My name is Krystyna Ksiazek. I live in Massachusetts. I am a Licensed Mental Health Clinician. I have been practicing psychotherapy for 30 years (last 1.5 years at Grow therapy ). Seeing my clients succeed in therapy or their private lives adds meaning to my work. My area of interest is trauma, Complex-PTSD, Anxiety Spectrum Disorders such as Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Agoraphobia, phobias, Eating disorders, Depression, and Grief. Also, I have experience in the treatment of anger management problems, self-harm behaviors, and dissociative/split personality disorders. I like working with Young Adults, Adults, the Elderly, men, and women. I like to reach out beyond the traditional scope of therapeutic interventions to alternative medicine based on the homeostatic model of health. I want to help clients build self-confidence and optimism and empower them to face new challenges, grow, and succeed as they never imagined. I like to build therapeutic alliances with the clients and create an atmosphere where they know and feel that I am there for them and that I understand and support them. I do not mind spending more time with them if this is clinically necessary. Also, under exceptional circumstances, I allowed clients to contact me on the phone outside of therapy sessions to assist them in coping with extraordinary situations, guiding them when they struggle with using newly acquired skills. I came to the USA from Poland. I had to start "from the bottom". I have been through many ups and downs and painful personal losses, including my mother, friend, and boyfriend, but I never gave up. My resilience, optimism, and positive outlook did not allow me to accept failure. Contrary, it motivated me to try harder. Most of the time it worked.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
During the first therapy session, I usually start with a short conversation focused on getting to know each other and "breaking the ice." In the next step, I ask the question; "What brought you here?" Depending on the answer, I usually move to the core of the session - person-centered counseling - which is focused on gathering information on how clients became who they are now. I focused the conversation on how things happened rather than what happened. Here, I identify my primary goal of therapy, which is to help the client become more yourself, more authentic, and less attached to social roles and expectations. This phase usually leads to diagnosis and treatment planning. Each treatment plan is centered on clients' needs and has to be approved by the client.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
My biggest strengths are my broad educational background, experience, "big heart", passion, and motivation to help others. I do not mind putting extra effort, working painstakingly on one case, and extending my time and dedication to the client if their condition, family, extraordinary life events, etc. require it. Until I saw the results. I allow my clients to contact me if they feel an urgency to get extra help, are stressed out, or feel overstimulated. I do not mind spending extra time on the phone with clients. This works well towards increasing the chance for positive treatment outcomes.
Describe the client(s) you are best positioned to serve.
I like working with anxiety spectrum disorders such as Panic Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, PTSD, Trauma, and - Dissociative disorders.
About Krystyna Ksiazek
Specializes in
Serves ages
Licensed in
Accepts
Appointments
VirtualMy treatment methods
Eclectic
The preferred theoretical orientation that forms the basis of my work is flexibility, drawing from many treatment approaches and using an extensive repertoire of interventions. It is an effective integrated model of counseling borrowing from several theoretical models.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
Cognitive therapy is based on the assumption that our emotions and behavior are influenced by underlying assumptions or cognitions derived from previous experiences. This directive and structured approach identifies and corrects dysfunctional emotions and distorted cognitions. 1. It recognizes the links between cognition, affect, and behavior. Identifies negative automatic and dysfunctional thoughts. 2. It replaces dysfunctional thoughts with more accurate and helpful ones and identifies and challenges underlying core believes leading to biased and distorted cognitions. I had a good experience when combining cognitive interventions with behavioral interventions in the treatment of mood disorders, anxiety disorders including Panic Disorders, Social Phobias, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorders, Eating Disorders, Some Substance Use Disorders, and adjustment disorders. 3. It makes extensive use of strategies to promote change. For example, diversion, distraction and thoughts stopping, stress inoculation, cognitive restructuring, radical acceptance, mindfulness activities, and self-talk and affirmations.
Psychodynamic
The Psychodynamic treatment approach is focused on identifying focal concerns or dysfunctional behavioral patterns, often problems in relationships, and helps to handle similar concerns more effectively in the future. Dysfunctional patterns in the client's past are explored in order to understand their impact on present functioning. Also, underlying emotions are uncovered and processed and are used to understand transference, dreams, fantasies, and defense mechanisms. Following techniques, I have been using effectively in psychodynamic psychotherapy; support and empathy, identification of repeated dysfunctional patterns, identification of focal interpersonal concerns, linking past to present concerns, questioning, exploration, and probing. Also, interpretations designed to promote insight and awareness, reduce repression and modify defenses, and analysis of transference, early memories, dreams and fantasies, and teaching improved coping skills.
Person-centered (Rogerian)
Person-centered counseling, similar to eclectic therapies, provides the basis for more recent counseling approaches. The primary principle of person-centered counseling is the therapeutic, genuine alliance between client and therapist in which the client feels understood, accepted, and valued. In this humanistic approach, I view each client as unique and able to strive toward self-actualization, and achievement of their full potential. The person-centered model in therapeutic treatment approach is person-centered, is based on the holistic view of people, as well as the believe in human potential, is phenomenological - emphasizes the person's experience, perceptions, agenda and goals. Also, focuses on lifelong development, self-esteem, self-awareness, healthy functioning, self-actualization, and client's specifoc problems. In addition, emphasizes feelings and emotions.