Meet Crystal
Crystal Suarenzo, M.A., LPC, LMHC
I am a queer, cisgender (she/her), white, bilingual (Spanish/English) therapist, focusing in trauma work, anxiety, and OCD treatment. It is not lost on me the ways that OCD and anxiety are often rooted in how we learned to stay connected and safe in our family of origins. I offer Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) for trauma which we examine through an attachment lens. For OCD, I utilize both Exposure and Response Prevention and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. My approach is very warm, down-to-earth, and authentic. I am a real person, and I want you to be too. I believe that the relationship between us is truly what matters when it comes to long-term growth and change. Therapy offers an incredible opportunity to receive feedback on your interpersonal style in relationships in a safe, honoring, and supportive way. I love working with adolescents who have experienced difficult family experiences such as divorce, blending families, and loss of a parent. I also love working with young adults and adults at any point on their life journey to support the never-ending transitions, obstacles, and curveballs that inevitably come our way. I believe in the inherent resilience of each person. Much like the relationship between ivy and oak, I believe through the therapeutic relationship we establish a symbiotic relationship—I provide the stability, consistency, and freedom for you to attach, expand, and express yourself as fully and honestly as you can in this life.
Education & Professional Work
I obtained my M.A. in Professional Mental Health Counseling from Lewis & Clark College in 2017. Since then, I have worked in both agency and private practice settings and have provided professional presentations on depression and suicide prevention in teens and in helping therapists understand how to better treat OCD. Alongside my work with individual and group clients, I spent three years providing support to a community organization serving women and femmes impacted by poverty, houselessness, violence, substance use, and those working in sex work.
I’ve obtained additional specific training in:
Hakomi Mindful Somatic Psychotherapy Level 1
Hakomi Mindful Somatic Psychotherapy Level 2 (currently enrolled)
Embodied Liberation Anti-Racism
Acceptance & Commitment Therapy
Somatic and Attachment Focused EMDR
Exposure & Response Prevention for Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Anti-Racist Trauma Informed Care
The Fun Stuff
A little bit about who I am outside of the therapy room—I am an Enneagram type 2 wing 3, ENFJ, and a Cancer sun. I am energetic, bubbly, and a person who commits wholeheartedly to the people, pets, and things that I love (which, being a Cancer AND a type 2, is quite a lot of people/pets/things). I absolutely love playing soccer, taking my puppy to dog parks, and singing/dancing (albeit poorly). I’m passionate about mental health, equity, justice, and liberation.
Mili Rae, Therapy Dog in Training
Mili Rae is a supremely sweet Mini Aussiedoodle puppy (birthdate 8/21/20) who accompanies her mom, Crystal, to work to provide a calming and sometimes silly presence to sessions. Mili is called hypoallergenic (although no dogs truly are), she will not smother you in kisses or slobber, and most of the times will sleep throughout session. When she is awake, though, she is sure to provide a little giggle to brighten your day.