Today we’d like to introduce you to Christina King.
Hi Christina, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My story begins in high school. I grew up in a family and community with high expectations. I struggled to keep up with the demands – AP classes, varsity basketball, ASB, and extracurricular activities. I was undiagnosed with ADHD and didn’t know how to handle the pressure or my growing responsibilities.
It all became overwhelming. I grew irritable, depressed, and lost joy in the things that once brought me so much pleasure. I remember one night, heading out to a high school boys’ basketball game – undoubtedly in the middle of a fight with my mom – when she looked me in the eye and asked if I was happy. I broke down crying in the hallway of the laundry room, because I couldn’t answer yes.
Then, there was this place. A place I got to go to every other week: therapy. It was where I could let go of all the expectations, demands, and pressures. A place where I could figure out who I was outside of it all. It felt amazing, and I wanted to feel that way all the time. So, I became a therapist.
I spent the next 10 years of my life in school, volunteering, and interning to make this dream a reality. I wanted to help the girls just like me. It came full circle when I started my practice in 2024, specializing in tween and teen girls, in Manhattan Beach. And I love every second of it.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Every story has its struggles. I went to undergrad across the country at the University of Illinois. When I left, I thought I wanted to get as far away as possible. But after a traumatic event my freshman year, I found myself far away from my support system. It was cold, and I felt alone. I was barely 19 years old, trying to navigate the aftermath by myself. There were days where it felt impossible.
I wanted to leave. I wanted to start over. I wanted to come home. But in some ways, starting over felt harder than seeing this through. So I hunkered down, as best as a 19-year-old college kid could. I focused on school, took summer courses, and tried to graduate as fast as I could. (Don’t worry, I was still very active in the social scene!)
I made plenty of mistakes along the way, but somehow, I managed to get through them. And ultimately, it paid off. I made my way back to L.A. for graduate school – USC, my childhood dream.
Life was good. I was back in California, surfing twice a week, attending my dream school. Then came spring break during my first year of grad school and COVID hit. But this part of the story isn’t really about quarantine. It’s about the fact that, just a few months in, my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer.
Just five years after the incident in Illinois, I once again felt alone. Isolated from my support system, watching chemotherapy brutalize my once-lively mother. As if COVID wasn’t anxiety-inducing enough, but fighting an invisible virus while living with an immunocompromised parent was incredibly taxing. Thankfully, her cancer was caught early, and she’s thriving once again.
Every story has its struggle, and I’ve found that mine have only deepened my commitment to my work. In both these instances I mentioned, I spoke about feeling alone. These were also the times in my life when I leaned most on therapy for myself.
There’s an African proverb I hold dear to my heart: “If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together.” Life doesn’t feel amazing all the time, like my high school self once wished, but it is the people that help hold us up when we are down that keep us moving forward. That’s how I spend my days – supporting myself and others.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Christina King Family Therapy?
My therapy practice, Christina King Family Therapy, specializes in working with tween and teen girls in Manhattan Beach. Full circle from my first introduction to therapy when I was in high school.
Today’s youth face unique challenges, from rising rates of anxiety, depression, and self harm, to constant comparison on social media, academic pressure, and perfectionism. Like I once did, they feel like life is a Jenga tower – one wrong move and their future comes tumbling down.
Then, we have our parents – stretched thin, balancing adult responsibilities, work, and supporting their teen’s development. They’re trying their hardest to keep it all together and raise a strong girl who can navigate the challenges of the world, all while their teen is pulling away. This is a lot and families shouldn’t have to navigate this phase alone!
I try to offer support on multiple levels. I provide individual services for teens, work with their families, write a (semi) weekly newsletter, participate in speaking events, and share educational tips on Instagram. On top of that, I’ve worked in three schools within Manhattan Beach Unified School District.
My next adventure combines several of these. In October and November 2025, I am working with a team to facilitate a single day mother – daughter retreat. This retreat aims to foster the bond between moms and their daughters through education, connecting activities, mindfulness practices, and of course, lots of fun. The hope is to give families a day to pause from the busyness of their life and turn inwards – toward themselves and their relationship.
At the core of my business is connection and community. It takes a village, and as a therapist, I am honored to be a part of that village. Investing and building up this next generation is purposeful and meaningful work – one that continues to humble and invigorate me.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.christinakingfamilytherapy.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christinakinglmft/
Image Credits
Surf Photo Credit – Anita Zamani
