Therapy in Poughkeepsie, NY | Psychotherapist Cris Maria Fort Garcés

Creativity becomes medicine when it is given space to breathe. In each session, color, movement, and awareness come together to help you express what has been held inside. The process feels organic and alive, inviting both release and discovery. Poughkeepsie carries a pulse of inspiration, a place where the energy of creation and reflection meet. Clients often arrive feeling blocked, uninspired, or emotionally tired, and they leave with renewed flow grounded, expressive, and more connected to their sense of possibility. Healing through creativity is not about perfection or technique. It is about allowing yourself to explore, to make meaning through movement, words, and image, and to reconnect with the part of you that still knows how to play.

Here’s what our work might look like:

This is a living, breathing container, rooted in clinical depth, mystical tradition, and intuitive truth. It meets you where you are and evolves as you do.

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Here’s what our work might look like:

We Begin in the Real Moment


We don’t have to dig through your entire history to start healing,  we begin with what’s happening right now: your breath, your posture, the tightness in your throat, the image you can’t shake.


We Drop Into the Body (and the Beyond)


Together, we drop in slowly and intentionally, tracking sensation, emotion, and the symbolic language of your body. We name what’s been exiled, what’s been performing, and what’s quietly asking to be witnessed.

We Unwind Shame, Self-Attack, and Old Survival Roles


Your body holds the places where you learned to shrink, overgive, or turn against yourself. We track these patterns with compassion until they soften, loosen, and lose authority.


We Integrate the Work Into How You Live, Love, and Lead


Your insights don’t stay in the room, they become embodied. You speak up without collapsing, rest without guilt, show up without masking, and move through your days with more presence and fewer spirals.

Explore my services and specializations


  • Somatic Therapy

    There is a rhythm beneath every breath, a pulse that guides you toward balance. Somatic psychotherapy helps you rediscover it. In this work, awareness becomes touch, emotion becomes movement, and safety becomes something you can feel rather than think.

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  • Shadow Work Therapy

    To face your shadow is to meet your power. Through presence and regulation, you begin to see how your defenses once kept you safe. They are no longer needed in the same way. You can keep their wisdom and let go of their weight.

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  • Expressive eco art therapy for emotional healing

    Art becomes a bridge between emotion and transformation. Through eco art therapy, you work with color, shape, and organic materials to express what words cannot. Each gesture reveals a story, a truth, or a hidden piece of yourself ready to be seen. Clients often finish their sessions feeling softer and clearer, realizing that creation itself can be a form of emotional freedom. The art

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  • Gestalt Therapy

    The essence of this process is discovery through experience. Together, we explore what arises here and now, without judgment. Sometimes it’s a feeling in the chest, a word unspoken, or an emotion that’s been waiting to move. By engaging with these moments, you begin to live with more presence, choice, and clarity.

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I serve women in Poughkeepsie NY

I offer virtual sessions for women who live in Poughkeepsie and want to experience healing through creativity and connection. The city’s dynamic rhythm and artistic energy make it an inspiring backdrop for this work. Clients often arrive feeling creatively blocked and leave reconnected to their energy, ready to express and move forward with clarity.

What clients say...

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When I first met Cris, I was at a moment in my life where I was unsure of every possible direction. All of my decisions were based on fear and a recent change in my health had me wondering what kind of life I would have and holy crap I'm going to die. Being in front of Cris's intellect, warmth and grace literally gave me strength I didn't know was there and the assurance of my ability to navigate conflict with grace and evenness. A truly gifted guide and stellar human being.

- Grey
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Cris has been integral to my growth. She is incredibly kind, understanding, and supportive, while also challenging me to face things I may have been ignoring/dismissing. I’m really grateful to have been able to work with her.

- Autumn
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Cris is a wonderful therapist. As a pediatrician, I was prone to over-thinking. She has helped me to work through my thoughts and to be in tune with my body.

- Lisa

Hello I’m Cris, Psychotherapist

I’m Cris Maria Fort Garcés, a counselor offering gentle, grounded guidance for women seeking to heal and evolve. I help you recognize the patterns that hold you back and support you in stepping forward with balance and trust.

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FAQ about my psychotherapy services

  • How does virtual therapy work?

    Online sessions allow us to meet wherever you are and create a space of reflection and creativity. We meet weekly for 45 minutes through a secure, HIPAA-compliant Zoom link. The consistency of our meetings builds trust and allows energy to move naturally between sessions.

  • What kind of therapy do you offer?

    My work is rooted in somatic therapy, gestalt therapy, shadow work therapy, and eco art therapy. Each modality invites connection between intuition, reflection, and embodied awareness.

  • What if I need to cancel or reschedule a session?

    If you need to reschedule, please notify me at least 48 hours in advance. Cancellations made later are billed in full. You may cancel up to four times per year with proper notice at no cost. This rhythm helps sustain the depth of the work.

  • What if I’m not sure this is the right fit?

    A free 15-minute consultation is available so you can sense the connection and flow before starting. Many clients find that just one conversation helps them feel clarity about their next step.

  • With whom do you work and where?

    I offer 45-minute weekly online psychotherapy to women, femmes, queer, Latinx, gender-non-conforming, and trans adults throughout New York State. With 17 years of experience in Somatic, Gestalt, and Creative Arts psychotherapy, I support clients through anxiety, burnout, trauma, and transitions, helping them rediscover creativity as a path to healing.