"Even the worst impulses and feelings - the urge to drink, the compulsion to cut oneself, the paranoid suspicions, the murderous fantasies - spring from parts of a person that themselves have a story to tell and the capacity to become something positive and helpful to the client's life. The point of therapy isn't to get rid of anything but to help it transform."
- Richard Schwartz, PH.D. (Founder of IFS)
Hello, I'm Kristen (she/her/hers) and I am a LMFT, I am married with 2 little girls, San Diego native, coffee enthusiast and newish mom, who is always working on finding the right balance of caring for others and caring for myself.
I love working with...
young adults and adults who want to experience healing and freedom from traumas and negative self beliefs and learn how to treat themselves with more kindness and self compassion.
Some of my favorite approaches include...
EMDR, CBT, Person Centered, and Internal Family Systems. I view therapy as a collaborative process in which I am not the expert in the client's life but journey along side them to provide different perspectives and a safe place to explore what's holding them back from living the life they want to live.
How I help...
I am a guide and collaborator who takes a curious and compassionate stance toward my clients to help them approach themselves in a different way than they have experienced before.
I believe...
we are all doing the best we can with the tools and resources available to us.
What it's like in session with me
Curiosity, compassion, and kindness. I seek to understand my client's goals and how I can be a support to them in this process, knowing I am just one part of their journey and they already have the tools within to heal, but need a collaborator in uncovering those tools.