Areas of Expertise

Areas of Expertise

Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy is what most people think of when they think about therapy. This mode of therapy includes discussing challenging topics with your therapist and utilizing discussion to work through them. There are different types of psychotherapy, you and your therapist will determine what will work best for your situation. The different types include:

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) - This form of therapy helps clients reframe and restructure maladaptive thought patterns and practices.
Interpersonal therapy (IPT) - This is considered to be a short-term treatment usually focused on a particular topic of concern. The goal is to focus on underlying issues that are leading to challenges in one's life.
Psychodynamic therapy - this form of therapy helps reveal underlying or unrecovered challenges from childhood that may be impacting ones life currently. There is a strong focus on the unconscious mind and how it impacts one's actions in the present.
Supportive therapy - this approach uses guidance and encouragement to help clients live their best lives. Through building self-esteem and self-confidence, clients gain greater coping skills and function at a higher level reducing symptoms of anxiety, depression and feelings of hopelessness.
Positive Psychotherapy (PPT) - taking a different approach to working on personal challenges, PPT focuses on increasing positive emotion, engagement, and meaning rather than directly targeting depressive symptoms. For example; rather than trying to decrease or eliminate sadness, it instead focuses on increasing happiness and well-being.

Expressive and Creative Therapies

This form of therapy uses the arts (dance/movement, music, art, writing*) to express feelings and challenges that may be more difficult to express in words. This is often used with children, however can be used with adults who are creatively oriented or are struggling to put their feelings into words.

*Kierstin is not certified in any of the expressive therapy disciplines however she uses elements from these theories in her practice when necessary. She does have training in dance/movement therapy, including the Kestenberg Movement Profile, and has a strong background in the arts which is why it is important to her to include them in her practice.

Motivational Interviewing

The goal of motivational interviewing is to help clients move toward change by helping them resolve their ambivalence toward change and help them find meaningful reasons for making these changes. This approach does not simply instruct the client what to do, rather it seeks to determine the clients goals and motivation for change so they will want to move toward it on their own free will.

AF-CBT (Alternatives for Families Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)

AF-CBT is a trauma-informed evidence-based treatment (EBT) designed to improve the relationships between children and caregivers in families involved in arguments/conflict, physical force/discipline/aggression, child physical abuse, or child behavior problems. For more information please visit the AF-CBT website at: http://www.afcbt.org/

Methodologies and Therapeutic Approach

Kierstin utilizes a client-centered approach to therapy, meaning her therapeutic approach is geared toward the needs of the client, not her own agenda. She is skilled in a variety of techniques and pulls from those at various times throughout the therapeutic process to elicit positive progress and change for the client.

Kierstin specializes in working with children and families with special emphasis in the area of behavior modification, family dynamics and cohesion, positive parenting, co-parenting and relational attachment. Kierstin works with many diagnoses, however her concentration for the past several years has been with children diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADHD, ODD, DMDD, and Anxiety. Kierstin also has extensive knowledge in the area of trauma and understands that trauma is at the root of many presenting problems and approaches all of her work from a trauma informed place. She also works with parents experiencing anxiety and depression due to family challenges to help them work through their obstacles and to be more effective parents overall.

When working with children, Kierstin may utilize play therapy to elicit conversation and openness with children. Children are creative by nature, and Kierstin uses this as a tool in her work and will implement artistic and/or creative activities during session that will help the child express themselves more effectively. Kierstin will use elements of dance/movement therapy when appropriate to assess and evaluate the needs of the child that may not be expressed verbally yet may be expressed through movements of the child. Kierstin also uses elements of CBT (an evidence-based approach) as well as Attachment Based Therapy.

With families, Kierstin will use a variety of methods of engagement ranging from talk therapy to creative activities in order to engage with families and implement therapeutic elements. Kierstin also uses AF-CBT, an evidence-based modality to strengthen the family system and create long lasting changes in this system. Overall, Kierstin shows compassion and an unconditional regard for every person she works with.

My Approach