MORE ABOUT KERSTIN
I am a Reno based therapist helping teens, families, and adults of all ages find their way towards a full and vital life through an integrative therapeutic practice. I choose interventions from different therapeutic modalities to best suit my client's needs. The modality I utilize most frequently is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). The basis of ACT is learning to identify emotions, and work towards accepting the experienced emotions rather than fight against or avoid them. Through the use of mindfulness and acceptance techniques, an individual can spend more time moving towards their values, as apposed to inadvertently moving away from their values to avoid difficult feelings.
There are times in life when we feel lost, unfulfilled, and out of touch. I will work to help you define your values and live in the present moment. Realizing you may need help can be a difficult step, as such I work to ensure each of my clients feels comfortable and safe. Together we will identify, and work towards your goals.
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Experience, Certifications, and Specialties
Previous Practice Settings: schools, hospitals, private practice and agencies.
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Levels of Care Experience: outpatient, intensive outpatient, partial hospitilization and inpatient
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Certifications: Certified Clinical Trauma Professional Level II (CCTP-II)
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Specialties: obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), body image, eating disorders, anxiety, depression, life transitions, family relationships, trauma, and grief.
Specialties and Experience Continued...
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
The most empiracally supported treatment for OCD is Exposure Response Prevention Therapy or ERP. ERP is a type of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and helps reduce symptoms of OCD through exposing an individual to situations designed to provoke the person's obsessions in a safe and structured environment. I have studied ERP with trained and specialized clinicians, and practiced ERP since 2020. I am passionate about helping individuals who struggle with OCD to be able to improve their day to day functioning, and overall quality of life. To learn more about OCD and ERP, you can visit the International OCD Foundation by clicking HERE.
Eating Disorders/Body Image
Eating Disorders are dangerous and impactful for the individual, as well as for family, friends, and loved ones. These disorders take over lives, relationships, and family systems. It can change the individual's hopes, dreams, ambitions, functionality, and how they interact with those they love. Loved one's helplessly watch as the individual struggles to fight against the ED, unsure of how to help. I provide therapy services to individuals in ED recovery, family and support system therapy, and consulting services for parents/partners/loved ones on how to best support the individual while they are both in and out of treatment.
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Eating Disorders are a highly specialized area of treatment due to their complexity, as such, it is important if you or a loved one struggles with an eating disorder, you and/or they receive care from providers who have knowledge, training, and experience with this population. I have accumulated knowledge and experience with eating disorders as a therapist, clinical lead, and clinical director of an eating disorder facility treating clients and doing administrative work at the outpatient, intensive outpatient, and partial hospitalization levels of care. As a therapist I treated individuals and families through therapy sessions, and created and conducted multiple group therapy sessions. As an administrator I created, implemented, and oversaw programs, supervised and trained clinicians, and created and conducted trainings and presentations for providers and community members. I have worked with many certified and highly experienced individuals from all disciplines within eating disorder care (psychiatrists, psychologists, nurse practitioners, physicians, registered dietitians, and therapists). I continue to work and consult with professionals who specialize in eating disorders, am a member of the International Association of Eating Disorder Professionals, and attend the IAEDP conference each year.
Teens and Families
My passion for working with teens is what inspired me to be a mental health therapist. The teenage years are among the toughest in any person's life. At this stage an individual is working to understand who they are, what they want out of life, and with whom they want to associate. This stage of development can be a difficult journey for both the teen and family/support system. I help teens stay safe, help them process and better understand their emotions and experiences, and provide them with skills and tools to help improve their overall functioning. I also help parents/guardians communicate, connect, and better understand their teen while providing tips and tools to resolve conflicts and improve communication.
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I completed my Master's degrees in both Clinical Mental Health Counseling as well as School Counseling. I completed both programs because I wanted to help support teens and families in every possible aspect. Because school is the setting for many challenges psychologically, socially, and academically for teens, I wanted to be sure I had a thorough understanding of school systems and available supports. As part of my work I have collaborated with school counselors, school psychologists, teachers, and principals to help advocate for teens and their families, and provided my professional feedback as to what would be most helpful for the teen to feel fulfilled, happy, and accomplished.
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