About Kristen
Kristen Zavala is a licensed counselor who draws on practical, person-focused therapy to help people manage stress, anxiety, depression, and trauma. She is an LPCC and an LPC practicing in New Mexico with ten years of clinical experience. Kristen aims to create a calm, respectful space so people can talk through what feels hardest right now.
She uses clear, hands-on methods to help people build better routines and stronger coping skills.
How Kristen works
Sessions often focus on small, doable changes that reduce worry, improve mood, and ease panic symptoms. Kristen also works with concerns around grief, addictions, intimacy, and self-esteem in straightforward ways that fit daily life. A strong part of her work centers on trauma-related concerns and recovery after sexual assault or other abuse.
She combines trauma-focused work with cognitive behavioral techniques to reduce intrusive symptoms and to return a sense of control. Kristen also supports people dealing with gender dysphoria, fertility stress, and compassion fatigue. Her approach is collaborative - she listens first, then suggests strategies a person can try between sessions.
Solution-focused tools are used to set short-term goals and track progress. Over time the aim is to build self-love, resilience, and practical habits that help people face life changes. Kristen provides therapy in English and conducts sessions via video, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging.
She works with issues such as panic attacks, social anxiety, trichotillomania, and mood disorders while helping people cope with isolation and guilt. People who choose Kristen can expect a steady, empathetic clinician who values clear goals and usable skills for everyday life.
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.
Also listed
- Addictions
- Compassion fatigue
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Domestic violence
- Fertility issues
- Gender dysphoria
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Intimacy-related issues
- Isolation / loneliness
- Mood disorders
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Post-traumatic stress
- Self esteem
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Trichotillomania
- Women's issues
Training and background
| Registers | LPCC, LPC |
|---|---|
| Years in practice | 10 |
| Languages | English |
| Session format | Online: video, phone, live chat or messaging |
| Country | New Mexico |
Memberships and registers are shown as supplied; they are not licences, and this directory does not verify them.
Online support options
Approaches for online healing and practical change
Kristen uses client-centered therapy to place the person's experience at the center of each session. This approach means the therapist listens closely and follows the client’s lead, helping them identify what matters most and deciding together on next steps.She also applies cognitive behavioral therapy or CBT to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and change behaviors that fuel anxiety, panic, or low mood. CBT focuses on small, practical exercises and steps that can reduce symptoms and improve day-to-day functioning.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. Kristen will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and how symptoms show up, and then recommend methods that fit. This is a collaborative process that can be adjusted over time as needs change.
Online therapy offers flexible ways to connect. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation, phone sessions can be simpler when bandwidth is limited, live chat can work for shorter check-ins, and text-based messaging is useful for regular support between appointments. These options make it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules and to keep consistent progress without long commutes.
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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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