Phoenix Counseling and Wellness Center empowers clients to rise

Once upon a time, Christine Conti’s father told her a story about a frog. A small frog, standing at the base of a very tall tree, decided to climb. As he started up, the other frogs shouted from below. Don’t climb, they warned. It’s too high. But the little frog was deaf. He couldn’t hear their doubts. Every time he turned and saw them hopping and waving, he thought they were cheering him on, and so he kept climbing.

That story, Christine says, became a blueprint for her life, and inspiration for Phoenix Counseling and Wellness Center.

“He [her father] told me to be deaf to my doubts and to the people who didn’t believe in me,” Christine says. “To surround myself with encouragement, and to learn how to quiet my own negative thoughts if I wanted to reach my goals.”

Founded in 2018 in New Jersey, Phoenix Counseling and Wellness Center has since expanded its virtual services into Ohio and opened its flagship physical Charleston location in 2022. For Christine, starting her own practice felt like a leap of faith or, even better, a frog-sized act of courage. The idea took root during her earlier career in the U.S. Air Force, where she supervised and mentored young service members who often told her the same thing: I wish I’d had someone like you when I was younger. After hearing it enough times, Conti knew she was being called to something more.

The mission of Phoenix is simple, even if the work itself is not. “We strive to create a safe, welcoming community where people can come exactly as they are and receive the support they need to heal, grow, and stay well,” Christine says. Because emotional wellness looks different for everyone, Phoenix is built around meeting individuals and families where they are. Services include therapy with licensed clinicians across a range of approaches, as well as restorative practices like yoga and reiki.

As Phoenix has grown, so has Christine’s understanding of what her clients truly need. “The most meaningful healing happens when people feel anchored,” she says. “Not just during a crisis, but throughout their lives.” Some days, she notes, clients don’t need to talk at all. They simply need space to breathe, reset, and reconnect with themselves.

With that steady support, healing becomes possible. And like the phoenix itself, clients are able to rise stronger, clearer, and ready to reach new heights.

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