Chrissy Highland is a licensed Clinical Social Worker who practices psychotherapy virtually with patients in New Jersey and California. She holds a Master’s degree from the Smith College School for Social Work and completed a two-year Postgraduate Fellowship at the Wright Institute Los Angeles, where she now serves as a clinical supervisor. She is currently a psychoanalytic candidate at the Center for Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis of New Jersey where she is advancing her training in psychoanalytic psychotherapy.
Chrissy has experience working with individuals who suffer from anxiety disorders, depression, relationship challenges, substance abuse, out of control sexual behaviors, personality disorders, stress associated with major life transitions, and various forms of trauma. She has experience running groups in inpatient substance abuse treatment and mental health settings and co-founded an outpatient group for women survivors of sexual trauma.
Chrissy’s work is influenced by her previous career in the medical field where she worked in acute and rehabilitation settings as a Speech-Language Pathologist. To that end, Chrissy welcomes individuals who work in the medical profession as well as those who have been impacted by stroke, traumatic brain injury, and neurological disease.
I practice psychoanalytic psychotherapy which is a type of therapy that prioritizes the relationship between patient and therapist. I use myself as well as the therapeutic relationship to help make links that were previously inaccessible, thereby bringing unconscious patterns, beliefs, and feelings into conscious awareness. My work is trauma-informed which means that I help patients identify trauma and provide education about its impact. Part of trauma-informed work is nurturing areas of normal psychological and emotional development that have been suppressed.
Every individual is unique and therefore no two therapies look the same. As a social worker, I realize the importance of not only looking at a person’s internal world, but also at their external circumstances. Factors such as race, gender expression, sexuality, ability, culture, and socioeconomic status will always be part of the treatment conversation. Furthermore, attention is given to systems of power and privilege that keep people unwell.
I work with adult individuals (18+). Special areas of interest include anxiety, depression, compulsive behaviors, trauma, relationship issues, life transitions, and individuals living with chronic illness. Also, I am uniquely equipped to work with individuals in the medical profession and individuals impacted by stroke, traumatic brain injury, and neurological disease- either survivors of stroke, brain injury and neurological disease, or those who are close to someone who has been impacted by a neurological event or condition.
Individual therapy sessions are 50 minutes long and occur one or more times per week. Payment is currently being accepted by credit or debit card. I am able to offer sliding scale prices on an individual basis.
While I do not take insurance, I can provide a Superbill and assist with the process of submitting claims to health insurance for potential reimbursement.
To schedule a free 15-minute consultation or session, please contact me by phone or email. All communication is confidential.
