Courtney Christenson, MSW, Licensed Clinical Social Worker (ND)

Courtney received her undergraduate degree from North Dakota State University in 2012 and went on to earn her Master’s degree in social work from Simmons College in 2017. In 2016, she interned in outpatient services with Solutions and also completed an internship at a residential childcare facility, working with teens in foster care who were facing mental health and behavioral concerns.

Courtney worked with Solutions from 2013 to 2017 as a Mental Health Practitioner and School Liaison, focusing primarily on children experiencing mental health issues that impaired their functioning in school, home, or community settings. During this time, she led the Dina School program in the summer and co-facilitated the Incredible Years Parenting Group as part of her internship. Afterward, she spent three years as a foster care case manager with Burleigh County Human Service Zone (formerly social services), where she created permanency plans for reunification, guardianship, or adoption. She returned to Solutions when the Bismarck location opened.

Courtney is trained and certified in several evidence-based practices, including Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy (TF-CBT) with advanced training for commercial sexual exploitation of children, Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP), and Incredible Years. Her specialties include foster care and child welfare, working with children with high behavioral needs, and addressing trauma backgrounds. She is trained to work with clients aged 0-17.

Courtney finds her work most meaningful when she is helping children. She values creating stronger bonds between parents and children and assisting parents in discovering new ways to support their struggling kids. When working with foster children, she focuses on helping them recognize their strengths, acknowledge their worth, and build their self-esteem.