Christina Buswell, LICSW, LCSW

About

Clinical Social Work/Therapist in Washington, DC. Works with Anxiety, Depression and Substance Use. Takes Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Cigna and other plans. Has a waitlist for new clients.

Areas of expertise

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Coping Skills
• Family Conflict
• Grief
• Life Transitions
• Parenting
• Peer Relationships
• Relationship Issues
• Self Esteem
• Stress Management
• Trauma and PTSD

Types of therapy

• Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)A structured, practical therapy that looks at how thoughts, feelings and actions affect each other, and teaches skills for changing unhelpful thinking and habits.
• Compassion FocusedHelps people who are hard on themselves to build warmth and compassion toward themselves, as a counterweight to shame and self-criticism.
• Culturally SensitiveTakes a person's culture, identity, background and values into account, and shapes the work so it fits their life.
• Emotionally FocusedTreats emotions as a guide to change. Often used with couples, to understand patterns of conflict and rebuild a secure bond.
• InterpersonalA structured, time-limited therapy focused on relationships and life events, such as conflict, loss or big role changes, and how they affect mood.
• Motivational InterviewingA collaborative style of conversation that helps people explore mixed feelings about a change and find their own reasons to make it.
• NarrativeHelps people separate themselves from their problems and retell the stories they hold about their lives in ways that feel truer and more helpful.
• Person-CenteredA warm, non-directive approach: the therapist listens with empathy and without judgment, and trusts the person to find their own direction.
• Positive PsychologyFocuses on well-being, strengths, gratitude and what makes life fulfilling, alongside working through difficulties.
• PsychodynamicExplores how past experiences, relationships and feelings outside awareness shape how a person thinks and acts today.
• RelationalSees relationships as central to well-being. The relationship with the therapist is used to understand and change patterns in other relationships.
• Solution Focused Brief (SFBT)A short-term, goal-focused approach that spends less time on problems and more on what already works and the small steps toward what the person wants.
• Strength-BasedFocuses on the strengths, skills and resources a person already has, and builds on them to meet challenges.
• Trauma FocusedTherapy for people affected by trauma. Puts safety and pacing first, and helps process painful memories so they have less hold on daily life.

More details

Sessions

Waitlist. Contact to join the list for online therapy.

Accepting new clients

Waitlist

Specialties

Anxiety, Depression, Substance Use, Addiction, ADHD, Alcohol Use, Codependency, Coping Skills, Drug Abuse, Dual Diagnosis, Family Conflict, Grief, Infertility, LGBTQ+, Life Transitions, Marital and Premarital, Parenting, Peer Relationships, Relationship Issues, Self Esteem, Sexual Abuse, Sleep or Insomnia, Stress, Trauma and PTSD, Women's Issues

Insurance

Aetna, BlueCross and BlueShield, CareFirst, Cigna and Evernorth, UnitedHealthcare UHC | UBH

Fees

Individual sessions $155

Ages

Adults

Works with

Individuals

Languages

English

Gender

Female

Education

Yeshiva University

Years in practice

19

Other offices

Vienna, 22182

Education & qualifications