Cristina Camaras Lieberson, LCSW

I am a psychodynamic psychotherapist with specialized experience in working with high-functioning adults navigating complex emotional, relational, and identity-related challenges. My integrative approach combines the depth and nuance of relational psychodynamic therapy with evidence-informed interventions from cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and trauma-informed care. This combination allows clients to explore underlying patterns and unconscious dynamics while fostering meaningful and sustainable change in their everyday lives. Clients who seek therapy with me are often intellectually reflective and emotionally sensitive individuals who desire more than symptom relief. They aim to deepen self-awareness, interrupt maladaptive relational patterns, and cultivate greater authenticity and self-compassion. I strive to provide a therapeutic space that is emotionally safe, culturally attuned, and appropriately challenging to support these objectives. With experience working with professionals, students, and individuals undergoing significant life transitions, I am especially attentive to the complex interplay of attachment history, early trauma, perfectionism, and executive functioning difficulties. Whether you are seeking long-term personal growth or clinical supervision, I offer a thoughtful, contained, and clear therapeutic process designed to support your development and resilience. EXPERIENCE I am a psychotherapist with more than ten years of experience in mental health across various settings, including non-profit organizations, community clinics, and private practice. Credentials: International degree in Psychology; Master of Social Work from the University of Illinois at Chicago; postgraduate fellowship training in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy at the Chicago Center for Psychoanalysis; Certificate in Global Mental Health: Trauma and Recovery from Harvard Medical School. Specializations: I work with individuals experiencing generalized anxiety, social and performance anxiety, panic attacks, developmental trauma, complex PTSD, depression, low self-esteem, and body image issues. I also focus on attachment disorders, relational difficulties in romantic relationships, chronic occupational stress, and academic and professional development. THEORETICAL ORIENTATIONS Attachment-based therapy is a modern form of psychodynamic therapy. Its foundation rests on the innovative works of British and U.S. psychologists John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth, started in the 60s. The goal is to address insecure attachment styles: anxious-ambivalent, avoidant, and disorganized. It uses mentalization, reflective functioning, exploration as treatment techniques, among others. The entire personality is at work. A new sense of security, of understanding patterns of relating to self and to others are examined and resolved. The therapeutic relationship is used as a tool to heal an insecure attachment style that creates emotional dysregulation and distress in interpersonal relations. Psychodynamic psychotherapy originates in Freud's psychoanalysis. It is an in-depth form of talk-therapy that explores the emotional origins of the issues clients bring to therapy and addresses the person as a whole. The main interventions used are exploration, self-reflection and self-examination. Client develops a deep understanding of oneself and new, healthier ways to deal with life. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is based on a cognitive approach to mental illness. It was developed by psychologist Aaron T. Beck in the 60s in the U.S. He hypothesized that people’s emotions and behaviors are influenced by their perceptions of events, rather than by the situations per se. CBT aims to alleviate distress by helping clients develop more adaptive cognitions and behaviors. It is the most widely researched and empirically supported psychotherapeutic method. COST OF PSYCHOTHERAPY A 15-minute phone consultation is complimentary. The initial consultation is $220. Individual therapy sessions are $200 for 60 minutes and $150 for 45 minutes. Insurance Your insurance plan determines your costs, including deductibles, copays, or coinsurance. Benefits are verified before the first session. In-network coverage is available with Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, and United Healthcare. Out-of-network coverage is accepted with all major PPO plans; a Superbill is provided for reimbursement. Contact: liebersonpsychotherapy@gmail.com