Christa Bartok

My approach to counseling is compassionate, collaborative, and individualized. I believe therapy should be a space where you feel heard, respected, and comfortable being yourself while also gaining practical tools to create meaningful change. I take time to understand your experiences, strengths, and goals so that our work together feels relevant to your life rather than like a one-size-fits-all approach.

As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, I value a person-in-environment approach and understand that our work, healthcare, schools, communities, and personal relationships play a huge role in our successes and in our challenges. I use evidence-based approaches, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness, and solution-focused brief therapy (SBFT) interventions, while tailoring treatment to each client’s unique needs. Together, we may work on identifying unhelpful thought patterns, developing healthier coping strategies, strengthening emotional regulation, navigating difficult life transitions, and building confidence in your ability to manage challenges.

My experience in both healthcare and school settings has given me a strong understanding of the ways mental health can affect relationships, daily functioning, academic success, and overall well-being. I also value collaboration with families, caregivers, and other professionals when appropriate and with your goals and privacy at the center of that process.

Above all, I want clients to leave therapy feeling understood, supported, and better equipped to move forward. My goal is not simply to help you get through a difficult time, but to help you develop skills and insight that you can continue using long after therapy ends.

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (MSW, LCSW) with more than five years of experience supporting children, adolescents, adults, and families across mental health, healthcare, and school settings. I earned my bachelor’s degree in psychology from San Diego State University, then my Master of Social Work from UCF. I spent the following three years building my clinical experience around helping individuals navigate emotional, behavioral, and life challenges with compassion and practical support.

My background includes providing mental health services within pediatric healthcare, including USF Health’s General Pediatrics and Cystic Fibrosis Clinic, as well as working as a school social worker in public school as well as in an ESE charter school. These experiences have given me the opportunity to support clients and families coping with anxiety, depression, grief and loss, chronic health conditions, behavioral concerns, academic challenges, and difficult life transitions. I have also worked with children and adolescents in therapeutic residential settings and with youth involved in the child welfare system. Additionally, I volunteered facilitating groups for women who suffered miscarriage and still birth as well as with surviving siblings of fallen army soldiers.

I primarily work with adolescents, adults, and families experiencing anxiety, depression, grief, stress, behavioral concerns, and adjustment to life changes. My experience working across healthcare, schools, and community settings allows me to consider the whole person and the different factors that can influence emotional well-being.

Whether you are seeking support for a specific challenge or simply feel that something in your life needs to change, I strive to create a supportive, nonjudgmental environment where you can feel comfortable being open, develop greater self-understanding, and build practical skills for moving forward.

Our first session will begin with getting to know you—your history, current challenges, strengths, goals, and what you hope to gain from counseling. We will identify the concerns that feel most important to you and create a priority list so we can determine a comfortable place to begin.

I also want you to feel informed and comfortable with the counseling process. We will discuss any questions or concerns you may have about therapy, our treatment approach, confidentiality, and what you can expect from our work together. We can also talk about your desired time commitment and develop a plan that feels realistic and meaningful for you.

My goal is for you to leave our first session feeling heard, understood, and with a clearer sense of how we can work together toward your goals.