Maria-Christina Crawford, MACP, CCC
Trauma-Informed Therapist in Red Deer and Online Across Alberta
I am a Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC) and founder of Freedom Counselling. I hold a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology with Distinction from Yorkville University and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Kassel in Germany. I am a member in good standing of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA; Member #11249936). I specialize in trauma-informed therapy for adults experiencing anxiety, trauma, relationship challenges, life transitions, and emotional overwhelm. I provide counselling in Red Deer and online across Alberta.
Education & Credentials
Education
- Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology (with Distinction) – Yorkville University
- Bachelor of Education – University of Kassel, Germany
Professional Designations
- Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC)
- Member of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (Member #11249936)
Specialized Training
- Basic Accelerated Resolution Therapy® (ART) Certified Therapist
- Trauma-informed psychotherapy
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- Internal Family Systems (IFS)
- Ethical Practice Seminar (2024)
My Professional Background
Before becoming a therapist, I worked in education and cross-cultural settings. I mentored teacher-training students in rural Zambia and worked alongside individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds. These experiences deepened my understanding of resilience, adversity, community support, and the many ways culture shapes our experiences and relationships.
How I work
If you’ve been feeling alone in your relationship because your partner doesn’t want to come to therapy, overwhelmed by the demands of parenting, or exhausted from trying to hold everything together while caring for everyone else, you’re not alone. Therapy offers a space where you can set down the weight you’ve been carrying, catch your breath, and focus on your own needs without judgment.
My approach is trauma-informed, which means I look beyond symptoms to understand the experiences, relationships, and protective patterns that may be contributing to your current struggles. I integrate Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), and Internal Family Systems (IFS) to help you move beyond survival mode, develop greater self-understanding, and create meaningful, lasting change. Together, we work toward helping you find calm, clarity, balance, and confidence in your daily life.
I Commonly Help Adults With
- Trauma and PTSD
- Anxiety
- Divorce and separation
- Co-parenting challenges
- Work stress and burnout
- Parenting stress
- Relationship difficulties
- Grief and loss
- Emotional overwhelm
- Life transitions
- Christian counselling
A Place for Healing and Hope in Red Deer
I became a counsellor because counselling changed the way I understood myself. Through my own journey, I discovered that many of the thoughts, emotions, and behaviours I had struggled with were not signs that something was wrong with me—they were ways my mind and body had learned to protect me. That realization brought a level of self-compassion, clarity, and healing that I had never experienced before.
It also changed the way I view other people's struggles. I believe that beneath anxiety, overwhelm, relationship difficulties, or the effects of trauma, there is often a person who has been doing their very best to cope with life's challenges. My goal is to help clients understand themselves more deeply, reconnect with their strengths, and find new ways of moving forward without judgment or shame.
Freedom Counselling was created to provide a safe, compassionate space where people can explore their experiences, make sense of their patterns, and discover that healing is possible. It is a privilege to walk alongside clients as they move toward greater self-understanding, resilience, and hope.
Professional Commitment
I am committed to ongoing professional development and ethical practice. Continuing education allows me to provide evidence-informed care while maintaining a clear understanding of professional standards, ethics, and scope of practice. My goal is to provide therapy that is both compassionate and clinically sound.
