Hi, there! My name is Christina Anderson, and I am a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) and a Certified Grief-Informed Professional (CGP).
I was born and raised in Portland, Oregon, in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. My family and I spent most of our weekends in the Mt. Hood and Ochoco National Forests. I learned to swim, fish, and camp with my family, and we had those special camp sites we’d return to every year. I have incredibly fond memories of rowing in Timothy Lake with my brother, catching crawdads with my dad, and sitting around the campfire with my aunts, uncles, and cousins. I’ve always loved pets, and I grew up with dogs and cats, and still have some of each to this day.
When I graduated from high school, I stayed in Portland, where I met my future husband. We had two beautiful children, a boy and a girl. We moved into a suburb of Vancouver, just across the river, where both kids attended schools in the Evergreen School District and both graduated from Union High School. Our son played multiple sports, including soccer, basketball, football, and rugby, and also learned to play the guitar. Our daughter was involved in drama, learned to play the guitar, is a talented artist, and also played rugby.
When I was in high school, my favorite teacher was Mr. White, the school counselor. I started a drop-in center where my fellow students could come and talk through challenges they faced, and he approved it and provided advisorship. I didn’t get many visitors, but I was there for those who did show up. A few years later, one of them reached out to me to thank me. If I hadn’t been there to listen, validate, and help her with a challenge, she would have taken her life. I didn’t know it at the time, but she had a plan, and her visit to the drop-in center changed it.
When my daughter started first grade, I started taking classes at Clark College. I earned an Associate’s Degree and graduated with honors, then transferred to the University of Washington – Vancouver, where I earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology, also with honors. Along the way, I started working in my community, facilitating non-custodial visitation, then running a housing case management program. But I hadn’t reached my true calling.
After nearly a year-long break, I enrolled in the University of Southern California’s Master’s Degree in Social Work program. I completed the program and earned my degree in 2014. I worked as a Therapist in a community mental health program for nearly 5 years, then moved to an inpatient psychiatric hospital where I completed my licensure. I returned to the community mental health program as a Therapist and also provided supervision for other clinicians. Eventually, I took over the adult outpatient program, where I am now the Director.
Directing such an important program is as fulfilling as it is challenging, but I started that drop-in center in high school to help people directly, and I still feel the need to do so in individual therapy. I’d love to help anyone who wants to drop in and set up an appointment.