Dr. Christina Contrastano joined Dr. Drapkin at The CBT Center in 2020. She is a licensed clinical psychologist trained in a range of evidence-based practices, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), radically open dialectical behavior therapy (RO-DBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), and exposure and response prevention (ERP) for OCD. Yes, that’s a lot of acronyms, and Dr. Contrastano is the first to laugh about it. And she’s always signing up for another workshop or training, adding new tools to her toolbox so she can meet each client where they are.
Dr. Contrastano works with patients across the lifespan, including couples and families navigating conflict, communication breakdowns, and life transitions together. She especially enjoys working with adolescents and young adults, particularly those struggling with anxiety, OCD, depression, perfectionism, and substance abuse. She uses ERP alongside ACT to help clients loosen OCD’s grip and reconnect with what matters most to them, rather than just managing symptoms. She also has expertise working with children and adults who have experienced trauma, including sexual trauma. She is trained in trauma-focused CBT, has trained directly with the developer of DBT-PTSD and continues ongoing consultation in that model, and draws on ACT interventions for trauma as well. Her clinical thinking has also been shaped by four years on a comprehensive DBT consultation team, and she has contributed to published research on clinical training and supervision.
She believes that while she brings advanced clinical training, you are the expert on your own life. In session, she uses compassion, curiosity, and humor to help clients figure out what really matters to them, then teaches well-researched skills to help build the life they want. Sessions often go beyond talking: Dr. Contrastano frequently uses her whiteboard and other visual and experiential tools, including a self-soothe kit she built for in-the-moment practice (learn more here).
Dr. Contrastano holds a Master’s degree in creative arts in therapy and is a lifelong dancer and yoga practitioner, often incorporating movement and body-based approaches into her work. She’s also a mother to three girls and a boy, and has a particular passion for supporting parents, having lived the isolation and self-doubt that so often comes with the job herself.