During her time in the Domestic Peace Corps Christiane began training for certification as a Sexual Assault Crisis Counselor and worked with the Sexual Assault Crisis and Education Center (SACEC) for seven years. While working with SACEC, Christiane volunteered on the Emergency Hotline, as well as working with survivors of sexual abuse to assist in advocacy through hospitals, courts and police contact. Christiane also co-facilitated both rape and incest support groups and ran the only male survivor support group, in the state of Connecticut.

In 2002, Christiane began working at Community Solutions, Inc. – a 24-hour, locked down, juvenile detention facility, which housed 11 pre- and post-adjudicated adolescent females. The offenses ranged from truancy to attempted murder. While working with this client base, Christiane was trained in Safe Physical Management (SPM) which included techniques in de-escalation and the use of the least restrictive amount of force. She was also trained in the application of physical, leather and mechanical restraints, in order to manage or subdue violent detainees.

In 2005, Christiane began working at Boys and Girls Village, Inc., where she provided ongoing services to families and children who have been diagnosed with severe psychiatric disorders, including ADHD, Reactive Attachment Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder and Intermittent Explosive Disorder. This program applies a systems approach that coordinates school , recreational, social and familial entities in order to create optimal settings for children with behavioral and mental health diagnoses, as well as continuity of care. These services included: one-on-one and group counseling, support and de-escalation in the event of crisis, occupational therapy techniques to manage Sensory Integration Disorder, social skills development, the mediation of anger management and conflict resolution techniques.

When Christiane began graduate school at the Columbia University School of Social Work, she was able to combine skills she had learned in previous experiences with her internship. She worked with parents who were at risk of losing their children to the foster care system, due to abuse or neglect charges.

Christiane’s second year graduate internship was at Silver Hill Hospital, in New Canaan, Connecticut, where she honed her skills working with clients recovering from substance abuse and treating co-occurring psychiatric disorders. She was able to continue working with the substance abuse population through Connecticut Renaissance, after graduation.

Connecticut Renaissance is a is a not-for-profit substance abuse treatment center that provides services primarily to clients with probation, parole or DCF mandates for treatment. During her time at Connecticut Renaissance, Christiane was an outpatient substance abuse clinician and was responsible for a variety of tasks, including evaluating clients for substance abuse and mental health issues, maintaining a minimum caseload of 25 clients, providing case management and acting as a liaison with other involved agencies. Christiane also provided one outpatient group session per week, one IOP component per week and ran anger management groups.

Christiane is currently Clinical Supervisor at The Renfrew Center in Wilton, Connecticut. In this capacity, she meets individually and within the group setting with women who are recovering from Anorexia, Bulimia and Binge Eating Disorders, as well as managing a team of exceptional therapists.