Blue Dahlia Counseling, PLCC

You were never meant to do this alone.
Connection is medicine

What the body cannot express, it carries —
until we listen with presence

In the presence of safety, the body remembers how to heal

We don’t force healing. We create the conditions,
and the body unfolds

Sensation is language. The body is always trying to speak

Bernadette Christi MS, LCMHC, SEP

I am deeply committed to my own ongoing transformation and to supporting others along their unique paths of healing and growth. Over the course of my life and work, I have come to understand that lasting change does not come from being fixed or corrected, but from being met—steadily, respectfully, and with an understanding of how the nervous system, psyche, and soul actually heal.

I am often described as warm, grounded, and down-to-earth. My way of working has been shaped not only by extensive professional training, but by lived experience and sustained inner work. I know how essential it is to create a safe, attuned holding environment—one where the inner world can be explored without pressure or urgency. From this place of safety, people naturally reconnect with their capacity for resilience, clarity, compassion, and self-trust.

For more than thirty-five years, I have devoted myself to understanding the complexities of healing across the lifespan. I have spent thousands of hours in advanced training, consultation, and clinical practice, integrating trauma-informed, somatic, attachment-based, and depth-oriented approaches. I feel fortunate to be practicing in a time when neuroscience, attachment research, and somatic psychology continue to deepen our understanding of how healing occurs—not just intellectually, but biologically, relationally, and emotionally.

My work is grounded in the belief that when people feel safe enough to be fully present with themselves, transformation unfolds organically and sustainably.

My Specializations

Somatic Experience

Our earliest relationships shape how we experience safety, closeness, and trust. When attachment was inconsistent or disrupted, patterns can carry into adulthood—affecting relationships, emotional regulation, and one’s sense of self. Attachment-focused therapy supports the development of internal safety, clearer boundaries, and more secure, fulfilling connections.

Attachment

Our earliest relationships shape how we experience safety, closeness, and trust. When attachment was inconsistent or disrupted, patterns can carry into adulthood—affecting relationships, emotional regulation, and one’s sense of self. Attachment-focused therapy supports the development of internal safety, clearer boundaries, and more secure, fulfilling connections.

Grief & Life Transition

Grief is a natural response to loss, and it can arise after death, relationship changes, health challenges, or major life transitions. Grief often affects the whole system—emotionally, physically, and spiritually. I offer paced, compassionate support that allows grief to be felt and integrated, helping you move through loss without rushing or being overwhelmed.

Depth-Oriented Therapy

Some struggles aren’t only “symptoms” to manage—they are meaningful signals from the deeper self. Depth-informed psychotherapy helps you explore the roots of repeating patterns, protective strategies, and inner narratives that shape how you relate, cope, and move through the world.

“And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud became more painful then risk it took to blossom” Anais Nin

Begin Your Day

Start your day being calm and grounded

How We Will Work Together

1.

Build A Relationship

Both of us will not be completely comfortable with each other at the beginning. Maybe you will hold back a little. That’s OK. It’s normal. As we get to know each other, I hope you’ll become more open about what you are expecting, thinking and feeling.

2.

Develop A Plan

This is when we start deciding exactly what you want to work on. If you had trouble opening up in the beginning, you might now find it easier to be genuine.

3.

Make Progress

The first two phases are setting you up for this, the part of therapy where you make the most progress. This is where you’re diving into the issues and working on yourself. It’s the hardest part of therapy. During this phase you might temporarily feel worse than you did before. That’s OK. It stinks, but it’s part of making progress. Digging into the pain is a step toward developing a better mindset and becoming a better version of yourself.

4.

Reach A Resolution

If you feel like you’ve accomplished everything you can with me, it’s time to consider leaving. Keep in mind you might not reach this point. Some people stay in therapy for life, and that’s okay. Sometimes people need to switch therapists, and that’s okay. There is also the option of stopping therapy and coming back once you feel that there is more work to be done.

If you feel you are ready to journey deeply into your healing, to move beyond the beliefs and past experiences that are holding you back from living your best life, then my way of working may be what you are looking for. Request an initial consultation to discuss my approach and how we could work together.

“The most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss, and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity, and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, and a deep loving concern. Beautiful people do not just happen.”

– Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

“…we live in a world where if you break your arm, everyone runs over to sign your cast, but if you tell people you’re depressed, everyone runs the other way. That’s the stigma. We are so… accepting of any body part breaking down, other than our brains. And that’s ignorance. That’s pure ignorance. And that ignorance has created a world that doesn’t understand depression, that doesn’t understand mental health.”

– Kevin Breel

“You are the one thing in this world, above all other things, that you must never give up on. When I was in middle school, I was struggling with severe anxiety and depression and the help and support I received from my family and a therapist saved my life. Asking for help is the first step. You are more precious to this world than you’ll ever know.”

– Lili Reinhart

“I have come to the conclusion that human beings are born with an innate capacity to triumph over trauma. I believe not only that trauma is curable, but that the healing process can be a catalyst for profound awakening—a portal opening to emotional and genuine spiritual transformation. I have little doubt that as individuals, families, communities, and even nations, we have the capacity to learn how to heal and prevent much of the damage done by trauma. In so doing, we will significantly increase our ability to achieve both our individual and collective dreams.”

– Peter A. Levine

“There’s one more symptom we need to look at before looking at how trauma actually gets into the body and mind and causes long-term problems. This one is a little less straightforward than the others. Here’s one of the more unusual and problem-creating symptoms that can develop from unresolved trau ma: the compulsion to repeat the actions that caused the problem in the first place. We are inextricably drawn into situations that replicate the original trauma in both obvious and less obvious ways.”

– Peter A. Levine

“The symptoms of trauma can be stable, that is, ever-present. They can also be unstable, meaning that they can come and go and be triggered by stress. Or they can remain hidden for decades and suddenly surface. Usually, symptoms do not occur individually, but come in groups. They often grow increasingly complex over time, becoming less and less connected with the original trauma experience.”

– Peter A. Levine