Christine Manuel, LCSW

I am an experienced Licensed Clinical Social Worker who helps people on their path to healing. I work with Individuals experiencing stress, anxiety, the effect of trauma, attachment issues, and Parenting concerns.

I started Personal Path Therapy to help Clients improve their quality of life and navigate their personal path. I have over fifteen years of clinical experience and something I have learned along the way is that people desire to improve their quality of life, but often don’t know how. We can become distracted by day to day monotony, comparing ourselves to others or feel held back by things from our past. Balancing responsibilities and meeting the expectations placed on us can cause us to lose our way at times, but finding your own way to thrive is possible!
In my practice I enjoy walking side by side with and providing support to Individuals as they set personal intentions for making progress in therapy. I am trained in EMDR, a Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI®) Practitioner, and have formal training in Level 1 Theraplay®. With my Client focused approach I am very collaborative with Clients to choose the interventions that are most beneficial for them. I work most with Clients struggling with anxiety, depression, the effects of trauma, attachment issues, and Parenting concerns. Over the years I have had the privilege of impacting the lives of countless Clients, and I am privileged to be a part of their healing.
I earned my Undergraduate degree in Psychology from Illinois Wesleyan University, and then went on to earn my Master of Arts in Social Work from the University of Chicago. In undergraduate school I started my experience in the field through an internship with the Department of Children and Family Services where I gained a wealth of knowledge around breakdowns in family systems and the impact of ruptured Parent/ Child attachments.
I am so grateful to have grown up in a family that found value in giving and serving the community, so my desire to help others started from a very young age.
In graduate school I had two internships where I gained experience in providing psychotherapy and community support to various populations, including an Adolescent Substance Abuse Agency where I developed a passion for engaging youth and adults in the community. Following graduate school I worked in the Renal Dialysis Unit at Northwestern Hospital, supporting Individuals experiencing Renal Failure as well as their loved ones. For over 10 years, I worked with families formed through adoption. I worked with the Adoptees, Parents, and other Community Support members including schools, juvenile justice officials, and other specialty providers. Most often the presenting issues were behavioral and emotional issues, depression, anxiety, trauma, attachment difficulties, identity issues, grief and loss, and parent support.
I have been providing LCSW Clinical Supervision for six years in Individual and Group settings, and find a lot of joy in helping new Clinicians hone their skills.
In my personal life, I am married and a mom of two elementary school aged children. I enjoy being outside in nature, and reading on the couch. I love to travel and experience new things, and I have found that physical exercise and healthy boundaries are some of the most impactful ways I manage my own mental health.