Christina Blea, LCSW
Christina Blea is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who is passionate about helping individuals overcome addiction, improve their mental health, and build meaningful, lasting recovery. She believes every individual deserves to be treated with compassion, dignity, and respect, regardless of the challenges that have brought them to treatment.
"Healing happens when people feel understood, supported, and empowered to believe in themselves again."
Compassionate Care for Lasting Recovery
Christina Blea is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) who is passionate about helping individuals overcome addiction, improve their mental health, and build meaningful, lasting recovery.
She believes every individual deserves to be treated with compassion, dignity, and respect, regardless of the challenges that have brought them to treatment. Christina understands that addiction often affects every aspect of a person's life, including relationships, emotional well-being, employment, physical health, and self-worth. Her goal is to help clients address these underlying issues while developing the skills necessary to create lasting change.
At Desert Mountain Healing IOP, Christina provides individual counseling, group therapy, and collaborative treatment planning as part of a multidisciplinary team committed to whole-person care.
Her warm, client-centered approach encourages individuals to recognize their strengths, overcome barriers, and move confidently toward a healthier future.
Dedicated to Behavioral Health & Recovery
Christina has experience working with individuals facing substance use disorders, anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, family conflict, and other behavioral health concerns.
Throughout her career, she has helped clients navigate difficult life transitions, improve coping skills, strengthen relationships, and develop healthier ways of responding to life's challenges.
She believes successful recovery involves more than achieving sobriety—it requires healing emotionally, rebuilding confidence, reconnecting with family, and creating a life that feels meaningful and fulfilling.
Her collaborative approach allows clients to actively participate in developing treatment goals that reflect their personal values, strengths, and aspirations.
Professional Qualifications
- Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW)
- Ongoing professional development and continuing education
- Evidence-based behavioral healthcare training
Christina remains committed to ongoing professional development and lifelong learning to provide clients with current, evidence-based behavioral healthcare.
Evidence-Based, Client-Centered Care
Christina's therapeutic approach combines evidence-based interventions with a warm, empathetic style that helps clients feel heard, understood, and empowered.
Treatment Modalities
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Identifying and changing unhelpful thinking patterns and behaviors
- Motivational Interviewing (MI): Supporting clients in exploring and resolving ambivalence about change
- Trauma-Informed Care: Recognizing the impact of trauma and creating a safe therapeutic environment
- Person-Centered Therapy: Honoring each client's unique experiences, values, and goals
- Solution-Focused Brief Therapy: Emphasizing strengths and solutions rather than problems
- Relapse Prevention: Building skills and strategies for maintaining long-term recovery
Christina believes that therapy is most effective when clients feel genuinely understood and respected, which is why she prioritizes building strong, trusting therapeutic relationships.
Comprehensive Behavioral Health Support
Christina provides counseling and support for a wide range of behavioral health challenges, including:
- Substance use disorders (alcohol, opioids, stimulants, cannabis)
- Co-occurring mental health conditions (anxiety, depression, PTSD)
- Trauma and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)
- Grief and loss
- Relationship and family conflict
- Life transitions and adjustment challenges
- Self-esteem and identity issues
- Relapse prevention and recovery maintenance
Her holistic approach recognizes that addiction rarely exists in isolation—it's often intertwined with mental health challenges, trauma, relationship difficulties, and other life stressors.
Personalized Support, Community Connection
Christina provides both individual counseling and group therapy, recognizing that each format offers unique benefits for clients in recovery.
Individual Counseling
In one-on-one sessions, Christina works with clients to explore personal challenges, develop coping strategies, process difficult emotions, and create personalized recovery plans. Individual therapy offers a safe, confidential space to address issues that may be difficult to discuss in a group setting.
Group Therapy
Group therapy provides clients with the opportunity to connect with others who share similar experiences, reducing isolation and building a sense of community. Christina facilitates groups that focus on skill-building, relapse prevention, emotional regulation, and peer support.
Benefits of Group Therapy
- Reduces feelings of isolation and shame
- Provides peer support and accountability
- Offers diverse perspectives and insights
- Builds communication and interpersonal skills
- Reinforces recovery concepts through shared learning
What Clients Say
"Christina helped me realize that recovery wasn't just about quitting—it was about learning to live differently. She believed in me even when I didn't believe in myself."
"I felt safe opening up to Christina in a way I hadn't with other therapists. She really listened and helped me work through things I'd been carrying for years."
"Christina's groups were a turning point for me. Hearing other people's stories and realizing I wasn't alone made recovery feel possible."
A Mission-Driven, Compassionate Program
Christina was drawn to Desert Mountain Healing IOP because of its commitment to providing high-quality, individualized treatment in a supportive, respectful environment.
She appreciated the program's emphasis on treating the whole person—not just the addiction—and its collaborative, multidisciplinary approach to care.
Christina is proud to work alongside a team of dedicated professionals who share her values of compassion, integrity, and the belief that every person deserves a chance at recovery.
Personal Interests and Wellness
Outside of her professional work, Christina values spending time with family and friends, exploring New Mexico's natural beauty, and engaging in activities that support her own mental and physical wellness.
She believes that maintaining her own self-care and balance allows her to show up fully present for her clients—bringing the empathy, energy, and focus they deserve.
Christina is also committed to lifelong learning and regularly attends professional development trainings, workshops, and conferences to stay current on emerging best practices in social work and addiction treatment.