Christy Garnhart
Support for parents navigating family changes
- Credentials
- LCSW
- Experience
- 7 years
- Licensed in
- Illinois
- Languages
- English
- Format
- Online sessions
About Christy
Christy Garnhart is a licensed clinical social worker who focuses on family and parenting concerns. She helps parents and caregivers who are juggling stress, anxiety, mood concerns, or changes in family life. Christy uses clear, practical guidance so families can try small changes that make day-to-day life calmer.
Her style is straightforward and strengths-based, aiming to build on what is already working at home. Christy draws from seven years as a licensed clinician in Illinois.
Background and approach
She has experience supporting people dealing with depression, bipolar mood concerns, ADHD, autism and Asperger Syndrome, and trauma. She also addresses parenting challenges, blended family issues, communication problems, and grief. This background informs how she suggests interventions and resources for families.
In sessions she uses Motivational Interviewing to help people clarify their goals and find the motivation to change. She also uses Solution-Focused Therapy to zero in on practical steps and immediate strategies that can be tested between meetings. These approaches aim for focused, doable plans rather than long lists of tasks.
Christy often helps parents connect to services and programs when children need school or community supports. She pays attention to how emotions, behavior, and relationships affect daily routines and school functioning. Her approach is collaborative and respectful of each family’s priorities.
Sessions are offered in English and take place online through video calls, phone, chat, or text-based messaging. Christy holds an Illinois LCSW license, number IL LCSW 149013693.
How her approaches work in online therapy
Motivational Interviewing is a collaborative way of talking that helps people discover what matters most to them and build the motivation to make changes. In short sessions it can help parents decide which small steps matter most and commit to trying them.Solution-Focused Therapy concentrates on practical solutions and what already works. The focus is on clear, testable strategies families can use right away at home or school, with progress reviewed in follow-up meetings.
Choosing the right approach is part of the work. Christy will talk with each person or family about goals and preferences and then tailor techniques to fit those needs. That means trying an approach, checking how it feels, and adjusting based on what helps the family most.
Online therapy offers flexible ways to connect using video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging. These options make it easier to fit sessions around school schedules, work, and parenting duties. The range of formats also lets families use shorter check-ins or longer conversations depending on the issue and what feels most useful.
Motivational Interviewing
A way of working through mixed feelings about change without being pushed. The therapist helps you weigh things up and find your own reasons, which often makes a difficult decision feel less stuck.
Solution-Focused Therapy
Rather than examining the problem at length, this looks at what is already working and builds on it. Sessions tend to be practical and forward-looking, with small achievable steps, which translates readily to shorter online conversations.
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she address related to family life?
What is her general therapy style?
What is her clinical background and experience?
Where is she licensed and what credential does she hold?
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Are international clients accepted?
What session formats are available?
How does the subscription and cost work?
Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
- Stress, Anxiety
- Family conflicts
- Parenting issues
Also works with
- ADHD
- Anger management
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Bipolar disorder
- Blended family issues
- Career difficulties
- Co-morbidity
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Emptiness
- Family problems
- Forgiveness
- Grief
- Impulsivity
- LGBT
- Life purpose
- Mood disorders
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Relationship issues
- Self esteem
- Self-love
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Trauma and abuse
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 7 years
- Licensed
- Illinois
- Languages
- English
Next step
Talk to Christy
- Takes a few minutes
- Nothing to set up just to look
- Stop at any point