Christina Steele-Lietz

Christina Steele-Lietz is a licensed social worker who uses a collaborative, down-to-earth approach. She aims to be a confidante, teacher, and companion while people sort through stress, anxiety, trauma, grief, and anger. Christina speaks plainly and listens without judgment as clients name what matters most to them.

She frames therapy as practical life work. Together they look at what can and cannot be controlled. The focus is on learning coping skills, comforting yourself through hard moments, and choosing values that guide daily behavior. Sessions are offered in English and draw on methods that promote clarity and action.

Christina holds the Licensed Master Social Worker credential and the Licensed Clinical Social Worker credential, abbreviated LMSW and LCSW. She has practiced for 20 years and is licensed in Illinois. That experience includes work with mood concerns, identity-related stress, trauma and abuse recovery, and caregiving strains.

Her style mixes acceptance-based thinking, cognitive-behavioral tools, and emotion-focused conversation. She also uses mindfulness practices and approaches for processing traumatic memories when appropriate. The work is paced to each person’s needs and goals.

Christina stresses practical next steps. Early sessions tend to map problems, set priorities, and try simple skills. Over time clients build routines that fit their lives and values, whether the goals are better sleep, calmer reactions, or clearer relationships.

How certain approaches translate to online work

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) encourages people to notice painful feelings without fighting them and to take small actions that match their values. It can help with anxiety, depression, and anger by shifting focus from avoidance to meaningful choices. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) breaks problems into thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and teaches concrete skills to change patterns. CBT is often used for stress, sleep problems, and mood concerns. Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) focuses on identifying and naming emotions to improve how people relate to themselves and others; it can be useful when intense feelings get in the way of connection.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will discuss preferences and goals and try approaches that fit the person's needs. Treatment is collaborative, and methods can shift over time based on what helps most.

Confirm the session formats when booking, as options are not specified here. Online sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into busy lives by removing travel time, allowing shorter check-ins, or letting someone join from a convenient location. They also offer flexible scheduling that can accommodate work breaks or caregiving duties. Ask about available session types before scheduling to pick what works best for daily routines.