Kristi Tornga, CSWA
Clinical Social Work Associate
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I completed my Master of Social Work degree at Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College, the City University of New York. I graduated with a Field of Practice Specialization in Health. My graduate thesis work focused on disability rights and disability justice as impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. My coursework and clinical training emphasized working with oppressed populations from a psychodynamic, relational, and intersectional perspective. I have completed continuing education courses through the Gender Health Training Institute with a focus on providing therapeutic care and biopsychosocial assessments for transgender and gender expansive youth, adolescents, and adults in alignment with WPATH standards of care. I have also completed additional training in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). I am a clinical social work associate in the state of Oregon, I work under the supervision of Julie Keanaaina, LCSW, MBA.
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Anxiety, Complex medical concerns such as chronic illness and related disability, Depression, Gender identity, Trauma/Stress. I enjoy work with folxs in the LGBTQIA2s+ community and with folxs to address internalized shame and negative self-talk.
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Individual Therapy
Hello! My name is Kristi Tornga (they/she), and I am a Clinical Social Work Associate (CSWA) in the state of Oregon. I see individuals (ages 18+) for both in-person and virtual sessions. I believe in reducing shame and stigma around seeking mental health support. We can all benefit from having a non-judgmental space to work through challenges and changes in our lives. As a genderqueer individual I am deeply invested in supporting transgender and non-binary folks and in working to reduce the oppression, erasure, and challenges that this community faces. As a former professional dancer, my therapeutic work is often informed by concepts of somatics and embodiment.
Are you a good clinical fit?
Finding a therapist that you connect with is an important aspect of engaging in therapy. I offer a free 15-minute consultation as an opportunity for us to meet prior to working together so that we can explore whether I may be the right therapist match for you. I strive to create an atmosphere where you can show up as your authentic self and feel safe in exploring all parts of yourself. I acknowledge there will likely be similarities and differences within our lived experiences, and we can absolutely talk about how that impacts our therapeutic relationship. Together we will identify patterns of thinking that no longer serve you and find ways of creating more self-compassion. I will hold space for challenging emotions that you may encounter, and we can work together to process past experiences that are impacting your day-to-day life. Throughout our sessions we can focus on building stronger relationships, enhancing communication skills, increasing self-awareness, and improving emotional regulation.
My Approach
As a social worker associate I offer a holistic approach to understanding what may be contributing to your mental health symptoms. Your unique experience in the world consists of numerous factors including your family of origin, your physical health, your identity, how you may have been taught to deal with emotions in the past, your social connections, and so much more! My approach is rooted in Strengths-Based and Trauma-Informed practices. My overall approach is Relational, which means that we will use the therapeutic relationship itself as a means of identifying and creating change in other areas and relationships in your life. This can be particularly meaningful in working to heal from trauma that involved relational harm. I bring a person-centered approach to therapy, and I conceptualize clients as so much more than a label or a diagnosis. As a former professional dancer, I hold a firm belief in the mind/body connection and I often incorporate somatic concepts into therapy sessions, including mindfulness and breathwork, and emotional identification and regulation through physiologic cues.
I look forward to working with you!
Frequently Asked Questions
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Interested in working together? Submit a prospective client form that includes why you are seeking support, and our admin team will reach out to schedule a 15-minute consultation. This will give us the opportunity to speak more about what you are looking for in therapy, and to determine if we might be a good therapeutic match. From there, you will be scheduled for a 55-minute intake evaluation, and you will be asked to complete new client paperwork, including a client history form. Together we will set therapeutic goals to guide the work that we do in our sessions, and we will check in regularly to ensure that your needs are being met.
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Regular sessions are 45-55 minutes, occurring weekly or bi-weekly. I don’t typically assign “homework” in the form of worksheets, but I will often provide encouragement or challenges to engage in self-reflective work in between sessions. This may include mindfulness activities, journaling, or intentional engagement with your emotional states.
