About chris chiros, phd lp

Sometimes the only way out is through

I’m a Minneapolis-based therapist who specializes in individual therapy treating sleep problems, caregiving stress, and adjustment to chronic medical conditions.

Smiling woman with short brown hair and light skin, wearing a red top, seated on a light-colored chair against a plain white background.

I hope you already know this, but:

You deserve good care

I want you to know that when you see me for therapy you are starting a journey that has you and your needs at the center. You may want a quick skills-based course of treatment with a clear goal, or perhaps a longer journey that offers room to settle in and do deeper work of changing how you show up in the world in some important way.

A healthy growing plant

How I work

At the core of my approach is a belief that we all have things we are great at, and we have plenty of room to grow.

Therapy with me is…

  • Evidence based care does not mean a cookie cutter approach where everyone gets the same exact thing in the same exact order in the same exact way.

    You and I determine together, as two experts (me in psychotherapy, you in you and your life), what a helpful treatment course could be.

  • I’m a GREAT cheerleader. Former patients at VA have called me “warm”, “an advocate”, and someone who is deeply committed to their care. I’m also sarcastic, playful, a bit irreverent, and if we decided to have you work on something between sessions I WILL follow up.

    I take my work very seriously. I try to not take myself too seriously.

    All that said, however, if I don’t think I’ve got what you need for care I’ll help steer you to a potentially better fit.

  • Privacy is so important. I am committed to following all of the legal and ethical requirements to protect yours. And because I don’t trust it and I have concerns about the environmental impact, I will not be using AI in our sessions or my clinical paperwork (I know, I may be showing my age, IDGAF).

A view of the sky through a pine tree canopy
Sunset over a dense forest of tall pine trees with a body of water visible behind the trees.

specializing in:

Sleep Struggles

Medical Problems

Life Transitions

My Training & Education

  • I am a Licensed Clinical Psychologist

  • I earned my PhD from Bowling Green State University in 2007, and my emphasis there was Behavioral Medicine (which is fancy speak for health and illness).

  • My dissertation was on acceptance and migraine headaches.

  • I have over 18 years of clinical experience with the Department of Veterans Affairs, working with veterans in rural Minnesota as well as in the Twin Cities.

  • I’ve completed extensive training in common sleep problems (and have provided training and consultation to many other therapists to also provide insomnia and nightmare treatment).

  • I’ve completed extensive training and consultation in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. For people who have deeper understanding of ACT, I was jokingly known in my consultation group as “The Defusion Queen.” Yes, it’s weird to put that on a professional page, and ACT folks are weird like this. You should probably know that up front.

  • Although I have specialty areas, in my work with the Veterans Health Administration I was a generalist and am very comfortable working with a wide variety of human struggles.

  • I am well-versed in mindfulness-based therapies, dialectical behavior therapy skills,

Your needs matter too.

Your needs matter too.

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