Many of our human struggles emerge from troubled connections with significant people in our lives or with ourselves. My mission as a therapist is to help you explore and change the patterns in your life that are getting in the way of your peace and well-being by cultivating a sense of safety in your relationships and healthy boundaries.
Kristina specializes in…
- Licensure
- Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist
- Degrees
- Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy with specialization in Couple Therapy – Northcentral University
- Master of Arts in Sociology – Texas State University
- Bachelor of Arts in Psychology – The George Washington University
- Advanced Trainings
- Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy – ICEEFT Externship and Core Skills Training
My Journey
To understand why I am a therapist now, it’s helpful to consider my past. My early life was very challenging. I was raised in a harsh, chaotic environment with emotional abuse, untreated mental health problems, and active substance abuse as part of daily life. Sadly, this type of environment was part of a generational pattern in my family of origin.
As a teen, I reached out for help and a more stable family member took me in. It helped me tremendously to spend the last 2 years of high school in a new environment where I felt safe. My grades improved dramatically, and I got into college. I graduated four years later with a BA in Psychology – something I pursued in part to understand my family and myself better.
Though I did graduate successfully, I struggled in my young adulthood with the fallout from my childhood experiences. Nevertheless, I started a career, and eventually met and married my partner. At that point, in part through that relationship, I truly started to heal.
As I have aged, the impact that my family of origin on my emotional development has become clear. I have learned that working through these issues is best done with a therapist’s help, and some of the most impactful work is done by repairing present-day relational patterns. After all, we can’t change history. We can only improve the present.
In becoming a therapist myself, I hope to help build a softer, more loving world than the one I grew up in by helping people change and heal through their relationships. I believe that doing this work is among the most important things we can do as citizens of the world. In a culture that elevates financial achievement and conspicuous consumption, it’s a revolutionary act to focus on loving, supportive relationships instead. It is my honor and privilege to dedicate my second career to the effort of helping people heal relationally.
When I am not working, I spend time with my partner exploring the culinary delights in Portland and around the world. I’m an avid reader of all manner of science fiction and fantasy, and a big Star Trek fan. I also love walking in cities and in nature, and playing games with friends.
