Christina Spinler Counseling Christina Spinler Counseling
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Christina Spinler, MS, LMFT

A calmer mind,
a kinder relationship
with yourself.

I'm Christina Spinler, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) with 20 years of clinical experience and 50 years of life experience. I care so much about creating a space that feels warm, welcoming, thoughtful, and truly human.

My hope is that our time together supports a fuller understanding of your thoughts, emotions, body awareness, and inner patterns — and a kinder, more supportive relationship with yourself.

Christina hiking in Glacier National Park
Licensed in Texas · Oklahoma · Illinois
How we work together

A way of working that fits you.

Sometimes understanding happens through conversation and reflection. Other times, we may use body-based awareness, imagery, Brainspotting, creative exploration, or experiential methods to help you connect more clearly with what is happening inside.

We might weave together visual imagery, somatic mindfulness, expressive and creative therapy, parts-based exploration, archetypes, inner-child work, solution-focused reflection, and, yes, some traditional talk therapy. You never have to choose an approach yourself — I draw on a variety of methods based on your goals, needs, and personality.

The goal is to find a way of working that fits your personality, your life, and the way you naturally process things — with a kinder, more supportive relationship with yourself at the heart of it. Spirit is welcome here in an inclusive way — intuitive, mystical, or simply meaningful to you.

A good fit

You may like working with me if…

You're curious about your inner world — your memories, beliefs, dreams, and the relationship themes that recur in your life.

You enjoy making connections — seeing how your past, present, nervous system, and life patterns relate to one another.

You're drawn to experiential, mind-body-spirit ways of working, where the body, intuition, and creativity have a place alongside conversation.

You like having something to return to — reflections, notes, practices, or images that keep you close to what felt meaningful.

Professional experience & ongoing growth

Clinical depth and lived perspective.

Over the years, I have continued to invest significant time, energy, and effort into ongoing training so I can keep growing and offer the strongest support possible to my clients. My work is shaped by a deep commitment to helping people live a more conscious, authentically centered life guided by their own inner wisdom.

I have invested personally in my own growth as well — and that inner work directly strengthens what I bring into the therapy room.

What shapes my work personally

Healing often begins when we feel less alone in what it means to be human.

Mental health has mattered to me for as long as I can remember. Through my own counseling, meditation, spiritual retreats, and personal development, I have learned to relate to my thoughts and emotions with greater understanding and compassion — building a kinder, more balanced relationship with myself and others. I share this because I believe transparency can create more freedom for others.

Spiritual perspective

Held with care, grounded in insight.

I welcome spiritual exploration for those who are interested and can incorporate transpersonal or spiritually oriented psychology in ways that support deeper self-understanding, meaning, and connection beyond the individual self. I offer this from a "non-religious" but spiritual mindset. But inclusive of all beliefs. 

At the same time, I do not support spiritual bypassing or toxic positivity. My work stays grounded in psychological insight, evidence-based practice, and respect for each person's own beliefs and background — including an awareness of religious trauma and the shame or fear it can leave behind.

Inclusivity & the larger human context

A welcoming, non-judgmental space.

I offer a safe, affirming space for members of the LGBTQ+ community, and I value openness to difference, neurodivergent awareness, and the many ways identity and lived experience shape emotional life.

I'm also mindful of the broader realities that affect mental health — family of origin, culture, society, race, sexual orientation, and gender. Our well-being is never shaped in isolation, and I hold that wider context as part of the work.

A little about me

Beyond the therapy room.

Outside of my work as a therapist, I enjoy fitness, gardening, hiking, bowling, time in nature, and exploring science and philosophy. I'm drawn to writing, creative expression, photography, and spiritual development — and if math and physics had been gifts of mine, astronomy would have been an easy second path.

My family and I love RV camping and traveling. I've been married for 26 years, we have two adult children and a young teen, and I currently live in the Chicagoland area.

My approach & qualifications

Education & training

A wide range of therapeutic approaches that support emotional health, relationships, and personal growth — woven together to fit your personality, your life, and the way you naturally process things.

Education

Alumna of the University of Oklahoma and Texas Woman's University (Denton), where I earned my master's in counseling and family therapy.

20 Years

Across inpatient hospitals, crisis care, foster-care services, domestic-violence agencies, and private practice.

Licensed Counselor

Specialized training in trauma-informed care, somatic therapy, mind-body, parts work, reconsolidation with inner child, and Jungian-Myss informed approaches.

Brain-based & somatic

  • Brainspotting — Phase 1 & 2, Expansion, and Harmonic Brain Healing (certfication complete around August-Sept 2026)
  • Polyvagal-informed training (The Embody Lab & Deb Dana)
  • Neuropsychology foundations (multiple trainings)
  • HeartMath 

Depth & expressive

  • Advanced-certified in Heart-Centered Hypnotherapy
  • Certified SoulCollage® facilitator
  • Expressive arts & therapeutic writing (2-year program, Therapeutic Writing Institute)
  • Jungian & archetypal work — Caroline Myss Sacred Contracts 

Coaching & relationships

  • National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach (NBC-HWC)
  • Gottman-based relationship coaching
  • Life & health coaching certification

Mindfulness & body

  • Mindfulness Life Coach & RYT-200 Yoga Instructor (Yoga Farm Ithaca)
  • Trauma-Informed Certified Teacher, Overcome Anxiety (Sundra Institute)
  • EFT tapping — two levels (Energy Psychology Institute)
  • 40-hour Mediation training (Mediation Institute, Tulsa)

Trauma, attachment & family

  • Theraplay (attachment-based play therapy), Levels 1 & 2
  • TF-CBT & TBRI Certified Educator (Texas Christian University)
  • Child-Parent Relationship Therapy, Advanced Levels 1 & 2 (University of North Texas)

Life stages & specialized

  • Prenatal & postpartum mood disorders (Postpartum Support International)
  • Grief facilitation training (Journey of Hope, TX)
  • Eating Disorder Boot Camp (Understanding Nutrition, Dallas)
  • Crisis support for sexual assault & family violence (Friends of the Family)

The soul knows how to heal when given space to listen.

Let's begin with a conversation.

A free 15–20 minute consultation gives us time to talk through what you're looking for, the format that fits, and whether it feels like a good fit for you.

Request your free consultation
Christina Spinler Counseling

Providing a light, hopeful path toward healing and emotional wellness. Safe, ethical, and compassionate care.

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