Christina Borel (they/them)

I help kids (& their families) who long to be themselves, but are held back by believing they are "too much" or "not enough." Kids whose voices get buried under past hurts, worries, shame & anger. Kids who have tried everything (fighting, running away, hurting themselves, perfectionism) to get away from mean voices stuck in their heads--the ones saying, "You're not good enough," "No one would believe you," "You're too loud/sensitive/not tough enough."

Trauma impacts our ability to feel connected to our own knowing. Survival often requires us to lose touch with ourselves. We disconnect from our feelings, from what is happening, from what we know to be true, from our voices, and from our bodies to survive. The forces of systemic oppression work to keep us separated from ourselves and our knowing. Therapy can be a place to practice reconnecting with those disconnected parts of ourselves in an affirming relationship.

Being queer in this world is hard. Being queer and fat, queer and disabled, queer and BIPOC is harder. Being a queer kid with any of these intersections can be overwhelming. I support kids, adults, and families in creating communities of affirmation, joy, and deep care. As a queer person, I know how powerful it can be when you have a place to be yourself.

In Relational-Cultural Therapy, we believe that our stories and images about who we are and what we can expect in relationship have transformative power. Intersectional feminisms and abolitionist liberatory praxis look at the ways in which the dominant worldview reinforces the stories of distrust and harm that we've experienced, and offers a vision of radical transformation, joy, and possibility. Training: Jean Baker Miller Training Institute; PISAB; Boston Liberation Health

Trauma therapy encompasses a wide range of approaches. I use a stage- or phase-based model of treatment, drawing on the work of Judith Herman, Bruce Perry, and Eliana Gil. In these approaches, the ability to remain grounded and connected to yourself is the foundation for all treatment, which includes self care and stability; making meaning of our difficult experiences; and reconnection with ourselves and our communities. Training: University of Massachusetts Medical Center Child Trauma Center

Play is the natural language of children, and in treatment, toys are their words. In treatment, kids use the natural language of play to make meaning of what they are experiencing and to explore new possibilities. Training: Cambridge Hospital, Harvard Medical School's practicum for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry; Currently pursuing Registered Play Therapist Credentials from the American Association for Play Therapy;