“Healing is not about fixing; it’s about finding our innate wholeness and allowing it to emerge.”
– Gabor Maté

Alisara Christensen (she, her)
Psychotherapist

Alisara (Ally) Christensen earned her master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from The Family Institute at Northwestern University.  She has clinical experience working with adults, adolescents, and families at the Bette D. Harris Clinic at The Family Institute and Ambre Associates. She also conducted research in Dr. Marcus Smith's Queer BIPOC Needs Lab at The Family Institute.

As a biracial and queer therapist who was born and raised in Thailand, Ally’s multicultural upbringing and identities inform her deep curiosity about identity development, cultural dynamics, and how these elements shape our experiences of trauma, desire, connection, and belonging. Ally’s clinical interests include working with individuals, couples, and families to better understand their helpful and unhelpful patterns, core motivations, and evolving needs. She focuses on relational trauma, guiding clients through the unique challenges that arise within family dynamics, as well as social and romantic relationships. She also works with individuals and couples to understand how neurodiversity (including ADHD and autism) shapes their identities and relational experiences, helping them foster a deeper connection with themselves and each other.

Ally seeks to explore the paradoxes that help explain the complexities of human relationships, expression of identities, and our internal conflicts. She employs an integrative approach, blending psychodynamic, internal systems, and emotion-focused therapies and tailors the therapeutic experience to meet the needs of her clients. Leading with curiosity, she collaborates with her clients to understand the developmental, systemic, and cultural influences that shape their emotional, behavioral, and relational experiences. Ally and her clients work collaboratively to gain deeper insights and practical tools to navigate unique challenges while increasing confidence.