From the Lone Star State, Kristen was born and raised in the Capital city of Austin. She earned a Marketing degree from St. Edward’s University and worked in the field of Marketing prior to making a decision to follow her passion of helping people. In doing so, she found herself in the Clinical Mental Heath Counseling Program at Northern Arizona University. Her coursework is complete and all that remains is finishing her internship hours, which lands her at Beyond the Pines.

 

Kristen likes to work as a generalist and she really enjoys serving adults and adolescents ages 14+ in the LGBTQIA+ community. Her emphases lie in the areas of non-monogamy, genderqueer issues, identity development, life transitions, mood disorders, self-esteem, body image, and interpersonal issues. She applies a trauma-focused lens that is rooted in developing self-compassion. To do so, she draws from therapeutic modalities such as EMDR, Internal Family Systems, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and Mindful Self-Compassion. In the therapeutic relationship, Kristen values authenticity and inclusivity which she uses to build a trusting, safe, and warm environment. 

 

When Kristen isn’t completing her internship at Beyond the Pines, she loves spending time with her ‘fluffy lion dog, Wesley,’ learning about and taking care of her houseplants, and making art via gelli printing and air dry clay.  Although she originally moved to FLG for the academic prestige found at NAU, she’s here to stay due to the tight knit community and ease of access to the natural world.