Chris Bradshaw

Primary Therapist, Licensed Professionals Program at Sierra Tucson

Chris, a licensed counselor, tailors his approach to the individual needs of the client, drawing from several modalities, including existential-humanistic, Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), mindfulness-based/contemplative, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), positive psychology, Eye-Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy.

A lover of literature and art, Chris earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He also holds an MA in Clinical Psychology. In 2010, he joined AmeriCorps and worked with at-risk youth in Phoenix. In 2011, he began his journey as a counselor, facilitating a wide range of group therapies and psychological education. For seven years, Chris served as lead counselor and manager of a large outpatient clinic in Tucson serving 850 clients with a range of substance use and mental health treatment needs. He supervised an interdisciplinary team of 25 employees.

Passionate about psychology and mental health, Chris incorporates psychological tests and assessments to help clients learn more about themselves (when clients are interested). He actively incorporates research into sessions and lectures. Chris maintains that the most important factors in effective therapy are when the therapist and client: form a strong alliance (bond), create a sense of meaning and hope, collaborate, understand clearly how therapy will work, and buy into the process. This is supported by the “common factors” research in psychotherapy. Chris has completed all core courses and examinations for the Ph.D. in clinical psychology and is currently in the dissertation and internship phase.