Dr. Christina Salama, PsyD, LMFT

License #PSY30249, LMFT90983
Licensed Clinical Psychologist, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
Individual Therapy, Couples Therapy, Family Therapy
Anxiety, Depression, Faith-Based/Christian, Grief/Loss, Pregnancy/Prenatal/Postpartum, Pre-marital, Self-esteem, Women’s Issues
Attachment-Focused, Behavioral (CBT, DBT), Short-term (Solution-focused)
Mornings, Around Noon, Afternoons, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday
Taking new clients
Telehealth, In-person
English
Ethera Irvine
Out of Pocket, Superbill
Aetna
$250-$300

Meet Christina Salama

What was your path to becoming a therapist? What inspired you to choose this profession?

As odd as this sounds, I always knew I wanted to be a psychologist and never seriously entertained another profession. One time in middle school I was at an all-girls retreat and we were asked to write down our future goals. Very quickly I wrote down “I want to be a psychologist and a mother.” Having forgotten about this I continued to go about everyday life. I knew I had skills of having an excellent memory and was an even better listener-so much so that everyone in my family has a nickname and mine is aptly named “The Ear.”

The true inspiration behind my interest of the field is being able to give someone practical tools to deal with everyday challenges. I love the organic conversation that evolves into healing and betterment. I also feel so humbled to be in this profession and truly feel I was called to do so and am reminded of that session after session.

Not too long ago I was cleaning out some documents and came across a forgotten little paper that read “I want to be a psychologist and a mother.” It is a privilege to say I met my goals of being a psychologist and a mother and don’t take it for granted. I am honored to work with you on this journey and I look forward to helping you write and live out your goals as well.

 

What does a typical session with you look like?

My first 2-3 sessions will take a history called a “bio-psycho-social.” I find out about family, medications, support network, prior therapy experiences, and any spirituality you want to incorporate into our work together, etc. At the end of the biopsychosocial, we set goals that you want to achieve. From there we begin the “therapy phase” of work and get into it. While we typically have a framework of what we will work in in future sessions, we leave room to discuss events or situations that have come up during the week that need to be addressed quickly. Happy to be flexible with what you need week-to-week.

 

If you hadn’t become a therapist, what profession would you have chosen and why?

Ooooh! Good one! There are two things that I often debate in my head not because I don’t love being a psychologist, but because it’s a question that often comes up.

  1. Travel Influencer (before I knew that was even a thing). I love getting on a plane, visiting a new place that is so different from what I know, learning about a new culture by interacting with locals and of course, trying their food. Travel is such an enlightening and enriching experience. Travel takes me out of my comfort zone and teaches me about something that is so familiar to me. I love seeing the beauty of different landscapes, textiles, personalities, textures and languages.
  2. The other profession would have been to be a professional makeup artist. I find the application of makeup to be so therapeutic. I always love watching makeup tutorials and trying to replicate them on myself. When I do other people’s makeup, I see how happy they are with it that they got to sit there, feeling relaxed and getting dolled up. I feel that makeup has the opportunity to be so empowering. The one thing that intimidates me about this is the perfectionistic aspect of myself that comes out. If not on a time crunch, I could work on a look for hours and get lost in it.

 

For more information, please visit www.drchristinasalama.com

Ready to connect with
Christina Salama?

Request Consultation

If this is an emergency, please call 911. By submitting your information you are providing consent to be contacted by this provider or a member of the Ethera team via email or phone. Please be aware that email is not a secure means of communication.
Accordion Tab Title 1
Gender
Gender
Ethnicity
Ethnicity
Languages
Languages
Age
Age
Religious Background
Religious Background
Gender
Gender
Ethnicity
Ethnicity
Languages
Languages
Age
Age
Religious Background
Religious Background

Filter Directory

Service Type
Service Type
Focus
Focus
Gender
Gender
Ethnicity
Ethnicity
Languages
Languages
Age
Age
Religious Background
Religious Background
Gender
Gender
Ethnicity
Ethnicity
Languages
Languages
Age
Age
Religious Background
Religious Background
Therapy Style
Therapy Style
Location
Location
Availability
Availability
Billing Options
Billing Options
Insurance
Insurance
Billing Options
Billing Options
Insurance
Insurance

Therapy Styles

Short Term (Solution-focused, etc.) 
Ideal for those who are coming in with a specific problem they’d like to address and gain clarity on. Typically, short term therapies are present focused and do not dive deep into your past.

Structured
Structured therapies are goal and progress oriented. Therapists may incorporate psychoeducation and a specific “curriculum.” In order to stay on track, therapists may provide worksheets and homework.

Insight-oriented (Psychodynamic, Existential, etc.) 
Exploring the past and making connections to present issues can help clients gain insight. Getting to the root of the issue and finding deeper self-awareness can help with long-term change.

Non-directive (Humanistic, Person-centered, etc.)
Going with the flow and seeing where it leads.

Behavioral (CBT, DBT, etc.)
Focuses on changing potentially unhealthy or self-destructive behaviors by addressing problematic thought patterns and specific providing coping skills.

Trauma Focused (EMDR, TF-CBT, etc.)
Recognizing the connection between trauma experiences and your emotional and behavioral responses, trauma focused therapy seeks to help you heal from traumas.