Cris Roman LMFT

I am an older person in my 70's who has experienced and seen much in life. My father was a psychologist, as was my grandmother and I did get my BA in psychology several decades ago. This is actually my third vocation, after having been a writer/editor in the publishing business and a general manager in the satellite communications business. However, following a painful divorce 20 years ago, I decided to find a new vocation more in line with what I enjoyed most -- talking with people about the issues and pain that might be afflicting them. I love this profession because it has taught me so much about myself and the clients that I serve.

I have been a practicing Buddhist for 50 years. Buddhism is not so much a religion as it is a philosophy and it is rooted in the sense that everything changes and each day presents new opportunities to proactively change our lives. It has been called the most psychological of religions and I find there is much about its approach to compassion, mindfulness and non-violence that overlaps with my therapeutic approach.

That session will involve us getting to know each other and my attempting to truly be in the present while I listen to your issues and concerns, even as I ask about your life, specifically your family of origin and how you grew up, including adolescence. Adler said that these first years of life are critical because they are where we wrote the symphony of our life, even as we may have picked up a few bad notes.

• Colorado, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, 1509

My work history has included working for three years with the homeless in Minneapolis and also doing 5 years of outpatient therapy in a variety of agencies, including hospitals. Much of this was in the service of attaining marriage and family hours to receive my license. Because of my work with the homeless, I have become quite dedicated to developing my expertise in creating trauma. As an Adlerian, I am also very experienced in working with depression, anxiety and I also do a lot of communication work with couples. Currently, since the pandemic began, I have mostly been doing telemedicine with a couple of agencies because I find it to be very effective and convenient for clients who have difficulty scheduling office visits. Though I am currently in Minnesota, my intent is to return to my home state of Colorado in the not too distant future.