Carissa Cullum Ferdinand (she/her) holds a Master of Arts in Counseling from Northwestern University in addition to a Master of Arts in Latin American Studies from the University of Florida.

Carissa’s educational background has uniquely prepared her for work with multicultural populations, especially around issues of identity development and systemic injustice.

Her clinical experiences include working with individuals and families in private practice, outpatient, and community mental health settings. She has further professional experience in administering psychological assessments and advising college students.

Carissa believes in a collaborative and trauma-informed approach to treatment. She works from a primarily psychodynamic framework, which helps individuals increase their awareness of the ways that past experiences may impact present thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Carissa believes in tailoring treatment to meet the needs of each individual and will integrate other complementary modalities, such as dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), object relations, or person-centered theories. She may employ creative interventions through the use of visual art in treatment.

Carissa’s professional interests include working with young adults and adolescents experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, stress, and burnout. She enjoys teaching DBT skills to help clients develop emotional awareness and regulate somatic experiences.

Carissa is licensed to see patients in Michigan and Illinois.