Vive Family Support Program
Washington, D.C.

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Vive's Clinician Spotlight
Chris Lee, MA, LCPC

Chris Lee is a versatile clinician who uses humor, compassion, and a collaborative strengths-based approach to engage and support families. Chris' calm, supportive and approachable manner makes it easy for teens and young adults to connect with him, and his educational background and training in Functional Family Therapy (FFT) make him uniquely suited to working with adolescents, young adults, and parents. Chris recently relocated to the DC area, where he enjoys spending time with his fiancee, playing with his dog, and drumming in a video game cover band.

The following quotes are excerpts from an informal interview recently held with Chris:
When I was a teen, I was fortunate enough to form a connection with my school guidance counselor. It wasn't traditional therapy as we did not set mutual goals, but we did meet regularly and I was able to talk about any topic on my mind and get the perspective of a trusted adult.

Chris Lee, MA, LCPC

Adolescence is a critical period, during which we're attempting to develop our own individual values and world-views, while simultaneously being bombarded with information from family, teachers, peers and the media. This can often feel overwhelming and result in confusion, inertia, or acting-out behaviors.

One of my goals in therapeutic mentorship is to provide a space in which my clients feel comfortable asking questions and processing their experiences without fear of judgement, punishment, or dismissal of their ideas. The hope is that, through exploration, my clients can arrive at a place where they're able to make their own healthy decisions.

My background is in working with at-risk youth- he kids who are hanging out with negative peers and/or getting in trouble in school or with the law. Rather than initially focusing on the problem behaviors, I try to find the strengths in my clients and relate to them, first and foremost, as individuals.

By taking the time to try to understand their experiences as they see them, not only am I able to help them figure out the areas in which they are struggling, but I am also able to get to know them and genuinely become invested in their success.

Vive works with teens and young adults in their homes and the communities in which they live, using therapeutic mentorship, parent coaching, and counseling to improve mental health and support family relationships.