Christen Connor, MA
I am passionate about creating a safe, supportive, and nonjudgmental space where people can feel heard, understood, and empowered to make meaningful life changes.
I am a Nationally Certified Licensed Professional Counselor and a Limited Licensed Psychologist in the State of Michigan. I have over 17 years of experience working with individuals, couples, groups, and families. My background includes crisis intervention, risk assessment, collaborative treatment planning, and providing therapy for a wide range of mental and behavioral health concerns.
My approach is genuine, professional, and collaborative. I implement evidence-based and trauma-informed approaches, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), interpersonal therapy, motivational interviewing, and other therapeutic theories and techniques tailored to meet each person’s unique situations, needs, and goals.
I provide therapy with people experiencing mood and anxiety disorders, personality disorders, ADHD, PTSD, and co-occurring mental health conditions, including substance use concerns. I believe therapy is not a one-size-fits-all process, and I work alongside each person to better understand their experience, build upon their strengths, develop practical strategies for working through complicated situations, and develop lifelong habits to support long-term growth and wellbeing.
My goal is to meet you where you are, without judgment, and provide a personalized therapeutic relationship where you can feel safe to explore, grow, gain confidence now and well into the future.
- Master of Arts, Counselor Education/Counseling Psychology Department, Western Michigan University, 2009.
- Bachelor of Business Administration, Hayworth College of Business, Western Michigan University, 2005.
- Completed five years of doctoral courses, advanced practicums, research and training, Western Michigan University.
- LPC Supervision Provider, State of Michigan.
Attachment Theory
Lifespan and Development Psychology
Cognitive Behavioral Psychology
Counseling Psychology
Interpersonal Process in Therapy
Counselor training, supervision, education, and research.
Professional Development, including interviewing and communication skills, relationship
building and networking.
Work / Life Balance.
Group Therapy
Consulting and Team Building to Cultivate Healthy Relationships Within the Workplace.
Stress Management
Research Proposal of Interest: Examining the Moderating Effects of Job Experience and Education with Moral Injury and Resilience among Emergency Department (ED) Nurses.
The purpose of this research proposal is to evaluate the relationship between ED nurses’ self-reported psychological symptoms of moral injury and their perceived levels of resilience from a counseling psychology, scientist-practitioner framework. The goal of this study is to determine the significance of this relationship, using a hierarchical regression, as moderated by ED nurses’ self-reported years of work experience and/or level of educational attainment. The theoretical framework of this study is grounded in U.S. Military research and is aimed at understanding the characteristics, behaviors, and resilience of ED nurses, post COVID-19 era.
Approaches include:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Motivational Interviewing
- Person Centered Therapy
- Emotionally Focused Therapy
- Brief Solution Focused Therapy
- Interpersonal Process in Therapy
- Psychoeducation and Skill Building
- Positive Psychology
- Imago Couples Therapy
- Family Therapy
- Lifespan Development
First Responders and Healthcare Personnel, including issues such as Moral Injury/Burnout, and/or Work-Life Balance. Trained in Critical Incident Stress Management.
Life Adjustments and Transitions, including changes related to Career/Vocation, College students, or recent discharge from a higher level of care such as inpatient or partial hospitalization programming.
- Professional Consultants and Clinicians https://counselingpcc.com
- American Psychological Association; Society of Counseling Psychology, Division 17.
- National Board of Certified Counselors since 2011.
- Michigan Mental Health Counselors Association.
- Alpha Kappa Mu Honor Society, Western Michigan University (Former Treasurer).
- Counselor Education and Counseling Psychology Alumni Scholarship Recipient, 2014.
State of Michigan Judicial Institute Conference, Keynote Presenter. Topic: Contemporary Diversity in the Juvenile Court System.
Clinical Behavioral Health Trainer/Psychotherapist, Bronson HelpNet Employee Assistance Program (EAP).Emergency Department and Fieldstone Behavioral Health Access Clinician (During COVID-19 Pandemic).
Inpatient Group Facilitator, Bronson, and Borgess Behavioral Health Units.
Outpatient Therapist and Doctoral Associate positions included providing training to MA students on psychotherapy techniques and proper administration and interpretation of psychological assessments and evaluations.
Home-Based Children and Adolescent Therapist, Elizabeth Upjohn Community Healing Center.
I have facilitated the following educational seminars, presentations, and speaking engagements:
- Behavioral Health and Wellness Training Session
- Wellbeing In Service “Mind and Wisdom”
- Mental Health in the Workplace/Returning to Work After COVID-19
- Stress Management Skills & What to Expect in Counseling
- Strategies for Fostering Mental Wellbeing
- Cultivating an Organizational Culture of Mental Wellness
- Supporting Self and Others: When to Seek Counseling
- Evidence-Based Tips for Healthy Work/Life Balance
- Positive Psychology: Resilience, Reframing & Boundaries
- The Path to Physical Wellness through Mental Wellbeing
- The Care Providers’ Guide to Mental Health and Wellness
- Managing Mental Health following Exposure to Trauma(s) Mental Coping with Change/Grief
- Cultivating a Culture of Mental Wellness in the Workplace
- Great Lakes Regional Counseling Psychology Conference, Cleveland State University, Poster Presentation: Self Objectification and Biracial Women.
- Great Lakes Regional Counseling Psychology Conference, Western Michigan University, Poster Presentation: Increasing Confidence in Parenting Biracial Adolescents.
- Garrison, A. G., Sauer, E. M., & Howard-Connor, C. (2014, June). Optimizing the therapeutic alliance: A closer examination of client and therapist factors. 45th International Meeting, Society of Psychotherapy Research, Copenhagen, Denmark.
- Facilitated Students Navigating Campus with Mental Health Issues, a panel discussion, Western Michigan University.
- Co-facilitated: Mental Health in a Cultural Context, Western Michigan University.
