...I am a Nurse Practitioner working with Christine Gerchow in Juvenile Hall. We collaborate to integrate physical and emotional/spiritual health in the care we provide to youth in detention. Christine is an expert in trauma informed care and uses her skills and thoughtfulness to approach our most at risk and traumatized youth in a healing modality that helps them to increase their self- awareness and emotional maturity. While others have given up on these youth, Christine works out of the box to empower youth to heal from the trauma they have experienced and sometimes inflicted on others and to motivate self-control, soothing and healing. I'm always inspired by her perseverance and passion.

...Dr. Gerchow has an innovative and creative way of clinically interacting with her juvenile clients. She works in a way that will inspire and motivate other mental health professionals.

...I had the opportunity to work closely with Christine Gerchow during her doctoral dissertation on cognitive behavioral therapy and criminal recidivism. Christine has the creative mind, methodological rigor and unstinting work discipline of the best Berkeley trained human scientists. She would be natural for top academic or public policy positions (where her skills and engaging personality are badly needed). Yet it is her quite unusual capacity for empathetic understanding of complex relationships and her compassion to help people as individuals overcome their barriers to success that truly sets her apart from the talented graduate students I am privileged to work with.

...I have had the pleasure of knowing Christine since my senior year of high school (2009). She served as my school counselor and we have been in contact ever since. Christine played a major role in my journey to success. In fact, Christine is the reason why I was accepted to San Jose State University. She helped me to develop the self-esteem to apply to college and see myself as “college material.” Her uplifting spirit and non-judgmental attitude has helped me cope with some of the traumatic experiences I dealt with growing up in Richmond, California. Christine makes it her obligation to reach out to me and other classmates. Her continuous support and loving personality is why I believe she is a wonderful counselor. She will be a great asset to anyone on his or her educational journey!

...Christine does great therapeutic work with the youth at Juvenile Hall. She is very motivated and has true passion for the work she is involved in. She has sat on several committees that I have Chaired or been a part of. In doing so, her knowledge, input, support as well as attention to detail as it relates to program development have been monumental to the success of our work groups.

...Dr. Gerchow's presentation of her work with individuals in Juvenile Hall was amazing. Her work appears to be very validating, healing, and behaviorally focused. I feel much more competent working with this population after this presentation.

...There are very few people who I would recommend enthusiastically and without reservations when it comes to advising and providing support to youth, whether they are at-risk or gifted and talented. Dr. Christine Gerchow is at the top of that short list. Her ability to relate to youth and their families, understand the nature of the issues, and develop useful solutions is unparalleled.

...As the child/adolescent psychiatrist on the behavioral health team that serves the youth detained within Contra Costa County’s Juvenile Hall, I have come to know Christine Gerchow Ph.D., as a dynamic and energetic leader on this team of variously trained mental health, medical and juvenile justice professionals. Her support and expertise as a supervisor, consultant, and innovator in this system has proven of inestimable value to her trainees and colleagues, in addition to her invaluable therapeutic work directly with many of our most troubled youth. Since this is a system that deals on a daily and ongoing basis with significantly emotionally disordered youth, the overwhelming majority of which have sustained major traumas in their developmental years, she has shown herself to be quite knowledgeable in recognizing the many different earmarks of this particular problem, as well as finding and practicing many and various practical and effective therapeutic approaches to this problem. Dr. Gerchow also shows much insight and understanding, as she helps our various team members to deal effectively and therapeutically with these traumatized youth, both by her example and by her own therapeutic support/supervision of our various team members, who can and do become emotionally affected by the tremendous amount of frequently unbelievable traumatic history that emerges regularly.

...Dr. Christine Gerchow is a fantastic collaborator, mental health advocate, and partner for those who are underserved or inappropriately served. I've had the amazing opportunity to work with her on work on reducing racial disparities in the criminal justice and justice field, and have been impressed on her approach and how she brings in the voices most impacted by system challenges to have a seat at the table.

...Christine Gerchow is an extremely intelligent, charismatic and compassionate leader who regularly goes the extra mile as a psychologist at Contra Costa County's Juvenile Hall. Her work is revered and respected by patients and colleagues from across our county's education, medical, legal and probation agencies. She is among the most dedicated lifelong learners, often reading multiple books at a time about evidence-based treatment, teaching and learning, and modern threrapeutic modalities. Above all, she approaches everyone with love, humility, radiance and sincerity. She is a treasured team member and will make for the best trainer and consultant!

...Intelligent, determined and motivated to helping underprivileged and marginalized groups. She is an outstanding clinician and true inspiration to all in the field.

...Christine undoubtedly was one of the strongest and most talented students I taught at USC. As a top student in my class, Christine exhibited an astute ability to form concepts based on experience, work independently, and carry out well-organized projects. Her work demonstrated a high level of professional and personal integrity. I am confident that Christine's clients will be provided with top-notch counsel based on the depth of her research and clinical experience and her ability to instill a sense of possibility and hope.

...Dr. Gerchow has a unique ability to effectively engage and support youth as they pursue their goals. She is a tremendous asset to our clinical team, and has had a transformative impact on the culture of the entire juvenile probation department. Not surprisingly, her influence continues far beyond the walls of Contra Costa County Juvenile Hall.

...To Christine, teaching is an act of heart. Her deep commitment to students is evident in her stellar work ethic, intelligence, and compassion. She takes every opportunity to learn about each child as a person and human being in order to best serve their needs. As a colleague, I could not recommend her more highly.

...Dr. Gerchow has been teaching an online course for the UCLA Extension college counseling certificate program since 2012 and has done a first-rate job. Indeed the student evaluation comments confirm and reflect her professionalism and diligence: 'Christine is an outstanding educator,' 'She was supportive and inclusive of all of her students, finding hidden gems in each of us.' I can only add that we are delighted to have her as a member of our teaching team.

...Christine is an encouraging, efficient and organized mentor. She helped me understand my own priorities. Additionally, she was always positive and gave thoughtful constructive feedback. Thank you, Christine!

...I knew Christine when she was an undergraduate at Villanova University. While a student, she was always ahead of the curve, knowing what was important to students and representing their voices as Student Body President. She is still a crusader in her new endeavor. Dr. Gerchow was one of our best! Smart, insightful, committed, and thoughtful. She still has all those qualities and using them to guide, counsel and direct. I am so proud of her and know she is using all her gifts to serve those who need her most. I love you, Christine!

...I have had the pleasure of working with Ms. Gerchow for over three years. She is an amazing professional who easily connects with youth in a supportive, non- judgmental way. Ms. Gerchow goes above and beyond to ensure that young people receive the highest level of counsel, intervention and support.

...It has always been an honor to have Ms. Christine Gerchow as an Academic Advisor. I have known her since 2008 when I was a high school senior. She has always been one of my strongest sources of motivation, driving me to strive to be better and to pursue a higher education. I am so happy to hear that she has decided to expand her expertise and offer it on a broader level.

...If there is someone that has an unrelenting dedication and commitment in seeing young people succeed, it is Dr. Christine Gerchow. I had the pleasure of having her as my high school counselor and today, as a high school teacher myself, I truly wish all students were able to encounter passionate counselors like her.

...It is nearly par for the course for youth in custody to have high rates of trauma that severely impacts their behavior and pro-social functioning. This population is often very reactive, relying on aggression and maladaptive behaviors to meet their needs. Dr. Gerchow has responded to these challenges by developing effective interventions and techniques to support these youth in managing behavior and developing resiliency. For example, Dr. Gerchow has incorporated sensory integration and Dialectical Behavior Therapy strategies in her work, supporting trauma impacted youth to develop more situational awareness and self-control to manage situations and improve their life trajectory. – James Rivers, Superintendent Alameda County Juvenile Justice Center

...Christine is a fountain of knowledge around trauma and how it affects those of us who work in fields related to trauma. She’s a great leader! She’s efficient and delivers information in a dynamic and personable way. After I speak with Christine, I always come away with more information and a better understanding of myself and those I help.

...Dr. Gerchow’s tireless service, passion, and resourcefulness in Behavioral Health is unmatched. As a representative of Law Enforcement leadership, I especially appreciate and respect her prowess and desire to provide exceptional care in the support of both underserved populations, and Law Enforcement alike. Working collaboratively with Dr. Gerchow has been extraordinary, and I will continue to seek her expertise far into the future of our Department, and my career

...During her five summers as a student counselor and advisor at ATDP, I saw that Christine has a passion for helping others determine the best path for reaching their goals. In addition to being highly organized and proactive, she excels at providing positive directions for clients to emotional well-being. Especially noteworthy are Christine’s presentation skills, her proficiency at interpersonal communication, and her dynamic ability to build rapport with all populations.

...Dr. Christine Gerchow has helped revolutionize staff perspective of juvenile trauma and juvenile pathology with the work she has done with residents AND STAFF in Juvenile Hall. The history of incarceration is steeped with limited views on the pathology of "bad behavior" or "bad choices". The tools, modalities, and suggestions provided or made by Dr. Christine are typically ones not already adopted by the amazing Institutional Officers yet they are intuitive, effective, and consistently backed by research. I appreciate that the staff, negatively impacted by vicarious trauma or trauma exposure, are supported with similar modalities and just the simple talent she has of being 100% present with them when they express their overwhelm and exhaustion. Working with Dr. Christine has been such an inspiration as well as a learning process.

...Christine Gerchow is an advocate for patients and has worked tirelessly to understand the needs of individuals who have experienced trauma. In practice, I have seen Christine use different modalities with youth that have experienced a range of different traumas, from experiencing personal trauma to witnessing acts of trauma to other types of trauma such as neglect. Christine guides her patients to understand the impact of past traumas, how traumatic experiences may have affected them, and how to work through these experiences. Christine understands what tools are evidence-based and tailors treatment approaches to the needs of her patients. She is an indispensable resource and valued greatly by both patients and staff members.

...My whole family agrees, having worked with Christine was the highlight of my son's UC Berkeley/ATDP 2016 experience. He gained a host of new strategies to do his best in school. I can't tell you how much we appreciated that. Thank you, Christine!

...Dr. Gerchow's enthusiasm for her work shines through. It is a pleasure to learn from someone who clearly takes such joy in what they do.