Meet Christlyn McCaskill
Trauma Specialized Art Therapist In Baltimore, Maryland
Virtual Services Available Throughout Maryland.
You deserve to be seen for who you are, not just what you do.
I SEE YOU…
For a long time, you may have believed that being needed was the same thing as being valued.
Maybe you became the one who held everything together. The one who anticipated everyone else's needs, stayed quiet to keep the peace, or learned to push through no matter how exhausted you felt. Somewhere along the way, it became easier to care for everyone else than it was to ask yourself what you needed.
Working with high-achieving women, neurodivergent adults, helping professionals, veterans, and women of color has taught me that many of these patterns didn't begin in adulthood. They often began long before your career, your relationships, or the responsibilities you carry today. They began in environments where survival, perfectionism, masking, or self-sacrifice made sense.
That's why therapy with me isn't about fixing who you are. It's about helping you understand how you got here, reconnect with the parts of yourself that have been overlooked, and build a life that no longer requires you to abandon yourself in order to belong.
When Rest Feels Like Something You Have to Earn
Sometimes it looks like feeling guilty when you slow down, questioning whether you're doing "enough," or believing everyone else's needs should come before your own.
Maybe you've spent so long being dependable, adaptable, and successful that you've lost touch with what you need. You might be carrying the weight of expectations that were placed on you long before you had the chance to choose them, wondering why you always feel like you have to prove yourself, or feeling exhausted from constantly trying to hold it all together.
If any part of this feels familiar, consider this your invitation.
I believe therapy should be one of the few places where you don't have to earn your worth or explain why you're struggling. You don't have to shrink yourself, mask who you are, or convince me that your experiences are "bad enough." Whether we're processing trauma, challenging old patterns, or reconnecting with the parts of yourself that have been overlooked for far too long, we'll move at a pace that honors your story, not someone else's expectations.
One of my favorite reminders in therapy is that two things can be true at the same time.
For so many of us, life has felt like an either/or.
You can be productive and protect your peace.
You can honor your past and choose a different future.
You can take up space and still belong.
Healing gives you permission to write a different story than the one survival wrote for you.
Less Formally
Outside the therapy office, you'll probably find me...
Spending time with my son (my favorite adventure buddy).
Convincing myself I only need one thing from Michaels... and somehow leaving with a cart full of art supplies.
Creating with watercolor, especially mandalas, where I can slow down, be present, and let the process unfold.
Planning my next trip or daydreaming about where to travel next.
Cheering on the Baltimore Ravens every football season.
Rewatching Harry Potter for what is definitely not the hundredth time.
Carrying my Stanley, or new favorite cup, everywhere I go. (Hydration is important!)
A few fun facts...
I'm a U.S. Navy veteran, and my time in the military continues to shape the way I understand service, resilience, and community.
I'm currently pursuing my Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Community Care & Counseling with a concentration in Traumatology because I believe great therapists never stop learning.
Creativity has always been part of how I make sense of the world, both personally and professionally.
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~ CURRENT: Ed.D. in Community Care & Counseling with a concentration in Traumatology- Liberty University
~Masters Degree In Art Therapy with Trauma Specialization-The George Washington University
~BA Studio Art Goucher College
~ The Catholic High School of Baltimore (TCHS)
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Board Certified Art Therapist (ATR-BC)
Licensed Clinical Professional Art Therapist (LCPAT) ATC326
Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) LC13005
Maryland Board Approved Clinical Supervisor of Licensed Graduate Professional Art Therapists (LGPAT) and Licensed Graduate Professional Counselors (LGPC)
Trauma-Informed Therapy That Honors Your Story
Trauma can influence the way we see ourselves, connect with others, and experience the world around us. Chris approaches trauma with curiosity, compassion, and respect, recognizing that many of the ways we cope today developed for important reasons.
Therapy focuses on understanding the impact of difficult experiences, strengthening emotional resilience, processing trauma at a pace that feels safe, and helping clients reconnect with themselves in ways that feel meaningful and sustainable.
Therapy That Sees the Whole Person
Virtual Services Available Throughout Maryland
Art Therapy as a Pathway for Expression and Self-Discovery
As a Board-Certified Art Therapist, Chris understands that some experiences are difficult to fully express through words alone.
Creative expression can offer another way to process emotions, explore identity, make meaning of difficult experiences, and reconnect with yourself. Art therapy isn't about artistic ability or creating something beautiful. It's about using the creative process to access insight, deepen self-understanding, and support healing in ways that traditional conversation alone may not always reach.
Neurodivergence-Affirming Care
Chris believes neurodivergence is a meaningful part of who you are, not something that needs to be fixed.
Many neurodivergent adults have spent years wondering why everyday tasks feel more difficult or why they've always experienced the world differently. Therapy provides a space to better understand how your mind works, reduce shame, recognize your strengths, and develop strategies that support the way you naturally think, communicate, process, and engage with the world.
Rather than asking, "Why can't I do things the way everyone else does?" Chris helps clients begin asking, "What do I need to thrive as myself?"
Culturally Responsive Therapy
No two people experience the world in exactly the same way. Identity, culture, family, community, and lived experience all shape how we understand ourselves, navigate relationships, and respond to life's challenges.
As a Black female therapist, Chris is committed to creating a space where clients feel respected, understood, and valued in the fullness of who they are. Therapy acknowledges not only personal experiences, but also the broader contexts that influence healing, resilience, and emotional well-being.
Learn More About Who Chris Works With Most
Chris provides trauma-informed therapy for adults throughout Maryland with a special focus on the communities below.
A Message from Chris
I believe every person deserves to be known beyond the experiences that brought them to therapy.
Too often, people feel pressured to explain themselves, minimize what they're carrying, or fit their experiences into someone else's expectations. My hope is that therapy becomes a place where you don't have to do that. A place where your story is met with curiosity, respect, and genuine compassion.
I also believe healing isn't about becoming someone different. It's about understanding yourself more fully, honoring the experiences that have shaped you, and discovering new ways to move through life with greater clarity, connection, and intention.
Whether we're talking, creating art, sitting with difficult emotions, or celebrating meaningful growth, it is a privilege to walk alongside people as they reconnect with themselves and begin building a life that feels authentic to who they are.
