About Kristen
Kristen Shepherd is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) with 15 years of clinical experience based in Michigan. She began her career after graduating from the University of Michigan School of Social Work in 2010 and spent a decade supporting students in high-needs school settings. Kristen now focuses on one-on-one and couples work, helping people build stronger connections and clearer communication.
Her style is practical and relational. She tailors sessions to the person in front of her and meets people where they are.
How Kristen works
Kristen emphasizes building trust first, then works on specific goals like improving communication, increasing intimacy, or managing mood and anxiety. She uses methods that help people understand how their past shapes current patterns. That includes Attachment-Based Therapy to look at relationship patterns and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to address thoughts and behaviors.
Kristen also draws on Emotionally-Focused Therapy and Motivational Interviewing when those approaches fit the client’s needs. Kristen offers trauma-focused care and helps people identify psychological wounds that can hold them back. She works with a wide range of concerns including stress, anxiety, relationship problems, trauma and abuse, addiction, grief, eating and sleeping difficulties, ADHD, bipolar disorder, and depression.
Sessions are offered in English and she accepts international clients. Kristen adapts her approach as goals change, and she invites people to take an active role in shaping their work together.
Kristen lists 8 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
- Trauma and abuse
Also listed
- Abandonment
- Addictions
- ADHD
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Anger management
- Attachment issues
- Bipolar disorder
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Co-morbidity
- Commitment issues
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Depression
- Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Eating and food-related issues
- Eating disorders
- Emptiness
- Family conflicts
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- Fertility issues
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Infidelity
- Intimacy-related issues
- Jealousy
- LGBT
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Parenting issues
- Post-traumatic stress
- Postpartum depression
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self esteem
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sex addiction
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sexual dysfunction
- Sleeping disorders
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Trichotillomania
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Training and background
| Register | LMSW |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 15 |
| Languages | English |
| Session format | Online: video, phone, live chat or messaging |
| Country | Michigan |
Memberships and registers are shown as supplied; they are not licences, and this directory does not verify them.
Online support options
Using attachment and behavior-focused approaches online
Kristen commonly uses Attachment-Based Therapy to look at how early relationship patterns affect current connections; this helps when people want to improve trust, closeness, or recurring relationship blocks. She also uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to identify unhelpful thoughts and change behavior, which can be useful for anxiety, depression, and sleep or eating concerns.Finding the right approach is part of the work. Kristen will collaborate with each person to choose or adjust methods based on goals and preferences. She invites clients to give feedback so the plan can shift as progress or challenges emerge.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video allows face-to-face interaction for deeper emotional work and couples sessions. Phone sessions can be a good option when bandwidth is limited or a quick check-in is needed. Live chat and text messaging work well for ongoing support between sessions or brief coaching and check-ins. These options make scheduling more flexible and help therapy fit into a busy life.
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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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