Cristie Strongman, LMHC
About
Cristie Strongman, LMHC, is a licensed mental health counsellor in New York City who helps people prepare for psychedelic experiences and make sense of them afterwards. She works over Zoom, in English or Spanish, with individuals, couples and groups.
Approach
Strongman studied at Columbia University, taking a dual master’s in counselling psychology (an Ed.M. in psychological counselling and an MA in mental health psychology with cultural diversity training) plus a further master’s, in the study of Latin America and the Caribbean, with a thesis on ayahuasca, shamans and ritual culture. She is certified by MAPS in MDMA-assisted psychotherapy, has served as a co-therapist and co-investigator on its FDA-approved PTSD trials, and has taught for Fluence, SoundMind, Naropa University and MAPS PBC. Her therapy is psychodynamic and humanistic, with attention to free will, self-efficacy and self-actualisation, and it makes room for spiritual questions when a client wants that. Born in Colón, Panama, she grew up between Panama, Germany and the United States.
Who it is for
Her focus is the work before a psychedelic experience, covering dose, the choice of medicine, and set and setting, and the integration that follows. She does not sit with people while they take a psychedelic. She also works with ADHD and learning disabilities, anxiety, depression, PTSD, relationship problems, low self-esteem and a loss of purpose, and she advocates for a better understanding of neurodiversity.
Practical details
Sessions cost $350 to $450, with a sliding scale, and run over Zoom in English or Spanish.
Care and safety
Therapy starts with a 30-minute phone or Zoom call about what the client wants to work on. It also covers medication history, family relationships, current emotional state and any spiritual practice.
Practices
Listed in the FTO directory. Publication in the FTO directory does not constitute an endorsement of a provider, service, event, or practice.
