Accepted insurance & self-pay
About Kristen
I am a licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) with 23 years of experience working in nonprofit behavioral health, private practice, and higher education settings. I specialize in supporting adults 18 and older facing anxiety, depression, life transitions, relationship concerns, personal and professional development challenges, trauma, bipolar disorder, and substance use disorders.
I earned my master's degree in community counseling from Gonzaga University. My approach is eclectic, strength-based, person-centered, and trauma-informed. I draw from psychodynamic, existential, developmental, cognitive-behavioral, and dialectical behavior therapy models to increase insight, build coping skills, and support meaningful change.
I am committed to providing a safe, supportive space where you can explore, heal, and grow at your own pace. Together, we will identify practical tools and personalized strategies to help you manage challenges and move toward the life you want. I look forward to partnering with you on your journey.

"With over 20 years of experience working with adults from a wide variety of cultures and backgrounds, I have been able to build a broad and diverse understanding and practice that supports increasing understanding, making meaning, and creating positive change."
Get to know Kristen
Why did you decide to become a counselor or psychiatric provider?
I decided to become a counselor because its important to me to support and create meaningful and lasting capacity for justice and joy - not just for individuals, but also within systems.
What types of clients do you work best with?
I work best with adults 18 years old and above.
What's one thing you wish all clients knew about therapy, mental health, or the healing process?
Mental health is not just a label or a diagnosis. Its about the whole person. It is also about the communities and systems people live, work, and play within. When we work to grow and heal, we are able to create ways of being that positively impact, that enrich and uplift not only ourselves, but our friends, family, and our communities.
What can clients expect in their first session with you and in the early stages of therapy?
I want to start by letting you know who I am as a therapist, because its important to get a sense of whether the counseling relationship will be a good fit. Its important to trust, and so I want my clients to be able to feel comfortable, to get that sense of alignment and safety, and to ask any questions they may have. I will then want to get to know you as my client - to have you tell me about yourself, what brings you to therapy, and what would you like to work on? I will then want to take a history to get a comprehensive picture of circumstances that have effected you and contributed to issues and concerns.
What personal experiences or values inform your practice as a therapist/provider?
I believe that we are all persons worthy of dignity and respect. We all have authority and responsibility over our own stories and our own lives, and we have the right to be genuinely who we are as well as who we want to be.
How do you tailor therapy to meet each client’s unique needs?
I am person-centered. I look at the whole person and want to partner with and support you in where you want to take your healing journey. I do have clinical experience and judgement, and I will share that, but you as the client are the person who ultimately decides what you want to work on, and who drives the process. I will work with you to identify and develop goals that are important to you and that will meet your needs.
Other areas of focus
Education and training
- Years in practice
- 23 years
- Graduating institute
- Gonzaga University
- Graduating degree
- Masters of Art, Community Counseling
