You deserve to feel at home in your body
LGBTQ-Affirming Therapy for Adults & Teens in Philadelphia, PA
Art therapy, IFS, and ERP for OCD, eating disorders, body image, and trauma.
Proudly serving Philadelphia & online across PA for over 15 years | Christine Ruberti-Bruning LPC # PC008568 | ATR-BC # 13-271 | CEDS # 10032
Does this sound like you?
You’re constantly putting out fires until you have nothing left for yourself.
Right now, life feels like it’s being held together by duct tape. Your day-to-day is overly full, yet somehow empty at the same time. You want more from life, but you’re not sure what that is. Or maybe the future you pictured for yourself has changed, and you’re not sure what to do next.
Maybe you are…
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You’re feeling depleted after years of counting calories and skipping meals, only to realize that no number on the scale will ever feel good enough. You keep turning down dinner invitations, only to spend the night scrolling your phone, feeling left out and sidelined in your own life.
You’re at happy hour and instead of joining in on the conversation, you’re stuck in your head because you can’t stop thinking about food.
You rip through outfit after outfit, and pick yourself apart before you walk out the door. You find yourself staring at the mirror while gripping your stomach and thighs, wishing your body was different.
Or maybe you avoid mirrors altogether because you’d rather pretend that your body doesn’t exist.
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When you go about your day, something feels off.
It feels like you’re going through the motions and that you’re a stranger in your own life.
The only thing that brings you comfort is fantasizing about being a different gender. But the late-night google searches about whether or not you’re trans leave you feeling confused and anxious.
Perhaps you’re ready to come out at work and are fearful that it will make you a target, or worse, you’ll get fired.
Maybe you’re just tired.
No matter where you go, you constantly have to look over your shoulder because the world is getting more and more unsafe for queer and trans people. You just want to exist in peace.
LGBTQ & Gender-Affirming Care
I provide specialized counseling for individuals across the gender spectrum, including those questioning their identity, actively transitioning, or supporting loved ones through gender journeys. My practice offers:
Individual support for gender exploration without pressure to make immediate decisions
Transition navigation addressing emotional, social, and relational aspects beyond medical interventions
Partner support for those whose loved ones are transitioning, providing space to process your own emotions and needs
Parent guidance for families with trans teens, helping you balance support with your own complex feelings
This therapeutic approach recognizes that gender journeys are deeply personal and unique, requiring mental health care that honors your individual pace and path.
Learn More About LGBTQ & Transgender Care -
Did your teen recently come out as queer or trans? Maybe your teen is trying new pronouns, dating someone of the same gender, or wants to come out at school.
While you want your kid to be happy, you’re not sure what this means for their future. You wonder if this is the ordinary self-expression that comes with adolescence, or if it’s something more.
The thought of having to tell their grandparents, soccer coach, and school teachers feels overwhelming.
Perhaps your teen has been out for awhile, but is interested in pursuing hormone therapy. You don’t know where to begin, and are hesitant to move forward out of fear your kid will be bullied.
Maybe your teen spends a lot of time in their room, or doesn’t seem to have any friends. You’re losing sleep because you just want your kid to be okay.
Parenting a queer or trans kid was not in the parenting books and you want your kid to thrive. You and your teen deserve support and you don’t have to navigate this alone
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Maybe you overthink every interaction and constantly worry about what other people think of you. You walk on eggshells around people, and your stomach is in knots whenever you tell someone ‘no’.
So you stuff your feelings down to keep the peace.
You might be the go-to friend for support, but it feels like no one is there for you.
Perhaps you downplay your needs because you don’t want to be a burden to others. Or maybe it’s hard to know what your needs are at all because you’ve spent most of your life putting everyone else first.
You find yourself trying to numb the pain, like drinking wine after work or scrolling your phone on the couch. No matter how much you try to feel better, you wind up feeling worse.
Even when you’re surrounded by friends, you walk away feeling empty and alone.
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You’re up all night googling about that mysterious lump, and are convinced you have cancer. Even though you haven’t seen a doctor yet.
Your baby is 3 weeks old and you can’t grab those precious moments of sleep because you’re constantly checking to see if they’re breathing.
Whether it’s checking the stove repeatedly or avoiding door knobs, the constant doubt is ruining your life. You miss being intimate with your spouse and worry that you’ll never be able to enjoy sex again. The thoughts swirling in your head disgust you, and you’re terrified they’ll come true.
You question if you’re queer or trans, and replay old memories and relationships in order to find “proof” of your sexuality.
It’s frustrating, because a part of you knows your fears aren’t rational, but you can’t let go of the possiblity that they might come true.
Hi, I’m Christine, lpc (She/her)
ART THERAPIST AND CERTIFIED EATING DISORDERS SPECIALIST
I believe an authentic, fulfilling life is possible, even in an unpredictable world.
As a queer therapist with a trans spouse, I know what it’s like to stand firm in who I am and push back against the status quo. Healing my own relationship with food gave me a sense of empathy and passion to help other people in their journeys. I love supporting LGBTQ folks as they find their own voice and sense of purpose in their lives.
I learned to reject the societal pressures that got in the way of my own wellbeing. I can help you do the same.
When you talk about hating your body, I won’t suggest exercise and diet tips. At the same time, I won’t pressure you to love your body nor impose my vision of recovery onto you. Instead, I’ll hold the space for your conflicting feelings from a place of curiosity and compassion.
Identify-affirming care and size inclusivity are values that guide my practice. I maintain awareness of how our lived experiences differ, and that I’ll never know what it’s like to be you. I do my best to meet you where you are, and show up with honesty.
Together, we’ll use art therapy, IFS, and practical strategies to help you get space from your thoughts and feelings so you can understand them more clearly. I use creative approaches that bypass our analytical brains and connect to our emotions in a deeper way. I believe that sustainable change comes from you, and our work is helping you unlock your inner capacity for growth.
A calm, supportive space for LGBTQ professionals, creatives, entrepreneurs, and teens.
LGBTQ Mental Health Services in Philadelphia & Online Across PA
Art Therapy
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Art therapy is a somatic process that can help soothe your nervous system while connecting to your emotions in a deeper way. Putting your thoughts and feelings on paper can help you get space from them so you can understand them more clearly. Art therapy can help heal trauma, eating disorders, and anxiety.
Sessions begin with a prompt that we come up with together. An example would be to make a collage about your therapy goals. You will make art for the first half of the session and then we will discuss the experience during the second half.
If we meet in person, art supplies will be provided by me. If we meet online, you can use whatever you have at home. All you need is paper and some simple drawing supplies like pencils and markers.
You don’t need to be good at art to benefit from art therapy.
IFS
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Parts can show up as feelings, thoughts, memories and bodily sensations. The movie, Inside Out, is a great example of how parts work.
IFS is truly a compassion-based model that views all of your parts with good intentions. Even the parts that lead to more challenging behaviors like disordered eating, doomscrolling, and lashing out. Together, we’ll connect with your parts and explore how they work. In many cases, parts are like workaholics trying so hard to get a job done. As you get to know your parts, you’ll see opportunities to heal painful experiences from your past.
The goal is to create balance in your inner world so you can feel more at ease and trust your own inner wisdom.
Trauma Therapy
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The goal of trauma therapy is to make peace with the past so you feel less triggered in the present. In trauma therapy, we’ll work with your nervous system so your emotions can feel more manageable. We’ll also address the beliefs you have about yourself as a result of past trauma, and help you write a new story for yourself.
Eating Disorder Therapy
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I offer nuanced, identity affirming care that is truly collaborative and client-led. Social justice and weight inclusive care guide my practice. I believe that the oppressive systems in our world play a major role in how we feel in our bodies and how we approach food. It’s all connected. My approach to this work is somatic and creative, using IFS, art therapy, and relational approaches to help you get to the root of your eating disorder.
Psychodynamic Therapy
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Childhood experiences may have an impact on your current life. Psychodynamic therapy is about bringing those patterns into awareness so you can make choices that are intentional, instead of reactive.
Psychodynamic therapy helps you connect with the emotions you feel in session which becomes valuable information on what needs to change in your life.
Psychodynamic therapy is helpful for depression, anxiety, relationship struggles, and eating disorders.
ERP Therapy
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ERP will teach your brain that the worst case scenario is not based in reality, and that you can handle your anxiety.
My approach to ERP is collaborative where you choose which fears you want to address at a pace that works for you. ERP is an experiential process where we both come up with exposure exercises that help you sit with your fears both in therapy sessions, and for homework. We’ll also identify your compulsions and practice resisting them both in session and at home.
ERP is available in person at my Philadelphia office and online if you’re in PA.
Specialized therapy in society hill, philadelphia and pa
Support for Partners and Spouses of Transgender Individuals
As a queer woman married to a trans woman, I understand the joys and challenges of being in a relationship with a transitioning partner. It’s your journey too, and you deserve to be seen and supported. Whether you got together after your partner transitioned, or your partner just came out, I’m here for you.
The process
Reach out
Schedule a free 20 minute phone or video consultation by booking directly through my website. We'll briefly discuss what brings you to therapy and how my approach might support your goals.
I believe the first few therapy sessions serve as a way to see if we’re a good fit, ensuring you feel comfortable in our work together.
Get Support
We’ll use creative and experiential approaches to understand the root of your issues and bring unconscious patterns into awareness.
Together, we’ll develop the tools you need to manage daily stress outside of the therapy room, and cultivate self-acceptance.
Take Back Your Life
You'll have more fulfilling relationships and you'll be ready to face life’s challenges without relying on habits that no longer serve you. You’ll understand yourself better, and feel more in control of your life.
You don’t have to keep proving your worth.
It’s time to feel good enough as you are & start living on your own terms.
