About Kristen
Kristen Kakanis is a Tennessee licensed clinical social worker with ten years of experience. She focuses on helping people who feel stuck by offering steady support and practical steps forward. Kristen speaks plainly and aims to make the first steps toward change feel manageable.
She helps people facing stress and anxiety, low self-esteem, problems with motivation, anger, depression, addiction concerns, grief, and trauma and abuse. She also supports those dealing with relationship strain, parenting stress, career shifts, compassion fatigue, and major life changes.
How Kristen works
Sessions focus on what matters most to the person in front of her. Kristen uses approaches that center the person and their goals. She listens to what a person already knows about their situation and helps them build from those strengths.
She also uses tools that look at thoughts and behaviors, and short-term strategies to move toward clear goals. In sessions she aims to be encouraging and straightforward. Conversations often include setting small, doable steps and checking what works in everyday life.
Motivation-focused techniques are used when someone wants to strengthen commitment and follow-through. People who choose Kristen can expect a calm, goal-focused style. She frames progress as a series of small changes rather than a single big fix.
Her work is practical, grounded, and tuned to the concerns a person brings to therapy.
Kristen lists 4 ways of working on the entry:
What Kristen works with
The areas below are the ones Kristen selected when setting up a profile. The first few are listed as the main focus; the rest are also named.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Anger management
Also listed
- Addictions
- Career difficulties
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Grief
- Parenting issues
- Self esteem
- Trauma and abuse
Training and background
| Register | LCSW |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 10 |
| Languages | English |
| Session format | Online: video, phone, live chat or messaging |
| Country | Tennessee |
Memberships and registers are shown as supplied; they are not licences, and this directory does not verify them.
Online support options
Approaches that translate well to online care
Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening carefully and following the person's lead; the therapist reflects concerns and helps the person identify what matters most, which can make sessions feel collaborative and welcoming. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at the connection between thoughts, feelings, and actions and uses practical exercises to change unhelpful patterns, which can be useful for anxiety, depression, and stress.Deciding which approach to use is part of the work. The therapist will talk with the person about symptoms, goals, and personal preferences and then try methods that fit. That collaborative process means approaches can be adjusted as progress is made.
Online sessions are offered by video call, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging so people can pick what fits their life. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation for skill practice, phone sessions are an option when bandwidth is limited, live chat can suit quick check-ins, and text messaging helps with short updates and ongoing support between sessions. These formats make it easier to schedule care around work, childcare, or travel.
Start online instead of waiting
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Common questions
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A practical next step
Write down two things you would want to be different in six months. That is the most useful thing to bring to a first session, whoever it is with. If you would rather start now than keep reading, online sessions are the quickest route.
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