Christine Lillja(She/Her/Hers)

Dr. Christine Lillja is a dually licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Clinical Psychologist in Laguna Hills, CA. She works with clients of all ages that feel misunderstood, alone, and have a story to tell and improve upon. Her specialty is young and middle aged adults trying to achieve independence. Many of Christine's clients come in when they are trying to find their place in a family, school, or job, and feel they don't fit with the rest of the group. Christine is particularly invested in young adults from 18-30 years of age. She also has advanced training in the area of trauma and is a certified trauma professional and holds certification in EMDR.

Christine is trained in Dialectical Behavior Therapy, which uses a person's ability to discern between problems that are unfixable, and those that are manageable. In session, Christine focuses on creating a therapeutic relationship where a client feels respected and welcomed. This approach supports clients to make productive changes in their life that comes from a place of health.

Christine's style is interpersonal and relational. When a client first comes in, the most common thing they say is "I already feel comfortable with you." Christine is dedicated to providing a relationship that is reciprocal, collaborative, and hopeful.

Christine received her doctoral degree from California Southern University and wrote her dissertation on effective treatment strategies for working with depressed teenagers and young adults. She gained experience at a local community college and worked for free there for several years to better appreciate the challenges of being an emerging adult in today's world, while learning to appreciate how hard it is to navigate the financial, social, and emotional roller coaster clients experience in their teens, twenties, thirties, and beyond. She works weekends to accommodate people's busy schedules.