About Dr. Christina

 

health psychologist certified aromatherapist herbalist Sheboygan Milwaukee Green Bay Wisconsin
Dr. Christina Wilke-Burbach

Christina Wilke-Burbach PhD, RMT, CA is a scholar, teacher, consultant, spiritual counselor, and holistic healing facilitator with 25 years of education and experience in psychology, spirituality, holistic healing, and natural health. She has her PhD in Health Psychology with a specialty in Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) from Walden University in Minneapolis.  As part of her doctoral degree, she studied Transpersonal Psychology, Psychoneuroimmunology, Holistic Medicine, Integrative Medicine, and Behavioral Nutrition for a deeper understanding of the mind/body/spirit/energy connection.  She specializes in holistic health, spiritual psychology, wellness, and three areas of Complementary and Alternative Medicine: Mind/Body, Natural Health, and Energy Medicine. Her dissertation research study explored holistic wellness, cardiovascular disease, meditation (mantra, mindfulness), and moving meditation techniques (Tai Chi, Qi Gong, and Yoga). She worked under the supervision of two nationally recognized researchers in the field of mind/body medicine-John Astin, PhD and Maxwell Rainforth, PhD.  Christina has her Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee, WI. Here she specialized in dual diagnosis (addiction and mental health). She also has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and a minor in Sociology.

Christina with Stan Grof

Christina has additional education and training in Transpersonal Psychology (Holotropic techniques, Psychonautics, Spiritual Emergencies, Shamanic Approaches, Plant Medicine, Archetypal Astrology), and has attended workshops, trainings, and classes with Dr. Stan Grof MD, PhD co-founder of the field of Transpersonal Psychology and his late wife, Christina Grof PhD, through Grof Transpersonal Training, The Shift Network, and Wisdom University. 

Christina is a 10th degree independent Usui Shiki Ryoho Reiki Master Teacher. Her Reiki Master Teacher is Arline Rowden (see Reiki lineage below). Christina is an Awakening Your Light Body Graduate and studied and awakened her Light Body, a powerful form of spiritual growth, consciousness evolution, and energywork with Orin and DaBen.  Christina is also a bodywork practitioner and has taken clinical acupressure training through Soul Lightening International. This is a form of acupressure developed by Transpersonal Psychologist Aminah Raheem PhD. Christina also has Traditional Chinese Medicine, meridian, and acupressure training through Cindy Black L.A.c., LMT, and Big Tree Natural School of Healing. 

Christina at the Aquarian Garden Wellness Center

Christina is an ordained non-denominational minister and respects all beliefs. She believes finding one’s own inner path, spirituality, is essential to healing, understanding, and becoming a whole person. Personal growth is also never complete and one must continue their spiritual development as it is a journey, not a destination. Christina is a High Priestess in training with the Wiccan Family Temple. Christina practices meditation, yoga, and Tai Chi. Christina is also Clairsentient and Claircognizant. Christina offers intuitive readings and healing sessions can also include intuitive feedback. Christina was an instructor in the Institute for Intuitive Arts and Sciences in Madison, WI and at the Art of Healing School of Energy Medicine.

Christina is an aromatherapy, herbalism, and gardening instructor in the Midwest with 25 years of botanical healing experience. She combines clinical and intuitive aromatherapy and teaches Holistic Healing with Aromatherapy classes and the 185-hour herbalism program ‘Holistic Healing with Herbs.’ Christina has a level I and level II certificate in aromatherapy from Floracopeia (David Crow and Jade Shutes), hundreds of hours of aromatherapy education in both Aromatic Medicine and Holistic Aromatherapy (aka “French” and “British” Aromatherapy), and has taken aromatherapy classes with a number of prominent teachers in the field including Robert Tisserand, Cathy Skipper, and Andrea Butje. Christina has studied essential oils, herbs, yoga, Naturopathy, Ayurveda, and Traditional Chinese Medicine with a number of teachers. Christina has completed the Wisconsin Master Gardener Training Program through the University of Wisconsin Extension. Christina is a member of the American Botanical Council and the American Herbalist Guild. She is also the project chair of the indoor gardens at John Micheal Kohler Arts Center. She is a natural botanical perfumer and a botanical artist. Plants play a huge role in her personal, spiritual, artistic, and professional life. 

Christina also works full-time as a cemetarian (as a family service counselor at a cemetery. Here she assists families in preplanning for the death and assists with funerals and other deathcare services). Before beginning Mind, Soul, and Self LLC in Jan 2009, Christina worked for 6 years as a clinical substance abuse counselor, mental health counselor, and clinical supervisor; integrating spirituality, yoga, aromatherapy, guided imagery, and meditation into her counseling practice. Christina has worked in inpatient, outpatient, group home, CBRF, and in-home settings. She has conducted individual counseling, couples counseling, family counseling, and group counseling. Prior to that, she worked as a research assistant in the Alcohol Studies Lab at the University of WI-Milwaukee. Christina has a strong research background and has conducted her own individual research on alcohol and coping, gender differences in alcohol use and depression, and ‘deviant’ subcultures.  She won an award for her research at the 2006 Wisconsin Psychological Association spring conference. For three years Christina advised Graduate Psychology students’ research in the area of Complementary and Alternative Medicine at Cardinal Stritch University in Milwaukee. Her research interests include meditation, mind/body medicine, yoga, tai chi, energy psychology, aromatherapy, herbal medicine, transpersonal psychology, and spirituality.

Dr. Christina

Christina left the Western Psychology field in 2008. Christina now specializes in women’s wellness, holistic healing, and spiritual psychology.  She uses holistic approaches that treat the whole person.  In her healing appointments, Christina utilizes a combination of energy medicine, spiritual counseling, chakra psychology, Transpersonal Psychology, aromatherapy, herbal medicine, artwork, intuitive readings, mind/body techniques, and natural health consultation. Christina does not practice western psychology, psychotherapy, psychological counseling, or psychiatry; she does not give diagnosis or labels or provide psychological treatment. She is not a medical doctor, licensed psychologist or mental health therapist, and does not accept insurance. She does have a PhD in Health Psychology, a Masters Degree in Psychology, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology, but is now an Alternative Medicine Provider, Holistic Healing Facilitator, Consultant, and Educator, not a behavioral health counselor or psychotherapist. Christina’s services can greatly complement Western psychological, counseling, psychiatric, and social work services clients may be receiving.  Holistic Healing can also be a great alternative to traditional counseling and traditional mental health care.  Christina’s experience working in the Western mental health and psychology field and her own personal healing experience has taught her that talk therapies and medications do not work for everyone and healing occurs at a deeper level.  Often talk therapies and medications are band-aids and do not get to the root of the problem. Western Psychology also fails to acknowledge the spiritual and transcendent aspects of the psyche.  Christina’s own personal healing journey includes recovery from addiction (18 years sober as of May 1, 2023!!!) depression, suicidal ideation, and anxiety. Christina is also a survivor of Domestic Abuse. She believes that we all have the power to heal, no matter how deep our wounds may be. Christina sought out Western Counseling in her healing journey but found meditation, yoga, a women’s spiritual group, aromatherapy, herbal medicine, art, music, dance, and spirituality was what really saved her life. Her mission is to share these methods with others and help light up the world. Things can get better if you want them to. Christina has also come to understand, the only true ways to heal psychologically, are non-verbal: through art, music, dance, altered states of consciousness, and bodywork/energy work. She has totally embraced the power of art as a gateway to the unconsciousness. Christina is very involved with John Michael Kohler Arts Center (JMKAC) in Sheboygan, WI. She is the chair of the JMKAC Indoor Gardens, is a member of the Friends of the Arts Council, and is a museum docent (teacher/tour guide). 

Christina on the NBC 15 News

Christina has won awards for her research and for her healthcare. Some of these awards include the Walden University 2009 Scholar of Social Change, the 2008 Wisconsin Healthcare Pride Program Award, and a 2006 Research Award from the Wisconsin Psychological Association. She is a published author, has taught hundreds of classes, and has presented at academic conferences. She was a presenter at the 30th Annual Women and Spirituality Conference for the University of Minnesota in Oct 2011, the 31st Annual Women and Spirituality Conference in Oct 2012, and the 32nd Annual Women and Spirituality Conference in Oct 2013. Christina has appeared as a guest on the Madison WI NBC 15 News, The Edge Radio, Hollywood Health Secrets, and is frequently interviewed for magazine articles. She believes treating the entire person, mind, soul, and self, is the road to wellness. Christina believes strongly in the integration of intuition/mysticism with science. She also is an advocate for Integrative Medicine. Integrative Medicine combines Western Medicine with Complementary/Alternative Medicine to best treat the patient.

Christina is very active in volunteer, charity and fundraising work, particularly for mental health and animal welfare. Christina lives with 2 rescued dogs, Zephyr and Delphi. Christina and her family sponsor canines with medical needs and donate financially and conduct fundraisers to support animal rescue organizations. Christina is also a big supporter of Random Acts, a non-profit dedicated to acts of kindness around the world. Christina is also a certified volunteer crisis responder through IMAlive, the world’s first live crisis network. Christina believes strongly in social change, community service, and heart-centered practices and emphasizes these values in her certification programs with her students.

Dr. Christina meditating in PEARL (an art installation at JMKAC)

 

Christina’s Reiki Lineage back to Dr. Usui, founder of Reiki

Dr. Mikao Usui

 Dr. Chujiro Hayashi

 Hawayo Takata

 Iris Ishikuro

 Arthur Robertson

 Rick & Emma Ferguson

 Margarette L. Shelton

 Kathleen Ann Milner (Prior to Tera Mai Reiki)

 Arline E. Rowden

 Christina Wilke-Burbach

 

Christina also has practiced, presented, offered sessions, and/or taught classes at these locations:

University of Wisconsin-Green Bay

Sheboygan Mead Public Library

Cedar Grove Public Library

Lakeview Community Library

House of Spiritual Vibes Botanica

Mimosa Books and Gifts in Madison, WI

 Peacefield Yoga in Sheboygan, WI

Balance on Buffalo in Manitowoc, WI

 Shining Lotus in Kohler, WI

 The Rose Gallery in Lake Mills, WI

Wind over Fire Healing Arts Center in Rochester, MN

University of Minnesota-Mankato Women and Spirituality Conference

The Chakra House/Institute for Intuitive Arts and Sciences in Madison, WI

 The Aquarian Garden Holistic Wellness Center in New Lisbon, WI

Angel Light Center for the Healing Arts in Milwaukee

Walden University Academic Residency in Los Angeles, California

Healers of Avalon in Lacrosse, WI

 SEARCH of Rochester, MN