Hi, I’m Kristy
A bit about me:
I became a therapist because I've always been fascinated by how people make meaning out of their lives — how we understand ourselves, why we do what we do, and how we find our way through the hardest things. That curiosity hasn't faded. It's still what drives the work.
People who have worked with me describe me as warm and direct — someone who listens carefully, asks the questions that cut through to what really matters, and brings the occasional bit of humor when the moment calls for it. I take the work seriously without taking myself too seriously.
I also bring a lot of lived experience to my work — not just professional training, but the kind of experience that comes from actually living a full, complicated, sometimes messy life. I've been married, divorced, and remarried. I'm a stepmother. I've been self-employed my entire adult life, first as a hairdresser and then as a therapist. I know something about transitions, about loss, about starting over, about building a life that actually fits. That's not a credential, but it's real, and I think it shows up in the room.
What I Believe About Therapy
I think the relationship is everything. It’s not about the techniques, the modalities, or the credentials on the wall, it’s about the actual human relationship between two people working together toward something real. Research consistently shows that the quality of the therapeutic relationship is the strongest predictor of whether therapy helps. I take that seriously.
That means I show up as a real person. I'm not a blank screen or a neutral observer. I'm genuinely curious about you — not your diagnosis, you. I bring warmth, and I bring honesty. I'll follow your lead, and I'll also gently challenge you when I think something important is being avoided.
I believe you are the expert on your own life. My job isn't to tell you what to do or to give advice. It’s to ask the right questions, notice the things that are hard to see from inside your own experience, and help you find the clarity and the courage to do something different. You bring the knowing. I bring the perspective.
And I believe that real change is possible — not just better coping, but genuine shift. In how you see yourself, how you move through relationships, how you respond to the things that have always been hard. That's what I'm working toward with every person I sit with.
How I Work
My approach is relational and insight-oriented, which means I care about understanding the whole of you, not just the presenting problem. Your history, your patterns, your relationships, the ways you've learned to be in the world that may no longer be serving you.
I draw from a wide range of approaches such as emotionally focused therapy, family systems theory, narrative therapy, mindfulness, and self-compassion practices, and I tailor everything to fit you specifically. I don't work from a script or a structured program. I follow what's actually happening in the room.
Self-compassion runs through everything I do. Most people who come to see me are considerably harder on themselves than the situation warrants. Learning to be on your own side — genuinely, not just as a concept — is some of the most important and most difficult work there is. We come back to it again and again.
I also work from a trauma-informed perspective. That doesn't mean every session is about the past. It means I understand that present struggles often have roots in earlier experiences, and I bring that awareness to the work without pushing you toward anything you're not ready for.
My Background
I earned my Master's degree in Systems Counseling from Bastyr University and am licensed in Washington State as a Mental Health Counselor (LMHC). I am also a Certified Professional Coach through the Coaches Training Institute, which means I can bring both a therapeutic and a coaching perspective to our work depending on what's most useful.
I am committed to ongoing training and education — both because the field keeps evolving and because I believe that good therapists keep doing their own work. I regularly pursue continuing education in the areas I specialize in, including grief and loss, relationship trauma, family systems, and self-compassion.
Outside the therapy room
You'll find me painting in the art studio, outdoor in the Pacific Northwest doing something sporty, growing vegetables and flowers in the garden, cooking, reading, and serving as furniture for my two cats.