Areas of Experience
More About Caryn Bittinger
Clinical Interests:
Caryn Bittinger is a compassionate mental health clinician with a background in counseling and Dance/Movement Therapy. She holds a Master of Arts in Dance/Movement Therapy & Counseling from Columbia College Chicago and a Bachelor of Science in Sociology from the University of Wisconsin–River Falls. Caryn works with children, adolescents, young adults, and adults and provides individualized, strengths-based care that recognizes the unique needs, experiences, and goals of each client.
Caryn’s clinical interests include anxiety, depression, ADHD, emotional regulation and behavioral challenges, trauma and trauma-related concerns, grief, self-esteem, stress, life transitions, communication, interpersonal relationships, attachment, and parent-child relationships. She has a particular interest in working with children and families and supporting children as they develop emotional regulation, communication, coping, and relationship skills. Caryn is DC:0–5™ trained, which supports her ability to provide developmentally appropriate assessment and treatment for young children while working collaboratively with parents and caregivers to better understand the child within the context of their relationships, family, and environment. Caryn is also currently completing training in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) to further support children and adolescents who have experienced trauma.
Clinical Approach:
Caryn believes therapy is most effective when clients feel safe, heard, respected, and actively involved in the therapeutic process. She uses a collaborative, strengths-based, and trauma-informed approach that is tailored to each client’s developmental level, personality, needs, and treatment goals. Her clinical approach incorporates person-centered therapy, play therapy, motivational interviewing, trauma-informed interventions, mindfulness and relaxation strategies, movement and body-based interventions, creative and expressive activities, emotional regulation and coping-skills development, and parent education and coaching. When working with children, Caryn utilizes play, movement, games, visuals, and creative activities to help children express emotions, develop coping skills, and build emotional awareness and regulation. She also works with parents and caregivers to strengthen connection, co-regulation, communication, consistency, and supportive responses to challenging behaviors. With adolescents and adults, Caryn combines conversation-based therapy with practical and experiential strategies to help clients better understand their emotions, manage stress and anxiety, improve relationships, strengthen confidence, and work toward meaningful personal goals.
Caryn believes every client brings unique strengths, experiences, and perspectives to therapy. She strives to create a supportive, welcoming, and nonjudgmental therapeutic environment where clients and families feel comfortable being themselves and exploring challenges at their own pace. Caryn’s goal is to meet clients where they are, build upon their existing strengths, and collaboratively develop skills and strategies that support emotional well-being, healthy relationships, increased confidence, and improved day-to-day functioning.
Hobbies:
Outside of her clinical work, Caryn enjoys staying active and spending time outdoors. She loves hiking, walking, running, and finding opportunities to explore and enjoy nature. She values spending quality time with her family and creating meaningful experiences together. Traveling is another passion of hers, particularly visiting new places and learning about different cultures, traditions, and perspectives. Caryn also enjoys being engaged in her community and participating in activities that allow her to connect with and contribute to the people and communities around her.