Christina Pruden, LCSW

Christina Pruden is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who brings practical experience across many levels of mental health care to each therapeutic relationship. She combines a Masters in Social Work with a certificate in addiction counselor training from Rutgers University, and she has completed advanced training in trauma-focused care and cognitive behavioral therapy to refine her clinical skills. Christina draws on this background to tailor treatment to each person’s history, needs, and preferences while connecting clients with community resources that support long-term recovery and wellbeing.

Having navigated personal challenges herself, Christina is motivated by a commitment to help others find pathways forward. She emphasizes a strengths-based approach that builds on existing coping strategies and introduces healthier ways of managing stress, anxiety, grief, addictions, and life transitions. Her practice centers on collaboration - working with clients who are ready to engage in therapy and who agree that the therapeutic relationship feels helpful.

Christina integrates practical coping techniques with client-driven goals to support improved functioning and resilience. As an LCSW, she focuses on meeting people where they are and helping them develop realistic steps toward the life they want to lead, whether that involves addressing mood concerns, relationship difficulties, career stress, chronic pain, or recovery-related issues.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care

Christina uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help clients clarify what matters to them and take practical steps toward a values-driven life. ACT focuses on accepting difficult thoughts and feelings while committing to actions that align with personal values, which can be useful for anxiety, depression, and coping with chronic pain or life transitions.

She also applies Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to identify and shift unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors. CBT is a structured, skills-based approach that can help with anxiety, mood challenges, sleep difficulties, and relapse prevention in addictions.

Client-Centered Therapy is another cornerstone of her work, emphasizing empathy, collaboration, and respect for each person’s experience. This approach supports self-exploration, self-esteem, and the development of healthier coping strategies.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Christina works collaboratively with clients and licensed professionals as needed to determine which methods fit best with a person’s goals, preferences, and circumstances, adjusting the plan over time.

Online therapy provides practical flexibility - sessions by video, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging make it easier to access consistent care around work, caregiving, or mobility limits. These options support regular contact and allow therapy to fit into varied schedules while preserving the therapeutic connection needed for progress.