LCSW, 4 years of experience
Congrats on taking your first step (or continuing on) your personal wellness journey! I'm Kristen & I've spent decades helping others navigate through the difficult times in their life. It's been one of the pleasures of my work, watching individuals flourish into the healthiest adult versions of themselves. It was my own persona traumas and difficulties experienced earlier in life that originally set me on this path of whole person wellness and personal recovery. As a result, I integrate biological, psychological and spiritual components in my work with clients, at which ever level they are comfortable with.
During the first session, I like to get to know the client, establish rapport and elicit treatment goals to make sure we're a good fit. We cover therapeutic disclaimers, Telehealth limitations, and complete the biopsychosocial. As well as answering any questions the client may have.
One of my greatest strengths as a therapist is my ability to connect and make my clients feel supported, heard, and understood. I understand that for many clients seeking therapy for the first time, it could seem overwhelming and scary. When working with clients I try not to minimize or downplay their concerns, but to normalize what they have been experiencing while providing education about their specific diagnosis and symptoms.
I've been working with individuals from all walks of life, personally and professionally throughout my life, therefore I'm comfortable with many age groups, genders, nationalities and cultures. From early childhood education, adolescent special ed, adult prison re-entry, addiction rehab and most recently serving high functioning adults in private practice. All I'm looking for in a client is willingness & open mindedness to step outside their comfort zone to try new things, perhaps experience a new truth.
ACT is a values based therapy that incorporates use of present moment awareness, driving values, cognitive defusion (witnessing thoughts), acceptance, new committed values based actions and identifying with self as context to increase psychological flexibility and create room for alternative thoughts, feelings and behaviors. We are being driven by values whether we are conscious of them or not. ACT is a mindful way to treat disorders by offering self compassion while taking new committed actions.
Schemas are repeated patterns of behavior that happen throughout our lives originating in childhood. Originally they are adaptive for the child's survival, but as we become adults these behaviors become more problematic. After taking an assessment your top 3-5 schemas will be indicated which we will explore childhood origins, impacts of functioning you recognize today and the goal of schema therapy is to develop new healthy adult mode.
DBT incorporates use of Emotional Regulation, Mindfulness, Distress Tolerance, and Interpersonal Skills by helping clients recognize unhelpful cognitive, emotional or behavioral responses, implementing one of the many coping strategies to establish wise mind states.
Understanding the link between our thoughts, emotions and behaviors. Utilizing various CBT strategies including cognitive distortions, disputation questions, and new committed actions.
Treats maladaptive (trauma) memories and builds adaptive (empowering) memories by utilizing bilateral stimulation.
5 ratings with written reviews
May 21, 2025
Kristen is open minded and warm. I felt comfortable opening up to her about the changes happening in my life and she helped me work through the thoughts and emotions I was experiencing by asking questions to help me dive deeper and understand why I felt that way. She’s a kind human and wonderful therapist-I highly recommend.
May 1, 2025
Kristen has been absolutely wonderful. I feel comfortable talking to her about my issues. We've been able to pin-point a lot of the things I can work on, find coping-mechanisms, and solutions. The process has been eye-opening and very encouraging.
April 16, 2025
She is the best. No one else has compared to Kristen. She provides understanding and most importantly techniques to help me work through my issues. I'm so happy that I was able to resume with her with my new insurance.