We have some really exciting news to share: Byrnes Counseling Group is growing, and we're thrilled to welcome Christy to our team as our newest affirming therapist intern!
If you've been following along with us, you know that we're not just about providing therapy: we're about creating a space where our clients can show up exactly as they are. No code-switching. No shrinking yourself to fit into someone else's idea of "normal." Just real, affirming, competent care from people who get it.
And Christy? She absolutely gets it.
Who Christy Is (And Why We're So Excited)
Christy is a person-centered, trauma-informed therapist with an integrative and collaborative approach. Translation: she's not here to tell you what your life should look like or hand you a one-size-fits-all treatment plan. She's here to walk alongside you, meet you where you are, and help you figure out what you need to move forward.
Her work is rooted in Narrative Therapy, which is one of our favorite modalities around here. If you're not familiar, Narrative Therapy is all about exploring the stories we've been told: by family, by society, by systems, and by ourselves: and figuring out which ones still serve us and which ones need to be rewritten. It's about reclaiming agency over your own identity and future. And honestly? That's the heart of what we do at BCG.
Christy also brings a robust clinical toolkit to the table. She incorporates Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), and neurolinguistic techniques into her practice. That means she's not just about processing feelings (though there's plenty of space for that): she's also equipped to help you build practical skills for emotional regulation, cognitive restructuring, and behavioral change.
In other words, she's got the theory and the tools to help you actually shift things in your day-to-day life.
Why Lived Experience Matters
Here's the thing we'll never stop saying: lived experience matters. A lot.
Christy is a trans-identified therapist, and that means she brings a depth of understanding to this work that can't be taught in a textbook or learned in a workshop. She knows what it's like to navigate systems that weren't built with us in mind. She knows the exhaustion of explaining yourself over and over again. She knows the relief of finally being seen.
As a trans-led practice, we've always prioritized bringing people onto our team who understand this work from the inside. It's not just about being "affirming" in theory: it's about creating space where clients can walk in and immediately know: this person gets it.
And when you're working with someone who's been there? That changes everything. The trust builds faster. The shame dissolves quicker. The therapy goes deeper.
Christy is poly and kink affirming, which is another layer of care we're really proud to offer. Too many people have been burned by therapists who pathologized their relationships, questioned their choices, or just flat-out didn't understand that love, intimacy, and connection can look a million different ways. Christy creates a nonjudgmental therapeutic environment where diverse relationship structures and expressions of intimacy are respected and understood: because they should be.
What Christy's Passionate About
Christy is especially passionate about working with individuals who are navigating sexuality and exploring gender identity. Whether you're just starting to ask questions, actively in transition, or figuring out what your identity means in the context of your relationships, work, or family: Christy is here for it.
She's also deeply interested in supporting folks through:
- Life transitions (career changes, relationship shifts, moving, becoming a parent, coming out, basically any moment where the ground feels unstable)
- Substance misuse (with compassion, not judgment)
- Anxiety (the kind that keeps you up at night, the kind that makes decision-making feel impossible, all of it)
- Grief and loss (whether that's a person, a relationship, a version of yourself, or a future you thought you'd have)
- Depression (the heavy kind, the numb kind, the "I don't even know what I feel anymore" kind)
- Identity development (figuring out who you are when the script you were handed doesn't fit)
If any of that resonates, Christy might be a really great fit for you.
What Working with Christy Looks Like
One of the things we love most about Christy's approach is how collaborative it is. She's not coming in as the "expert" who has all the answers while you sit passively and take notes. Therapy with Christy is a partnership. You're the expert on your own life, and she's bringing clinical skill, curiosity, and compassion to help you make sense of your experiences, identify patterns that no longer serve you, and build pathways toward the life you actually want to live.
She also incorporates mindfulness-based practices into her work, which can be a game-changer for folks dealing with anxiety, emotional dysregulation, or just feeling overwhelmed by life. Mindfulness isn't about sitting cross-legged on a mountaintop and achieving enlightenment (though if that's your thing, cool). It's about learning to be present with yourself, to notice what's happening in your body and mind without immediately reacting to it, and to create a little space between stimulus and response.
And because Christy draws from multiple therapeutic modalities, she can tailor her approach to what you need. Maybe you need practical coping skills (DBT). Maybe you need to challenge some unhelpful thought patterns (CBT/REBT). Maybe you need to untangle the stories you've been carrying around (Narrative Therapy). Whatever it is, Christy's got the flexibility and the training to meet you there.
Why This Matters to BCG
At Byrnes Counseling Group, we've always been clear about who we are and what we stand for. We're a trans-led, affirming practice, and we're committed to providing care that's rooted in lived experience, clinical competence, and genuine community connection.
Bringing Christy onto our team is a continuation of that mission. It means we can serve more people. It means we can offer more specialized care. And it means we're continuing to build a practice where our clients can show up fully, safely, and authentically.
We're not interested in being "allies" who pat ourselves on the back for doing the bare minimum. We're interested in building something real: a practice where LGBTQ+ folks, polyamorous and kink communities, and anyone who's ever felt like they didn't fit into the neat little boxes society tried to shove them into can find care that actually works.
Christy embodies that vision, and we couldn't be more excited to have her here.
Moving Forward Together
Whether you're someone who's been waiting for the right therapist, someone who's been in therapy before and didn't feel seen, or someone who's just starting to consider what support might look like: Christy is here, and we're so glad she is.
If you're interested in learning more about Christy's approach or scheduling a consultation, you can reach out to us here. We'd love to connect you.
And to Christy: Welcome to the team. We're so lucky to have you, and we can't wait to see the incredible work you're going to do with our community.
Here's to growth, to affirming care, and to building the kind of practice we all wish we'd had from the beginning. 🏳️⚧️✨