Chris Bradshaw, MA, LAC
Specialty Therapist
A licensed associate counselor (LAC), Chris tailors his approach to the client, informed by several approaches to therapy, including Existential-Humanistic (EH), Cognitive Behavior Therapy, mindfulness-based/contemplative, Positive Psychology, Motivational Interviewing, depth-oriented dream work. Chris has completed all core courses and examinations for the Ph.D. in clinical psychology and is currently in the dissertation phase.
Chris maintains that the most important factors in effective psychotherapy, perhaps, are when the therapist and client: form a strong alliance (bond), create a sense of meaning and hope, collaborate on tasks and goals, repair ruptures to the alliance, and buy into the process. This is supported by the “common factors” research in psychotherapy. He believes that presence, empathy, and humility are very important for therapists to work on themselves to attempt to embody.
Chris engages ongoing depth experiential training in Existential-Humanistic psychotherapy with the Existential-Humanistic Institute (EHI). He completed a concentration in EH practice at Saybrook University, a leading non-profit university in EH Psychology and Psychotherapy founded by Rollo May, PhD, and other leading lights in psychology.
Chris writes a monthly blog for Psychology Today titled “The Existential Station: Fuel for Presence, Meaning, Awe, and Transcendence.” He is co-editing and writing a piece for the book “Existential Psychology in Cross-Cultural Contexts” forthcoming from University Professors Press, and has other writing projects underway. Chris’s dissertation research looks at the client experience of therapeutic presence—what clients say and experience of their therapist’s level of “presence.”
He is on the organizing/planning committee for the upcoming 4th World Congress of Existential Therapy to be held in Denver, Colorado, in June 2026.
A lover of literature and art, Chris earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. He also holds an MA in Clinical Psychology from Saybrook. In 2010, he joined AmeriCorps and worked with at-risk youth in Phoenix. In 2011, he began his journey as a counselor at the behavioral health technician (BHT) level, facilitating a wide range of group therapies and psychological education. For over seven years, he served as lead counselor (BHT) and then manager of large outpatient clinics in Phoenix and Tucson serving approximately 850 clients with a range of substance use and mental health treatment needs. He supervised an interdisciplinary team of approximately 25 employees.
Chris enjoys yoga, meditation, reading, creative writing, comedy, dancing, and spending time with friends and family.
