AWARDED BEST THERAPIST IN MONTCLAIR, NJ

Best of Montclair 2024

"Therapy guides your climb through the mountains of life, helping you rise and elevate your mental health."

Christina Andino, LCSW (she/her), Owner & Psychotherapist

CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

Christina has been my therapist since around May 2022 and we’ve always met through remote sessions. She has helped me work through a lot of religious trauma as well as coping with anxiety and depression. She’s very supportive of my queer identity and has been a safe place to discuss and process related pain and issues. She’s responsive to texts outside of a session and flexible when things come up and we need to change the day/time short notice. She’s even spent out-of-session time reading or listening to my thoughts when something happened that really troubled me.

In-session, she listens really well and makes a safe space for whatever I need to talk about and is understanding and patient when my anxiety has me talking in circles. I really appreciate how she validates my experiences so I feel less crazy and that she’s also willing to gently challenge my negative thought patterns so I can see things in more productive ways. She’s provided comfort, tools to cope, insight, and encouragement, and has helped me feel more empowered to make positive decisions for my mental health as well as my future. I’d highly recommend her to anyone looking for therapy.

I was always hesitant to seek therapy at first, but working with Christina had been a transformative experience. I first met Christina and saw her expertise during the pandemic. From our first session, I felt comfortable and understood.  Christina has a unique ability to create a safe and nonjudgmental space, allowing me to explore my thoughts and emotions with ease. Her approach is collaborative and personalized, my sessions with her were addressed to my specific needs and goals. I've appreciated her ability to challenge my perspectives and provide practical tools to apply to my anxiety and specific past trauma that I''ve been battling for years. She is empathetic, insightful, and genuinely invested in my progress. I've personally experienced significant growth and improvements in my mental health. I highly recommend Christina to anyone seeking a compassionate effective therapist. She is the best therapist in Montclair.

Our relationship has significantly improved since working with Christina. She gave us tools to communicate and solve problems and they work. Highly recommend for couples therapy!

I have been in and out of therapy since I was 14 years old, always jumping from therapist to therapist as none of them made me feel like an actual person instead of a client. Christina Andino is the first therapist that has made me feel comfortable being myself and talking about my issues, and her feedback is always catered to me and my unique life. I appreciate what you do Christina thank you so much.

Christina has been a great therapist and has guided me to better approaches with strategies to unwind my unhealthy patterns. She is a great listener and picks up on the poignant areas to explore.

MISSION:

Elevate Mental Health

Our mission is to  Elevate Mental Health for individuals, couples, and families through therapy, counseling, and coaching.  We strive to empower marginalized identities, abilities, and bodies by ensuring equitable access to culturally responsive and identity affirming mental health care.

COMMITMENTS

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LGBTQIA2S+ Affirming & Owned Practice

We proudly provide affirming care for LGBTQIA2S+ individuals, including those who identify as Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer/Questioning, Intersex, Asexual, ACE+ and more.

Our approach affirms gender identity, sexual orientation, and lived experiences through inclusive, culturally responsive therapy.

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BIPOC Affirming & Owned Practice

We proudly provide affirming care for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), as well as QTBIPOC individuals—Queer, Trans, Nonbinary, Intersex, and ACE+.

We are committed to anti-oppressive, culturally aware practices that center the strength, resilience, and lived experiences of these communities.

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Woman Affirming & Owned Practice

We are proudly women-owned and committed to providing affirming, inclusive care for women of all backgrounds.

Our practice centers the unique experiences, strengths, and needs of women while fostering a supportive space for healing, empowerment, and growth.



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Neurodivergent & Disability Affirming Care

We provide affirming care for Neurodivergent and Disabled individuals.

We celebrate diverse ways of thinking, processing, and experiencing the world while challenging ableism and offering accessible, supportive mental health services.