Testimonials

Testimonials for life coaching, mental health coaching, workshops, and group coaching.
Excerpt: "Coaching is in addition to therapy for us and have felt so incredibly safe that we actually had The Crisses telehealth in with our provider for continuity of care. A covert System really appreciates the level of trust built to have that happen especially since I am a mental health provider." Please read full testimonial.

Well we have been coaching with you for a few months now so feel pretty comfortable in speaking about our experience with your coaching. We have set back and watched your System and how you all operate and thought, "Ya. They get it so let's try it!". Absolutely no as in zero regrets. We are, or at least I am often a jumbled, distracted mess of a Host and you all never challenge the words we choose or the behaviors we exhibit but instead challenge us to consider the or's plus the and's (and all those attached behaviors between). Coaching is in addition to therapy for us and have felt so incredibly safe that we actually had The Crisses telehealth in with our provider for continuity of care. A covert System really appreciates the level of trust built to have that happen especially since I am a mental health provider. My therapist has even commented on The Crisses level of knowledge and relatability. Sign up for some coaching because I gotta tell ya there has been some progress happening within this System; you won't be disappointed!

— BH

Excerpt: "I can't recommend these programs enough. This is one of those experiences that is very hard to describe, and I have nothing but positive things to say about it. Many of the critical ideas presented here are absent in one form or another from modern mainstream therapeutic literature, and that's to the detriment of that side of the field. It is certainly no wonder that recovery from complex trauma and structural dissociation is still very difficult within the modern therapeutic landscape -- the generally available tools are quite lacking. The concepts that the Crisses presented were not only easy to understand, but immediately effective, broadly applicable, and more directly accomplished what a lot of therapy/self-help materials only indirectly accomplished over a longer timespan." Please read the full testimonial.

This group (and the intake for it) was my first major interaction with the Crisses, and I came away very honored for having been part of the experience. This group was an incredibly engaging place where we felt safety for many members of our system to come out and express ourselves, as well as learn from both the wisdom of others and the experience of a very mature, mentorship-focused system. The Crisses did an incredible job advocating for everyone internal to the system, and going way far above and beyond the call of duty to actually invest in everyone and keep up with how they're doing. As a system, they are incredibly generous and kind, and set a strong example for how to safely engage with a crazy, topsy-turvy world from a place of healthy functional plurality.

I can't recommend these programs enough. This is one of those experiences that is very hard to describe, and I have nothing but positive things to say about it. Many of the critical ideas presented here are absent in one form or another from modern mainstream therapeutic literature, and that's to the detriment of that side of the field. It is certainly no wonder that recovery from complex trauma and structural dissociation is still very difficult within the modern therapeutic landscape -- the generally available tools are quite lacking. The concepts that the Crisses presented were not only easy to understand, but immediately effective, broadly applicable, and more directly accomplished what a lot of therapy/self-help materials only indirectly accomplished over a longer timespan. I did not find these concepts pseudoscientific in the least, and when concepts have been derived from multicultural spiritual traditions, they are presented in an inclusive manner which allows for one to take the essence of the idea without necessarily committing to that particular spiritual modality. Time and time again, the Crisses hit the mark on finding empirically effective methods, have a broad and well-integrated understanding of both the theories and history of the surrounding psychology, and also have well-connected the plurality of therapeutic modalities deriving from said theories.

I was a part of one of the trial groups, which was offered for free, and I've personally found I've gotten so much value and personal respect for the Crisses that I'll be going back and paying for it as if it was a "real" non-trial group session. In terms of group belonging, safety, and attachment, I found myself very much missing the group as we headed into the last two weeks. I simply didn't want it to end. This experience is worth every bit of what you put into it, and I'd reach out to the Crisses to start a conversation even if a group session and/or personal coaching is outside of your financial avenues. I firmly believe that everyone on the plurality spectrum would benefit from going through these groups, multiple times, to learn all of the layered lessons that lay the foundation for an incredibly healthy system. I now have the tools I need, far more than before, to really start making a healthy impact in my own life. Additionally, it's helped me provide support in my personal relationships and interactions with other systems as well.

Put simply -- you won't regret it.''

— Anonymous Four, Building Trust group alum

Excerpt: "Crisses are like a thousand breaths of fresh air. We used to be worried we were an awful help rejecting monster of a human being, but can see in hindsight that a lot of 'help' from mental health professionals was genuinely hurting us." Please read the full testimonial.

Since we’ve found Crisses, it seems we are more than willing to try things - simply because time and time again, their advice has proven effective for helping us get to wherever we’re trying to go. Not one tiny bit of hurting either, just hope, and relief, almost like they're breathing it out wherever they go.

We recently finished a coaching group led by Crisses, and will be eternally grateful for the opportunity to attend. Before the course was even halfway through, our system had broken out of what seemed like a neverending chronic freeze, and we had people journalling, making agreements, plans, and communicating regularly throughout each day. Also, lots of odd things we have going on inside and never managed to make sense of were easily validated or explained by Crisses, which really helped us feel more solid and sure of ourselves. The coaching took us way beyond where we could ever have imagined in just a few short weeks.

I expect we will be reaping the benefits of this coaching for many years to come. If you get the chance to spend even a few minutes with Crisses, I highly recommend seizing it with both hands. Probably some of the most empowering, open-minded, open-hearted peoples you'll find on this Earth.

— Freda's People, Internal Communication Group Coaching Pilot (2)

These sessions really work. They help so much and give so much clarity to inside situations. They are definitely worth it! The Crisses are kind, caring, lovely and sweet, they are consistently friendly and supportive throughout the whole thing; application, during the sessions, in between the sessions and even now after the sessions are over. I literally can't give them enough praise!

— The Headspace System

The Building Trust program helped us communicate better. We were able to make contact for the first time with some headmates that seemed scary before. We have more understanding of how to respond to violations of trust among us and what to do to repair that trust. We also have more understanding and compassion for ourselves. It was a relief to be speaking with Crisses as they have built the program from their firsthand, decades of experience and knowledge. The other participants were also very open about what they are dealing with in their systems. The Building Trust series was a safe space that we looked forward to each week. We are very grateful for the experience and would recommend Building Trust to anymanys who are struggling with trust issues among headmates.

— The Headspace System, exit survey

We joined the group coaching pilot about internal communication. We expected to learn some new things about internal communication and maybe get some pointers in the right direction…But the group went way above and beyond our expectations. At the same time we also got a place in a trauma hospital, so we had a direct comparison. Where the licensed trauma therapist made us feel unsafe and like a burden on everyone for being plural, the Crisses built a group environment that felt safe, welcoming and affirming. Where the trauma hospital wanted us to conform exactly to their way of doing things, the group was a supportive place that celebrated creativity, different needs and approaches. We had put so many hopes into getting help from the hospital and the Group Coaching was one of the most significant things during this difficult time that empowered us to say *No thank you* to “help” that felt more harmful and shaming than beneficial. It kept our hope alive that there is help out there that thrives on cooperation and co-creation rather than force and conformity. Thank yall so much for helping us to stay as sane as possible trying to navigate an insane mental health system.

— Incanthatus, Internal Communication Group Coaching Pilot (2)

Left feeling more relieved that before it started. Sometimes you only need to feel listened to. I got that and more in this session.

— J

I learnt a great deal about my internal world not only what it is right now but what i want it to be for the safety and comfort of my all parts, myself included.

— Kevin & co.

The group coaching program provided by the Crisses was very helpful to me and our collective, for the knowledge it brought us as well as the validation for knowledge we already had. Having a chance to discuss focused topics with other systems/collectives empowered us to take steps towards a better life (inner and outer) for all of us, that we struggled to do without it. I appreciated the group being open to all types of plurality which enabled me to relax and be open to exploring solutions outside of established norms.

— Lily& of KingdomBalance

Criss helps clients get real and focused. She holds her client accountable until tasks are completed. She gently but firmly asks tough questions that help you to gain clarity around your physical and emotional spheres.

— Marie

Excerpt: "The Crisses have put immeasurable work (and heart) into the resources they have created for plural folk, as well as research. While they’re aware that every system is unique and have done their best to make these resources as accessible and adaptable as possible, they’re also taking note of and incorporating modern neuroscience into these techniques and structures. They’re paying attention to trends unfolding within the plural community, as well as adjacent communities. We (as in, my own internal system) have yet to find a resource for plurals that is so *safe*, so research-based, so focused on belongingness and inclusion, and so comprehensive." Please read the full heartfelt testimonial.

*Throughout this testimonial, we [my internal system/headmates] and I switch between using I and we pronouns
*I wasn’t paid to write this testimonial; it’s my show of gratitude for all of the two-hour group coaching sessions I received at a sliding scale rate of $0-$10/per over an entire year. I also genuinely hope others will benefit from the related resources the Crisses have created.

When I started working with the Crisses a year ago, I was pretty new to recognizing that I’m plural–that “I” am in fact “we”. I was scared and overwhelmed and disoriented. My system was locked in a constant tug-of-war between my stronger personalities/trauma adaptations, while other more vulnerable parts of me were often left feeling discarded and alone in trauma time. This had a negative effect on my relationships, my health, my work, my home, my creativity, and my sense of self.

This was after going through multiple different therapists, dozens of healing modalities, reading countless articles and many books on trauma, neurodivergence, and various other self-help topics I’d haphazardly consumed over decades in an effort to figure out *what was wrong with me* and *how to fix it*. I thought that if I could just find the one right strategy, that I could live a simple, easy life…but nothing had worked (at least, not beyond the initial 6 weeks of dopamine-generating newness in which I was convinced, each time, that finally this was it! The one true fix!)

Accepting my own neuro-complexity and deciding to work with the various parts of myself *as a system* rather than continuing to seek (and fail to find) this holy grail of simplicity has been one of the hardest, best choices I’ve ever made.

Since working with the Crisses a year ago, I’ve made progress in the following areas:

  • noticing conflicting feelings *in my body* and resulting patterns of stuckness
  • building safety and belongingness into my external and internal environment
  • developing self-trust
  • listening to what the different parts of myself actually want, and not just what the more judgmental/perfectionist part of myself *thinks* we should want/need/feel/do
  • communicating my boundaries and feelings in relationships
  • using different modes of expression to access different parts of myself
  • resolving some internal conflicts that had previously felt impossible
  • reducing the intensity/spiraling of shame cycles
  • rescuing younger parts of myself stuck in trauma time
  • improving overall self-compassion

The Crisses have put immeasurable work (and heart) into the resources they have created for plural folk, as well as research. While they’re aware that every system is unique and have done their best to make these resources as accessible and adaptable as possible, they’re also taking note of and incorporating modern neuroscience into these techniques and structures. They’re paying attention to trends unfolding within the plural community, as well as adjacent communities. We (as in, my own internal system) have yet to find a resource for plurals that is so *safe*, so research-based, so focused on belongingness and inclusion, and so comprehensive.

Despite all of the work they’ve put into this, as a coach, they’re real. Approachable. They openly discuss their mistakes, struggles (without trauma dumping), blind spots, and hopes in ways that are relatable and that help foster community and make room for everyone to be seen and heard. We have a lot of anxiety in group spaces–fear of making mistakes, of talking too much or too little, of experiencing gaslighting or undue pressure. The Crisses created a group coaching space with agreed-upon boundaries to ensure everyone’s safety and belongingness, with ongoing reminders at the beginning of each session, in a way that didn’t shame anyone and made it possible for folks to build comfort to speak more openly and participate more fully over time. None of the homework is “required” and no one approach is toted to be more viable than any other; the Crisses emphasize self-trust and going at the pace of one’s own system, while still maintaining a consistent structure in which we could “do the work”. As a system who has experienced fragmenting traumas that lead me to develop a profound mistrust of anyone in a leadership position, this level of safety, structure, and encouragement to adjust everything to my own pace/system’s needs was critical.

I’d like to add that the Crisses made the group coaching program I participated in and their other plurality resources sliding scale. Finding and keeping consistent employment, housing, and other vital resources is statistically extremely challenging for plural folx, most of whom are multiply marginalized and disabled. For many of us, the kinds of help that we need most are out of reach. I’m fortunate in that I have assistance from friends and I’m still able to do some gig work, but I haven’t been in a position to pay hundreds of dollars to work with a psychologist trained to work with DID (and I haven’t been able to find one who takes state insurance).

I can’t overstate what having access to this level of comprehensive coaching for such a stigmatized and poorly understood condition has meant to me. The value I received from this program is immeasurable; if I’d had more money, I could have easily spent thousands of dollars on other programs and not have gotten commensurate results. We hope that more plural systems will find and have access to this and similar programs/sets of resources, as well as the empowerment/knowledge/skills to start developing our own resources to contribute to the plural community (this is encouraged in pluralityresource.org).

Through this process I’ve also developed pride in being a part of such a creative, multi-faceted, resilient, resourceful community. We work better together–both as our own internal systems, but also as external systems working together (even/especially if that looks nothing like “teamwork” in the modern-capitalist enforced notion of that word!). Plurality isn’t something to be ashamed of; plurality is powerful when we learn how to work with rather than against ourselves and each other.

If you’re interested in exploring any of the resources I’m referring to in this testimonial and/or working with The Crisses, here they are–(and they continue to expand their offerings, so if you don’t find something that clicks for you now, that could change in the future!):

— Moth system, United Front: Missions group coaching alum

CRISS ensured a safe and supportive environment for folks like me who are completely new to the issues and experiences of DID to explore different skills, issues, challenges, and coping mechanisms. I truly appreciated the time, attention, and care with which CRISS set up their workshops from the material, to the software, to the reading homework, to the in workshop facilitation. CRISS is truly gifted at what they do.

— Ocean

Whichever piece of reality I am chewing on (work crises now; long ago hurts and griefs; future fears and hopes), Criss is right there for me.

— Anonymous One

I think your (stress management) workshop was deceptively good........I mean, its value is only partially obvious up front, but upon contemplation it takes on more and more inspirational value.

— Pat Weinert, Weinert T-Shirts, Middletown, NY

In the realm of Life Coaching, Criss is emerging as a master coach: she is a careful and thoughtful listener, a creative and innovative collaborator, and an open-hearted mentor in a process of self-discovery, self-development, and self-creation. She has been for me the epitome of the expression "the student has become the teacher".

— Sheila Pearl, MSW, Life Coach and Coaching Instructor, Newburgh, NY

A lot of providers have a model for what "multiple" is supposed to look like -- a bunch of "people" with, like, ages and genders and "people issues". We're not like that: we're a huge cooperation of loops of distinct, individual self-awareness -- "I am me" loops. — [newline] — We range from being tiny to quite substantial and able to cope with adult life. Many of us have really peculiar identities: holes burned in the fabric of being; plankton (we like eating); the marble torso of an ancient hero who shows his pain by how broken and frozen he is; wisps of floating mutable colors and scraps of beingness who is whoever you would like her to be; three/nine of us (the numbers shift) who are how we turn challenges upside down to see them differently to get at wildly different approaches to those challenges; one of us who is simply the skill of writing, be it long hand or computer writing; many of us who are collectively a software and process engineering group; others of us who are so bitterly sad that all we can bear to do is sleep; that's just part of the list, and Criss takes us all in stride. Previous providers have had a lot of trouble with comprehending even as "personlike" an inside one as our marble hero, never mind the enormous school of fish who in difficult emotional circumstances become a basementful of pebbles and sand.

— Anonymous Three

we really like Criss: she totally gets it, how being many is like and we get to say "we" to her and she doesn't get all weird about it.

— Anonymous Two

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