Crystal Clair, LCPC

Feeling stuck? Ready to move forward? Therapist Crystal Clair will work with you to embrace where you’re at and chart a course toward where you’d like to be.

Honed over more than two decades, her powerful approach is action-oriented, designed to create tangible and lasting change in clients’ lives. Learn to cultivate authentic self-love while overcoming persistent emotional blocks and discovering new perspectives. The result: a new sense of empowerment to guide your decisions and relationships.

Crystal works with adults of all ages, including many new moms, couples, and families. Areas of specialization include breakup recovery, parenting coaching, and couples counseling. She has extensive training in the research-based Gottman Method Couples Therapy, as well as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).

Read on to get to know Crystal more—and click here to set up an appointment.

How do you hope your clients feel after they work with you?
Empowered. I want them to know the difference between advocating for themselves and being defensive. I want them to have a deep self-knowing and self-love.

What led you to this work and founding CFC Therapy?
I was a peer counselor in high school, so I had tried on a version of this and liked it. After getting my bachelor’s degree, I became a correctional officer and worked in the prison system with at-risk youth. That led me to prison reform and earning my master’s in forensic psychology. After working with court-ordered clients, many of whom didn’t necessarily want to be in treatment, I did some private practice work and realized it was a good fit. I loved partnering with clients who really wanted to do the work.

What makes CFC Therapy unique?
We’re a multigenerational practice and very diversified in terms of approaches. We have clinicians from all different backgrounds. We can really collaborate on cases in a productive way because we know our specialties and the best fit for each client. That’s particularly nice for collaborative care or family therapy.

What do clients say about working with you?
I have the ability to see a situation from all angles. I’m not always going to be the devil’s advocate, but I’m going to push your thinking. I’m a confrontational cheerleader, a goal-oriented therapist. I’m not one to just sit there and listen, then send you off. Our sessions are more, “What is your game plan for the week? What is your self-care going to look like?”

What do you do in your free time?
Take nature walks, paint, crochet, bake, go to the beach—and do it all with a mindful heart.

Favorite book right now
Untamed by Glennon Doyle. And for anyone who’s read it, I can even tell you my three favorite chapters: Sons, Invaders, and Seconds. Sons is about how to raise emotionally intelligent boys. Invaders is about taking your meds. Seconds is about living your first marriage with the insights people often bring to a second marriage.

Favorite Ted Talk
Esther Perel’s “The Secret to Desire in a Long-term Relationship”

Best therapy advice
I always tell clients there is one thing you will fully understand and embody before our work is over: mercy and grace. What do I mean by that? Mercy and grace are the ability to let yourself off the hook—and until you learn to let other people off the hook, you don’t let yourself off the hook. If you can’t forgive others, you can’t forgive yourself.

Any last words for people during this pandemic time?
You have to just allow so much more mercy and grace for yourself and others right now. You have no idea what someone else is going through.