Hi, I’m Krista!  I am a therapist who works with children (ages 10 and up), adolescents, and adults providing individual, family, couples, and group therapy.  I have a great deal of experience working with a variety of mental health diagnoses, but specialize in the areas of trauma, anxiety, grief and loss, body image issues, OCD, and perinatal mental health.

I have been licensed in Montana as a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor since 2012.  I am certified in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), and as a Perinatal Mental Health Specialist.  I have completed Level 1 Gottman Method Couples Therapy, and am currently working on completing Level 2.  I am also trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), and am in the process of becoming certified as an EMDRIA Certified Therapist.  I am in the process of becoming trained in LENS Neurofeedback.

I received my Master of Arts degree in Professional Counseling from Liberty University in 2010.  My education at a Christian institution taught me how to integrate Christian principles into psychotherapy if they are so desired.

I have worked with young people and families for over 15 years in various settings including school-based (CSCT) services, group homes, community outreach, outpatient care, and private practice.

My approach to therapy is a blend of cognitive-behavioral and solution-focused.  Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of treatment that helps people understand the thoughts and feelings that influence behaviors.  During the course of treatment, people learn how to identify and change destructive or disturbing thought patterns that have a negative influence on behavior.  Through this type of work, clients gain practical and powerful skills that can be applied throughout their lives in order to reduce their discomfort and improve their levels of functioning.  Solution-focused therapy is centered on the idea that the problems and goals worked on are chosen by the client.  This type of therapy assumes that the clients themselves have extensive resources that they bring to therapy, and can use to address the identified problems.

Why do I do what I do?

I believe that the moments of your story blend together to influence your life in ways that are deeper than you know.

I believe that who you are today has been shaped by your past, but that you have the ability to change your future to what you want it to be.

I believe that the biggest hurdle you face is placing pressure on yourself to feel better right here and right now.

I believe that practicing acceptance, patience, grace, and self-love are the keys to experiencing healing.

I believe that kindness is infinitely more impactful than judgment or shaming.

I believe that while spirituality is an important component of recovery, doubt or anger toward God are a normal part of life.

I know from working with people of all walks of life, around the country, that you are not alone, and that there is hope for you to experience freedom and healing.

How will you feel in my office?

My clients know that they can be completely authentic and honest, bringing their true selves into the room without being judged or shamed.  Instead, they are accepted and loved wherever they are.

My clients feel deeply understood and safe to share the darkest and most painful moments of their stories.  I offer a warm, comforting space where clients gradually begin to feel at home and safe to trust.  They know that I am for them and by their side.

My clients know that real, lasting change and impactful healing happen in community with other people.  That’s why I encourage clients to get involved in my therapy groups, church support groups, or 12 Step programs in the area.  Clients often start by connecting with me one-on-one and growing deeper relationships as they learn that it is safe to be themselves.

My clients and I love to laugh and experience joy.  I love celebrating with clients when they see victory and change in their lives, and savoring with them the satisfaction of digging deeper into greater self-love and self-compassion.

My clients see that their imperfections are often the most beautiful aspects of who they are.  I am not perfect.  You are not perfect.  The sooner that we can realize that in our lives, the sooner we’re able to practice solid self-love and compassion for ourselves and others.