Kris Pal
Kris Pal
(she/her)
During my final year of my ungraduate education, I participated in an intership with the Western District of Pennsylvania United States Probation & Pretrial Services. It was in this position that I met a social worker for the first time and learned about their roles in our communties. I graduated from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelors of Science in Crimal Justice with a minor in Psychology in 2013. After graduation, I began working with intellectually and developmentally disabled adults. I graduated from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania a second time with a Masters of Social Work in 2019. I became a licensed social worker after graduation in 2019 and began my career working as a mental health therapist. After two years, I was able to become a licensed independent social worker in 2023. I began working in conjunction with Grow Therapy in 2024 and have been working with them ever since.
Get to know me
In our first session together, here's what you can expect
Within our initial therapy session, we will be focusing on building the foundation of our theraputic relationship. I will be gathering information about your needs and what your goals are. Some of the things that I will be asking you about is your history, current situation, living situation, relationships, significant life events, career, education, childhood, family relationships, symtpoms, previous thereapy experiences, and what you hope to acheive through therapy. This is a time to explore your concerns, have the chance to ask questions that you have about my approach, and assess if we feel comfortable working with each other.
The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions
As a therapist, I will not be a good fit for everyone. I have a laid back personality and maintain a casual demeanor that allows our sessions to feel more like a conversation with a friend. Typically, I will dress casually in our sessions and do not present as 'clinical'. I'm real about who I am in my role as your provider, but you will also know that I'm real when we are working together and that I will challenege you to be a better you.
The clients I'm best positioned to serve
Individuals who have noticed the best results with me are the ones that work on their goals in between sessions. Our conversations and work on your goals during our time together is only part of the work that goes into your goals. This work between sessions looks different for every person. One person may be exploring their emotions, thoughts, and experiences through journaling about specific events. While another may work on testing the validity of their beliefs through behavioral experiments. Testing the fears they have of a situation by gradually exposing themselves to it or asking for help when they typically would not of.
About Kris Pal
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VirtualMy treatment methods
Motivational Interviewing
MI is used as a guiding style of communication that fits in between following (good listening) and directing (providing information and advice). It has been designed to empower people to change by drawing out their own meaning, importance, and capacity for change. It is not a technique that is used to "get people to change". Using this technique, we work together in session from where you are at. Assisting in making sure that we are working on goals that you are motivated to change and helping you navigate the struggles of reaching those goals. Not as a client, but as an equal partner in the conversation.
Strength-Based
In sessions, we focus on building on what you have already had to overcome in order to acheive their goals. With this approach, we focus on emphasizing your positive qualities, abilities, and resources rather than focusing on your weaknesses. Each person is unique and this allows for interventions and support to be tailored to your specific strengths and needs. By focusing on strengths, individuals are empowered to take ownership of their lives and build resilience. This often fosters a positive mindset that encourages individuals to seem themselves as capable and resourceful.
Trauma Informed Care
Changing the question from "What's wrong with you?" to "What happened to you?", TIC prioritizes understanding and responsiveness to the impact of trauma on individuals. It acknowldges that individuals may have experienced trauma, leading to feelings of powerlessness and a lack of control. Significantly impacting an individuals' physical, emotional, and mental well-being. It helps to create a safe and trusting enviroment that can promote physical and emotional safety in the session.
Supportive
Using techniques like praise and positive reininforcement, we highlight accomplishments and progress. Focusing on providing support, encouragement, and guidance to help individuals cope with emotional distress, anxiety, and other challenges. Using a safe and supportive enviroment, therapist help individuals build resilience and develop a sense of hope and optimism. Fostering a sense of self-worth. We will develop coping stragtegies to help individuals develop healthy habits and encourage them to take proactive steps towards their goals.
Positive Psychology
Focusing on the positive aspects of the human experience, we will aim to understand the factors that contribute to a fullfilling and meaningful life. The focus is to aim the overall well-being by fostering positive emotions, relatiosnhips, and a sense of purpose. I work with individuals to identify their strengths, set meaningful goals, and develop strategies to reach their goals successfully. We will focus on the things that make your life worth living. We will focus on strengths, positive emotions, and resilience.