Smiling woman with long dark hair wearing a maroon top, gold jewelry, and an Apple Watch, sitting at a table in a brightly lit, modern interior.

Cristina Vasquez, LPC-Associate

Supervised by Julie Burke, LPC-S

Hi y’all, I’m Cristina Vasquez (she/her), a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate in the state of Texas, supervised by Julie Burke, LPC-S.

I didn't become a therapist because I wanted to "fix" people. I became a therapist because I've always been endlessly curious about what makes us who we are. I'm fascinated by the parts of ourselves that often go unnoticed, the emotions we push down, the patterns we find ourselves repeating, the relationships that shape us, and the stories we begin to believe about who we are. I've always been more interested in the why than the what, because I believe understanding ourselves with honesty and compassion can change the way we move through the world.

Looking back, becoming a therapist feels less like choosing a career and more like finding the place I was always meant to be. It gave a home to my curiosity, my empathy, and my deep appreciation for the complexity of being human.

I'm also not under the illusion that having a master's degree somehow means I've "figured life out." Trust me, I haven't, (though I wish I did). I have hard days. I overthink. I get anxious. I make mistakes. I navigate relationships, loss, change, and all the messy parts of being human, too. The letters after my name don't exempt me from life's struggles; they simply gave me the privilege of learning how to better understand them. At the end of the day, I'm just human.

I'm not a "perfectly put-together" therapist, and I don't pretend to have all the answers. In fact, I don't believe that's how therapy works. You are the expert on your own life. You're the only person who knows what it's been like to live your story, carry your experiences, and be you. My role isn't to tell you who you are or how to live your life. It's to bring my clinical perspective, ask thoughtful questions, notice patterns you might not see yet, and gently hold up a mirror so we can make sense of things together.

I see therapy as a collaboration. You're in the driver's seat because it's your life, your story, and your destination. I'm in the passenger seat, not to grab the wheel or tell you where to go, but to help you navigate, offer another perspective when the road feels confusing, and remind you that you don't have to make the journey alone. I’ll tell you right now - I am not a therapist who claims to have a magic wand or promises to "fix" you. As much as I wish I could take your pain away, I can't. And honestly, I don't think that's the goal. My hope is to help you discover that you already have so much of what you need within you. I'll simply help you uncover it.

If you're wondering what it's actually like to sit across from me, I'd say it feels a lot more like a genuine conversation than a clinical appointment. We'll laugh together, we might cry together, we'll celebrate your wins, and there will probably be moments where I lovingly call you out on your BS when I think it's getting in your way. My goal isn't to intimidate you or analyze your every move, it's to create a space where you feel comfortable enough to be completely yourself.

I don't subscribe to the idea that therapists should sit quietly behind a clipboard, nodding occasionally while you do all the talking. That's just not me. Therapy with me is conversational, collaborative, and deeply human. I'll ask questions, share observations, challenge you with compassion, and sometimes my facial expressions will probably say exactly what I'm thinking before I do. I'm expressive, engaged, and fully present because I believe healing happens through authentic human connection, not through pretending I'm some untouchable expert behind a perfectly polished professional mask.

At the end of the day, I want our sessions to feel like two humans sitting together, making sense of life. Some days we'll dive deep. Some days we'll laugh more than either of us expected. Some days we'll sit with the hard stuff. Whatever the session holds, you never have to perform, have the right words, or show up as anything other than yourself.

Therapy with me

Clinically with Cristina

Above all else, I want you to know that you don't have to shrink, explain away, or edit parts of yourself to fit into this space. I am an LGBTQIA+ ally, sex-positive, and kink-friendly, and I welcome people of all identities, relationship structures, and lived experiences. My hope is that you feel safe enough to show up exactly as you are, because I believe the parts of ourselves we've been taught to hide are often the ones that deserve the most compassion.

My approach is rooted in curiosity rather than judgment. While my work is informed by psychodynamic, attachment-based, and narrative perspectives, I don't believe therapy should feel like a psychology lecture full of clinical jargon. I care far more about helping you understand you. Together, we'll get curious about the patterns you keep finding yourself in, the relationships that have shaped you, the beliefs you've developed about yourself, and the stories you've carried for so long that they may have started to feel like facts. My hope isn't to help you become someone new, it's to help you better understand who you've been all along.

While I work with adults from all walks of life, I often find myself sitting with women in their 20s through 50s, people who are new to therapy, and fellow first-generation Latinas navigating the space between cultures, expectations, and identity. There is something incredibly powerful about exploring what you've inherited, what you've outgrown, and what you want to carry forward. As a first-generation Latina myself, I understand that there can be both beauty and heaviness in holding multiple worlds at once.

A woman with dark hair smiling widely, seated at a table in a cafe or restaurant. On the table are various drinks, including a Sonic drink, a tall white thermos, a cold green beverage from Merit Coffee, and a pink drink with a blue straw. The background features framed art on the walls and a doorway.

Many of the people I work with are navigating relationships, identity, trauma, grief, anxiety, depression, perfectionism, people-pleasing, self-worth, boundaries, and that relentless inner critic that always seems to have something to say. But I've never believed people fit neatly into diagnostic boxes or neatly organized lists of specialties. You're more than a diagnosis, and your story deserves to be understood in all of its complexity.

I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Criminal Justice from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and my Master of Arts in Professional Counseling from St. Edward's University with a concentration in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Those experiences gave me the knowledge and clinical foundation I bring into our work together. But the heart of therapy, at least in my eyes, has never been about having the perfect intervention or saying the perfect thing. It's about building a relationship where you feel safe enough to explore, challenge, grieve, grow, and, ultimately, come home to yourself.

Whenever you’re ready, my door is open - let’s do the damn thing!

One thing I firmly believe is that we are so much more than our careers. Being a therapist is what I do, but it's not who I am. It's a role I have the privilege of stepping into every day, but it doesn't define me. Before I'm a therapist, I'm a daughter, a sister, a friend, a traveler, a reader, and a human who's still learning, growing, and figuring life out just like everyone else.

Outside the therapy room, I'm just a regular human who gets way too excited about the little things. Give me a dirty Sprite Zero from Sonic (extra strawberries, always), an iced strawberry matcha from Merit Coffee, and my emotional support water bottle, and I'm a happy camper.

You'll usually find me in athleisure, wandering a farmer's market, trying a new restaurant, convincing my friends to take a workout class with me, or on the hunt for my daily sweet treat (because yes, a sweet treat a day is absolutely a lifestyle).

I'm almost always attached to my Kindle, usually staying up far too late because I had to finish "just one more chapter" of whatever thriller I'm currently reading. Lately, I've also fully embraced my grandma era and become obsessed with needlepointing and honestly? I'm living for it.

I'm a 200-hour registered yoga teacher, a huge dog lover (despite not having one of my own...yet), and the undisputed queen of voice memos. My friends know that if they ask me a simple question, there's about a 95% chance they're getting a five-minute voice memo in return.

When I'm not working, you'll probably find me traveling somewhere new, rotting on the couch with a binge-worthy show, blasting 2000s club bangers like it's still 2008, or planning my next adventure. Life is meant to be lived, and I try to soak up as much of it as I can.

The Human Behind the Therapist

Close-up of a smiling woman with dark hair, resting her head on her hand, sitting at a wooden table at night, with city lights in the background.
A woman wearing sunglasses and a white shirt standing on a stone railing overlooking a lush green landscape with trees, water, and distant islands under a blue sky with some clouds.

Your therapist in the wild!

  • A young girl with shoulder-length dark hair smiling while playing with a toy keyboard, wearing a red firefighter hat. She is seated on a colorful mat surrounded by toys in a home setting with wooden chairs, a high chair, and scattered items in the background.

    This is who creates space for every part of you to be seen

  • Photograph of a young girl with curly hair wearing a pink headband, smiling, in a white dress with pink accents and a beaded necklace, against a cloudy sky background.

    This is who who will hold hope for you when it's hard to hold it yourself

  • A young girl with a bright smile and dark hair tied back, sitting cross-legged on a bed with white sheets. She is wearing a yellow tie-dye shirt and jewelry with beads. The bedroom has warm-colored walls, a lampshade on the bedside table, and white and blue floral tiles on the headboard.

    This is who believes there is no "right" way to heal

  • A young girl with dark curly hair, a pink bow clip, earrings, wearing a cream-colored lace dress, standing in front of a blue background, smiling and showing her teeth.

    This is who celebrates your wins - small and big

What’s my therapist up to?

Stay in the loop with me! (I will preface by saying I will try to update as much as possible so everything is current, but bear with me, I’m just a human!)

Favorite song at the moment?

I can’t stop listening to Noah Kahan’s new album, The Great Divide , highly recommend! My favorite song on the album is Dan.

Current hyperfixation?

Hear me out, I’m trying to connect with my inner child so accordingly I’ve brought back eating uncrustables! SO GOOD!

Current read?

I just started Shari Lapena’s book, Getting Away with Murder. If you haven’t read any of her books and are looking for a good thriller/mystery - I cannot recommend more! For clinical development, I’m currently reading Emily Nagoski’s Come as You Are. I have been recommended it so often, I thought it was time to read it and lo and behold, it is a really great book that every person should read about sex and being human!

Food I’ve been loving?

I’ll be honest, I’m a huge foodie and love food, but currently I can’t stop eating Thai food (I recently travelled to Thailand and can’t get enough!)

Movie or show I’m binging (or rewatching)

Now that Love Island is over, I’ve returned to watching Summer House! I’ve never seen it before but watched Vanderpump Rules and loved it, so thought I would give it a try!