Cristina Spataro, LMHC

Cristina Spataro is a New York State licensed mental health counselor with 18 years of experience supporting people through big life challenges. She focuses on practical help for stress, anxiety, depression, relationship strain, and the confusion that comes with major transitions like a midlife crisis. Cristina writes plainly and listens carefully so people can name what’s wrong and take small steps forward.

Her approach is down-to-earth and goal-focused. Sessions aim to clarify choices and reduce overwhelm. Cristina uses Client-Centered Therapy to follow each person’s priorities and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to identify unhelpful thinking and try new behaviors. She helps people who struggle with grief, trauma, addictions, caregiving stress, parenting concerns, and issues around intimacy and identity.

Cristina draws on nearly two decades of work with people in crisis, but she welcomes those who want help earlier too. She often helps clients sort career doubts, parenting strain, abandonment wounds, and the search for life purpose. Her work includes attention to LGBT concerns, women's issues, ADHD, bipolar mood concerns, and compassion fatigue.

Sessions are practical and collaborative. Cristina will help set clear goals, teach straightforward skills, and check progress as therapy continues. People who want a therapist who talks plainly and focuses on usable tools may find her style a good match.

To begin, clients follow the standard intake steps to match and schedule sessions. Cristina practices in New York and works in English.

How Cristina’s approaches translate to online therapy

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on following the person’s pace and priorities. In practice this means the therapist listens closely, reflects what she hears, and helps clients decide what matters most for change. This approach is helpful for people unsure where to begin or needing support naming their goals.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, helps identify patterns of thinking that keep problems going and tries small behavior changes to test new outcomes. It is often used for anxiety, depression, stress, and coping with life changes like career shifts or a midlife crisis.

Finding the right method is part of the work. Cristina will discuss what feels most useful in the first sessions and adjust based on a person’s goals, preferences, and progress. She treats approach selection as a collaborative choice rather than a one-time decision.

Session formats are not specified in the biography, so confirm current options before booking. Online work can make therapy easier to fit into a busy day, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time. Licensed professionals can use the same therapeutic tools online as in person, and clients often appreciate being able to schedule sessions around work, caregiving, and other obligations.