A little about me

Kierstin has called the Lehigh Valley home since the summer of 2003.  She has raised her children here, and has been part of multiple volunteer organizations throughout the years such as; Junior Achievement, Fresh Air Fund and CASA, to name a few.  Kierstin has a unique and diversified background, having started her career in the arts as a young adult, being an entrepreneur when her children were growing up and now in the helping profession as her children set out on their own adventures.  Kierstin enjoys the outdoors, animals, the arts, and empowering others to find the strength that lies within themselves. She is enjoying mid-life and is going back to her youthful adventures which includes JEEPing and riding motorcycle with her grown son. 

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Kierstin received her Masters of Social work from the University of New England in 2017, and her Doctorate of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania in 2023. She has been a licensed social worker since 2018 and has been a licensed clinical social worker since 2023. 

Areas Treated

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• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

• Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)

• Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)

• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Trauma/Complex Trauma

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

• Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD)

• Behavioral concerns in home, school, and community

• Under-confident parenting practices

• Family conflict

• Adult Survivors of Childhood Abuse

• Relational Issues

  • Marital Discord​

  • Pre-marital Counseling

  • Co-Parenting Counseling

  • Couples Counseling

• Adjustment Disorder resulting from

  • accident

  • medical or mental health diagnosis

  • grief/loss

  • Bereavement​

  • Divorce

  • Job Loss

Methodologies:

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Psychotherapy is what most people think of when they think about therapy.  This mode of therapy includes discussing challenging topics with your therapist and utilizing discussion to work through them.  There are different types of psychotherapy, you and your therapist will determine what will work best for your situation.  The different types include:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) - This form of therapy helps clients reframe and restructure maladaptive thought patterns and practices.

• Interpersonal therapy (IPT) - This is considered to be a short-term treatment usually focused on a particular topic of concern.  The goal is to focus on underlying issues that are leading to challenges in one's life.  

• Psychodynamic therapy - this form of therapy helps reveal underlying or unrecovered challenges from childhood that may be impacting ones life currently.  There is a strong focus on the unconscious mind and how it impacts one's actions in the present.  

• Supportive therapy - this approach uses guidance and encouragement to help clients live their best lives.  Through building self-esteem and self-confidence, clients gain greater coping skills and function at a higher level reducing symptoms of anxiety, depression and feelings of hopelessness. 

• Positive Psychotherapy (PPT) - taking a different approach to working on personal challenges, PPT focuses on increasing positive emotion, engagement, and meaning rather than directly targeting depressive symptoms.  For example; rather than trying to decrease or eliminate sadness, it instead focuses on increasing happiness and well-being.

Expressive and Creative Therapies

This form of therapy uses the arts (dance/movement, music, art, writing*) to express feelings and challenges that may be more difficult to express in words.  This is often used with children, however can be used with adults who are creatively oriented or are struggling to put their feelings into words.  

*Kierstin is not certified in any of the expressive therapy disciplines however she uses elements from these theories in her practice when necessary.  She does have training in dance/movement therapy, including the Kestenberg Movement Profile, and has a strong background in the arts which is why it is important to her to include them in her practice.  

Motivational Interviewing

The goal of motivational interviewing is to help clients move toward change by helping them resolve their ambivalence toward change and help them find meaningful reasons for making these changes.  This approach does not simply instruct the client what to do, rather it seeks to determine the clients goals and motivation for change so they will want to move toward it on their own free will. 

AF-CBT (Alternatives for Families Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)

AF-CBT is a trauma-informed evidence-based treatment (EBT) designed to improve the relationships between children and caregivers in families involved in arguments/conflict, physical force/discipline/aggression, child physical abuse, or child behavior problems. For more information please visit the AF-CBT website at: http://www.afcbt.org/