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About Me

Life brings seasons of transition, emotional weight, and moments when we lose touch with ourselves. Sometimes we know something needs to change, but we aren't sure where to begin. Therapy offers a place to pause, listen more deeply, and begin making sense of what is happening beneath the surface.

I work with deep-feelers, over-thinkers, perfectionists, and trauma survivors who may be tired of feeling stuck in the same emotional loops, thought patterns, or behaviors. Perhaps you find yourself overwhelmed by big emotions, caught in relentless self-criticism, striving to prove your worth, or repeating patterns that you understand intellectually but can't seem to change. You may long to feel safe, loved, and lovable, at peace with yourself, and empowered to live more authentically.

My Approach

I believe the ways we think, feel, and behave make sense when we understand them in the context of what we've lived through. Many of the patterns that cause us pain today once served an important purpose. They helped us cope, protect ourselves, belong, or get through experiences we didn't yet have the resources to understand.

I practice from an integrated theoretical orientation with a foundation in person-centered therapy. At the heart of my work is the belief that meaningful change grows from a relationship grounded in empathy, genuineness, unconditional positive regard, and mutual respect.

I draw from Internal Family Systems (IFS), psychodynamic, somatic, narrative, and relational approaches, integrating these perspectives based on your needs and the work we are doing together. IFS offers a compassionate way of understanding the different “parts” of ourselves—the inner critic, the perfectionist, the people-pleaser, the part that shuts down—as responses that often developed to protect us. Rather than fighting or judging these parts, we can become curious about what they are trying to communicate and make room for greater self-understanding, choice, and compassion.

Because trauma is not only something we think about—it can also be something we carry—I pay attention to the ways emotional experiences can live in the body and nervous system. Our work may include noticing trauma responses, exploring emotional and relational patterns, connecting with your inner experience, and developing greater awareness of what you need to feel safe and grounded.

Rather than judging the ways you've learned to cope, we can approach them with curiosity and compassion. Understanding where a pattern came from can create space to respond differently—not by forcing yourself to change, but by developing greater awareness, choice, and self-trust.

My Journey

Before becoming a therapist, I spent many years raising and homeschooling my two children. That experience taught me a great deal about individuality, connection, learning, and the ways each person develops in their own time and in their own way. It also deepened my appreciation for how much we are shaped by our relationships, our environments, and the expectations placed upon us.

My path to becoming a therapist has been shaped by both professional training and a long, personal journey of learning to understand myself. I know firsthand how easy it can be to become disconnected from your own needs, lose trust in your inner voice, and mistake the strategies that helped you survive for evidence that something is wrong with you.

Over time, I became deeply interested in what happens when we stop fighting the parts of ourselves we struggle with and become curious about them instead. That curiosity has profoundly influenced both my own healing and the way I work with clients. I believe our patterns have stories, our protective responses have reasons, and there is often more happening beneath the surface than we initially realize. My work is grounded in a deep belief in the power of radical self-compassion—the practice of meeting ourselves with the same kindness, curiosity, and understanding we might offer someone we love.

I bring lived experience, education, and professional training to this work. I have additional certifications in Holistic Health Coaching from the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and Professional Recovery Coaching from the International Association of Professional Recovery Coaches. These experiences have expanded my understanding of the ways emotional well-being, the body, relationships, and our everyday lives are deeply interconnected.

 

What I bring to therapy is not the promise that I have figured life out. I bring curiosity, warmth, humility, professional training, and a genuine respect for the courage it takes to look honestly at ourselves.

What We Can Work On

I offer support around trauma, grief and loss, life transitions, parenting, betrayal, and women's issues. I also work with the emotional and relational patterns that can develop in response to these experiences, including perfectionism, people-pleasing, self-criticism, shame, chronic overwhelm, limiting beliefs, and difficulty trusting yourself.

Therapy may involve exploring childhood experiences, understanding trauma responses, noticing what happens in your body, examining emotional and relational patterns, and gently questioning the beliefs you've carried about who you are and what you deserve. Sometimes we may also explore your inner parts and the ways they have learned to protect you.

The goal isn't to become a different person.

It's to become more fully yourself.

To know your needs without apologizing for them. To understand your emotions without being ruled by them. To meet yourself with curiosity instead of shame. To develop greater self-trust and compassion. And, little by little, to remember the worth and wholeness that were there all along.

I’m here to offer a safe, compassionate space for the beautiful, messy, tender work of being human. If something in this speaks to you, I invite you to reach out for a consultation or an initial session. We can begin there, together.

Disclaimer: I hold a Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and am currently practicing under clinical supervision in the State of Washington while my Associate license application is officially pending. The content on this website is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional mental health diagnosis, advice, or treatment. No counselor-client relationship is established by using this website. If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, please call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, dial 911, or visit the nearest emergency department immediately. 

©2026 by Kristina J. Smart

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