Hi- I'm Kris, and I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker from CA. I currently live in VA, and I have over 20 years of experience providing therapy. It's funny how life leads us down some twisty roads to destinations we never envisioned. Funny back story- I never saw myself working as a therapist when I went to Graduate school. I wanted to do medical social work in the ICU and ER. Well, as luck would have it, I wound up at a Vet Center (for combat Vets) and needed to be there for a year to secure a longer term job with the Govt. I figured, "Heck, I can do anything for a year, right?" I ended up staying there for 12 years, and it was so amazing!! I fell in love with providing PTSD treatment and other therapy for combat Vets and folks who experienced military sexual trauma. I also worked in an inpatient alcohol and drug treatment unit for many years and specialize in treating traumatic brain injuries. I have a lot of experience working with end of life issues and grief, as well.
Although I'm a Civilian, I've been both a military brat and spouse and have travelled and lived overseas. Though I really enjoy working with Veterans, and I join well with people of all ages and backgrounds. It's such a great honor to partner with folks when they're struggling to regain their footing in life while dealing with rough circumstances. I use a lot of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy tools to help with depression and anxiety, mindfulness and meditation skills, and trauma focused approaches. I'm very easy going and have received the great compliment from many clients regarding counseling being less stuffy when sprinkled with some laughs (I'm known for bad jokes). This year, 2020, has been a particularly rough one for so many reasons- the pandemic, racial injustice and inequity, political issues, etc. I honestly don't think anyone has been untouched by the chaos, so it's important that we take care of ourselves and one another. I hope to meet and be able to support a lot of people who are journeying towards better health through this platform.
Additional areas of focus: LGBT, Intimacy-related issues, Eating disorders, Sleeping disorders, Parenting issues, Anger management, Self esteem, Bipolar disorder, Coping with life changes, Compassion fatigue, ADHD, Cancer, Chronic pain illness and disability, Co-morbidity, Codependency, Communication problems, Coping with Natural or Human-Caused Disaster, Divorce and separation, Drug and Alcohol Addiction, Family of Origin Issues, Family Problems, Forgiveness, Guilt and shame, HIV / AIDS, Hospice and End of Life Counseling, Intellectual Disability, Isolation / loneliness, Military and Veterans Issues, Panic disorder and panic attacks, Personality Disorders, Post-traumatic stress, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), Self-love, Sex Addiction, Sexual Assault and Abuse, Traumatic Brain Injury
Clinical approaches: Client-Centered Therapy, Mindfulness Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Trauma-Focused Therapy
CA LCSW 23499
VA LCSW 0904010820