LCSW, 8 years of experience
Hi, I’m Kristen Holt, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker based in California. I provide a compassionate, nonjudgmental space where you can feel safe to be fully yourself. Together, we’ll untangle what you’re feeling, make sense of your experiences, and develop practical tools for relief, clarity, and lasting change. My goal is to help you reconnect with your strengths, navigate life’s challenges with confidence, and start feeling more like yourself again.
First sessions can feel a little intimidating, and that’s completely normal. Therapy can be uncomfortable at first, so I do my best to ease any nerves and help you feel at ease. If you’ve had negative experiences in the past or feel unsure about opening up, I’ll honor your pace and give you the space you need to warm up. We’ll spend our time getting to know each other. I’ll ask about what’s been going on in your life, what brought you to therapy, and what you hope to get out of our work together—no pressure to have all the answers right away. You’re also welcome to ask me anything about therapy, my approach, or what working together might look like. My goal for this first meeting is simple: start building a genuine connection and create a space where you feel safe, heard, and supported. By the end, you’ll have a clearer sense of what therapy with me is like, and together we can decide on helpful next steps.
My greatest strength as a therapist is my authenticity and flexibility. I believe adults don’t need someone to “fix” them or talk in clinical jargon, they need someone who can sit with them, really listen, and meet them with honesty, empathy, respect, and meet them where they are at.
I work best with adults who are navigating life’s ups and downs and feeling weighed down by anxiety, stress, or depression. You might be overwhelmed by responsibilities, stuck in patterns that no longer serve you, or just not feeling like yourself. Maybe you’re overthinking, feeling disconnected, or running on empty, even if everything looks “fine” from the outside. You want to feel better but aren’t sure what steps to take or where to turn. My role is to walk alongside you, help you untangle what’s going on, and guide you toward a place where you feel lighter, more grounded, and more like yourself again.
I use a techniques from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Mindfulness. When we first meet, we can discuss if you have preferences in what approaches you like and come up with a plan that works well with you.