- Psychodynamic approach
- Internal Family Systems
- Trauma interventions
About Colin
Colin Christman is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Connecticut with five years of clinical experience. He works with adults facing family issues, trauma and abuse, eating concerns, depression, and life changes. Colin brings experience from intensive inpatient and residential settings where he treated severe behavioral health problems.
He spent much of his time working with people who had co-occurring trauma, mood or anxiety disorders, personality disorders, and substance use or behavioral addictions. That background informs how he notices patterns that link past experience to current behavior. He has worked in contexts that involved partners, parents, children, and siblings when clinical situations required it.
Colin describes his approach as psychodynamic and influenced by thinkers such as Alfred Adler and Eric Berne. He also has training in Internal Family Systems and trauma-specific interventions. In sessions he looks for what he calls missing elements of emotional nutrition - things like safety, connection, identity, purpose, and structure - and then traces how lack of these needs shows up in thoughts, feelings, and behavior.
Practical work in therapy focuses on naming underlying beliefs and testing them against how someone wants to live. Conversations move from who a person is and what matters to them, toward small changes that line up with values and real-world goals. At times he may be joined by Emma, a certified emotional support dog.
Colin holds degrees from Yale University and the University of Connecticut. He offers services in English and accepts international clients, and practices from Connecticut.
Therapeutic techniques and online sessions
Colin uses psychodynamic ideas to notice repeated patterns in relationships and behavior, then links those patterns to deeper beliefs that shape guilt or shame. This approach helps when someone wants to understand why old reactions keep returning and how those reactions affect day-to-day life.He also draws on Internal Family Systems, which treats different parts of a person as voices with needs and fears. That method can be useful for people who feel conflicted inside or who have self-critical parts that drive shame. Trauma-specific interventions are used to address the impact of traumatic events on mood, behavior, and relationships in focused, practical ways.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. Colin will collaborate with each person to choose methods that fit their goals and comfort level, and may combine elements across approaches as needs evolve. The aim is to try things and adjust based on what helps in daily life.
The biography does not list specific online session formats, so please confirm current options before booking. In general, online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy schedule, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and let people join from different time zones. Licensed professionals can adapt techniques for remote sessions so therapy can fit into everyday routines without requiring long travel.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Experience
5+ years
Listed in
Connecticut
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of issues does he work with?
He works with family problems, trauma and abuse, eating concerns, depression, and coping with life changes, plus related areas such as attachment, abandonment, body image, and codependency.
How does he approach guilt or shame in sessions?
He looks for missing emotional needs that drive guilt or shame and then links those needs to beliefs and behavior. Work focuses on naming those beliefs and testing alternatives in everyday life.
What is his clinical background?
He has five years of experience, largely in intensive inpatient and residential behavioral health settings treating complex trauma, eating disorders, self-harm, suicidality, and behavioral addictions.
What credentials and location does he hold?
He is a CT LCSW, practicing in Connecticut and trained at Yale University and the University of Connecticut.
Does he offer sessions in other languages or internationally?
Sessions are offered in English and he accepts international clients.
What session formats are used?
The original biography does not specify session formats; please confirm current session options before booking.
How are fees structured?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with him?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, use the crisis numbers.