. It may be difficult to form and maintain lasting, meaningful relationships and you may feel especially sensitive to relationship disruption. These experiences do not define your identity but can often construct your core beliefs about who you are and manifest in your relationships. I will provide you with a judgment-free, shame-free space to process through the pain you have carried, identify and challenge thinking patterns that have contributed to negative beliefs about yourself, and help you establish healthy boundaries with yourself and others.

Sessions: I offer 53-minute sessions. Sessions can be held more than once per week, weekly, or every other week. Scheduling options are discussed in greater detail during your Risk-Free Initial Session.

Availability (by office location):

  • Federal Way – Tuesdays and Thursdays
  • Kent – Wednesdays and Fridays

Fees: I offer a Risk-Free Initial Session for individuals, couples, and families looking to pursue counseling with me. Please note that there is a fee for the Risk-Free Initial Session as it is a clinical hour and reimbursable to most insurance companies, but if you choose not to reschedule and continue therapy after the initial session the entire fee for the session will be waived. For ongoing treatment the full fee per session is required at the time of service.

Insurance: As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate (LMHCA), some insurance companies will reimburse for a portion of my services (as an Out of Network Provider). Please consult with your insurance provider as to whether they specifically cover adolescents, individuals and couples.

Receipts/Statements: In the event you require a printed or digital receipt, I will provide receipts for personal use, insurance reimbursement, Flex Spending Accounts (FSA), and Health Savings Accounts (HSA).

Payment options: Cash, Check, or Credit Card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, & American Express). A fee of up to 4% per transaction will be added for credit card payments.

My 15 yrs son suffering level of anxiety and sometimes panic attacks, when he came here and I am very happy to say that he is more calm and relaxed and managing life issues much better now, especially in school.

I highly recommend Ms. Davis, she great listeners with compassion and wisdom.

Thank you for showing myself & husband to listen and understand our son.

Diane pham

I had a great experience working with Cristina Davis. She made it easy to open up to and shared easy to implement strategies to use in my daily life. So grateful that I had the chance to have her as my therapist and definitely would recommend working with her!

Michelle

I definitely recommend Cristina. She is kind, receptive and wants the best for her patients.
She made me feel comfortable

Ben Pesicka

I had an awesome experience with Cristina, she really takes time to listen to all those she works with patients and staff included. I always appreciate when I come across someone who brings in great energy when meeting them and she is surely that person. 5 stars was easy to give here 🙂

Thanny21

I have worked with Cristina in the past and it is evident that she is very passionate about her work. She is an amazing therapist who cares deeply for her clients. She works well with all individuals, but I think she really excels at working with couples and families. Highly recommend Cristina!

Miranda Buresh

I have had the pleasure of working with Ms. Davis in the past. From what I gathered during our time together is she is a hard worker and is not afraid to go that extra mile for the individuals in her care.

Stephanie McCormick

It has been such a blessing to have Cristina in my journey of life. She is thoughtful, an intentional listener and her heart is to be the hands and feet of Our Lord. Thank you for all that do Cristina to encourage and inspire me to move in a healthy way towards Our Savior!!

Rebecca Roadman

Cristina is such a passionate and caring professional. She not only takes time to invest in her clients but her coworkers alike. Cristina is resource driven and is constantly learning more to ensure the most relevant, ethical, and applicable approach to each and every client she sees.

Kristi Meints

Focus Areas

  • Abandonment and Neglect

  • ADHD

  • Anxiety

  • Autism Spectrum Disorder

  • Chemical Dependency

  • Counseling for Children

  • Counseling for Teens

  • Depression

  • Family Counseling

  • Grief Counseling

  • Group Counseling

  • Individual Counseling

  • Marriage Counseling

  • Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

  • Trauma

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Articles are intended for informational purposes only and do not constitute medical advice; the Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. All opinions expressed by authors and quoted sources are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, publishers or editorial boards of Mill Creek Christian Counseling. This website does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, products, procedures, opinions, or other information that may be mentioned on the Site. Reliance on any information provided by this website is solely at your own risk.