Cristina Crivello, PhD

I am a clinical psychologist as well as Co-Founder and Co-Director of Elevate Psychotherapy & Wellness Clinic, an award-winning multidisciplinary mental health clinic. I specialize in the treatment of OCD and anxiety disorders across the lifespan, which comprise the majority of my clinical practice. I am also passionate about training the next generation of clinicians and provide supervision to doctoral trainees developing their skills in Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). At Elevate, I have helped build a team of clinicians with expertise in OCD, with a shared commitment to expanding access to specialized, evidence-based care for individuals and families.

I have extensive experience treating complex clinical presentations in which OCD co-occurs with other mental health and neurodevelopmental conditions. My approach considers the ways in which multiple conditions may interact, overlap, and influence an individual’s symptoms, functioning, and treatment needs. I develop individualized treatment plans that address the full clinical picture rather than viewing each concern in isolation. Treatment priorities are individualized, with co-occurring concerns integrated into care in a way that best reflects each client’s presentation and needs. Treatment is flexible and thoughtfully tailored, with careful consideration of each client’s unique presentation, strengths, challenges, and goals.

I have over a decade of experience treating OCD across private practice, outpatient psychiatry, and inpatient hospital settings. During my doctoral training at Concordia University, I received specialized training and supervision from a clinician with extensive expertise in OCD. I later pursued additional training in pediatric OCD and worked with adolescents on an inpatient pediatric unit, including youth hospitalized with severe OCD that significantly interfered with daily functioning. OCD has since become a primary focus of my private practice. I continue to expand my knowledge through ongoing professional development, including workshops, continuing education, and conferences hosted by the IOCDF.

Throughout my training and clinical practice, I have worked with individuals and families from a wide range of racial, cultural, ethnic, religious, socioeconomic, gender, and sexual orientation backgrounds. My experience has emphasized the importance of understanding how culture, identity, family context, and lived experiences can shape symptom presentation. I have further developed my cultural competency through clinical experience, supervision, consultation, and continuing education. I approach each client with openness, respect, and curiosity, adapting treatment to their individual needs while remaining attentive to the cultural values, identities, and experiences that are meaningful to them.