- Emotion-focused work
- ACT and CBT
- Grief and trauma
About Christina
Christina Steele-Lietz is an LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker) and an LMSW (Licensed Master Social Worker) with 20 years of experience in Illinois. She helps people who are struggling with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, and LGBTQ-related concerns. She also supports people facing grief, relationship and intimacy issues, sleep and eating problems, parenting strain, and life transitions.
Christina describes therapy as a collaborative, practical process. She listens, identifies facts, and helps clients find workable solutions. Sessions focus on learning ways to respond to what can’t be controlled and on soothing oneself through pain and loss.
Her background includes long experience in community and clinical settings across the Midwest. She combines Emotionally-Focused Therapy with approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and EMDR to address emotional patterns and past distress. This mix is used to help people understand feelings and change unhelpful behaviors.
In sessions clients talk about relationship patterns, attachment concerns, anger, self-esteem, caregiver stress, chronic illness, and issues linked to adoption or blended families. Christina also works with people dealing with first responder stress, gender dysphoria, and end-of-life concerns. She uses clear, direct conversation to identify goals and steps forward.
Practical matters such as cost vary by location and use a cancellable subscription model. Sessions are conducted in English. To begin, people are invited to complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule a first appointment.
How her approaches translate to online work
Christina uses Emotionally-Focused Therapy to help people name and shift difficult emotional patterns in relationships and attachment. EFT focuses on the feelings that drive behavior and helps people rewrite interaction cycles that cause pain.She also draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, which helps people notice thoughts and commit to actions that reflect their values, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, which looks at how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors connect and how to change them. These methods support work on anxiety, depression, coping with change, and managing stress.
Deciding which approach to use is part of the clinical process. Christina will work with the client to choose methods that match their goals, preferences, and what they want to address. That collaborative planning may include trying different tools to see what fits best.
Session formats are not listed specifically in the biography, so confirm current options before booking. In general, remote sessions can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, reduce travel time, and allow shorter check-ins when needed. Licensed professionals adapt exercises, EMDR elements, EFT conversations, and ACT practices to work in a virtual setting so progress can continue alongside everyday life.
Areas of expertise
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
20+ years
Listed in
Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What issues does she help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, LGBTQ-related concerns, grief, relationship and intimacy issues, sleep and eating difficulties, parenting strain, and life transitions.
How would you describe her therapeutic style?
She listens without judgment, identifies facts, and helps clients find practical solutions. She uses Emotionally-Focused Therapy alongside ACT, CBT, Client-Centered methods, and EMDR as appropriate.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has 20 years of professional work experience in clinical and community settings across the Midwest.
What are her credentials and where does she practice?
She holds LMSW and LCSW licenses and practices in Illinois.
Which languages are supported?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can international clients work with her?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
How is cost handled?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin the process?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Profile details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. Credential and registration rules differ between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.