01 · Who Kirstina works with

Kirstina works with stress, Anxiety, family conflicts and trauma and abuse

Kirstina lists 15 specialisms and 26 further focus areas. Specialisms are the subjects Kirstina chose to list first, which is the closest a listing gets to “this is my actual practice”.

02 · In Kirstina's own words

What Kirstina says about the work

Reproduced in full and unedited - not summarised, not tightened, not rewritten in a house voice.

I am a licensed independent clinical social worker in Minnesota. I have been working as a psychotherapist for over 8 years. I also have a variety of professional experiences in various aspects of the social service system including adult and children's mental health, residential treatment, child welfare, and adoption/foster care services.

I am honored to work with people with a wide range of concerns including anxiety, depression, parenting challenges, blended family dynamics, career stressors, infertility concerns, mood disorders, trauma, domestic violence, and grief/loss. My special interest areas include working with those who are adjusting to life changes, striving to heal from any form of trauma, processing grief and loss concerns, navigating adoption related challenges, and supporting family members through significant life changes. I have specialized training in Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), attachment concerns, adoption competency, and eye movement desensitization reprocessing (EMDR). I also utilize cognitive behavioral therapy, narrative therapy, experiential forms of therapy, and a strengths based solution focused approach with those I serve.

I utilize an eclectic and flexible approach to tailor my counseling style to meet each person's individual needs and preferences. I believe you are the expert in your life and I am grateful to have an opportunity to come along side you to support you in your journey. I see myself as an "outside the box" kind of thinker. I try to utilize creative problem solving and practical strategies to support you in attaining your personal goals.

Taking the first step toward seeking help and pursuing growth or change takes courage. I deeply respect and commend you for exploring your options and taking steps on your journey. I look forward to meeting you.

Kirstina Quast, on the BetterHelp listing · read 9 Oct 2026

03 · How Kirstina works

The 8 approaches Kirstina lists, in plain English

These are the clinical methods Kirstina lists. The descriptions are Maker Therapy's, not Kirstina's - a general explanation of what each method is, so the list means something before you have spoken to anybody. They are not a claim about how Kirstina runs a session.

Attachment-Based Therapy

Reads present-day relationship difficulty through the lens of how safety and closeness were learned early on. The therapeutic relationship itself is treated as part of the work, because it is where the pattern tends to show up first.

Client-Centred TherapyPerson-centred · Rogerian

The therapist does not steer toward a technique or a diagnosis. They offer sustained, non-judgemental attention and reflect back what they hear, on the premise that people find their own direction when they are genuinely listened to. Often what people mean by “someone who just gets it”.

Cognitive Behavioural TherapyCBT

Structured, present-focused work on the loop between what you think, how you feel and what you then do. Usually means noticing a thought pattern in the room, testing it against evidence, and practising something different between sessions. Among the most heavily researched talking therapies for depression and anxiety.

Eye Movement Desensitisation and ReprocessingEMDR

A structured trauma protocol in which you hold a distressing memory in mind while following a repeated side-to-side cue. The mechanism is still debated; the outcome data in post-traumatic stress is strong enough that it appears in national treatment guidelines.

Motivational InterviewingMI

A way of talking about change with somebody who is genuinely in two minds about it. The therapist does not argue for the change; they help you say your own reasons out loud, which is the part that predicts whether it happens. Common around substance use and health behaviour.

Narrative Therapy

Treats the story you tell about your life as something that can be examined and retold rather than as the plain facts. Separates the person from the problem - “the anxiety” rather than “your anxiety” - to make room for the parts the current story leaves out.

Solution-Focused Brief TherapySFBT

Starts from where you want to end up rather than from how you got here. Sessions look for the times the problem is already smaller and work out what is different about those, so the number of sessions tends to be short and the work concrete.

Trauma-Focused TherapyTF-CBT · trauma-informed

CBT adapted for people whose difficulty is rooted in a frightening or overwhelming event. Pacing is the point: safety and stabilisation come first, the memory itself is approached gradually and only when you are ready, and the aim is that recalling it stops hijacking the present.

04 · What happens next

From this page to a first session

Kirstina practises through BetterHelp, so the route in is BetterHelp's. This is that sequence, written by Maker Therapy from the platform's published process - not a description of Kirstina's own practice, and not a promise about how quickly anything happens.

1. A questionnaire, not a booking form

   BetterHelp opens with a set of questions about what you are dealing with, what you want from therapy, and any preferences on the therapist. You are not booking Kirstina at this point.

2. Naming Kirstina specifically

   BetterHelp matches algorithmically by default, so asking for Kirstina is a step you have to take. There is a field for requesting a specific therapist during sign-up, and you can switch afterwards from your account. Starting from a link on this page does not by itself assign you to Kirstina.

3. If the caseload is full

   You will be offered somebody else rather than put on a waitlist. Worth knowing, because it is easy to assume a match is the person you asked for.

4. The first conversation

   A first session is typically history and orientation: what brought you, what has been tried, what you want to be different. It is also where the questions in the next section belong.

5. If the fit is wrong

   Changing therapist on BetterHelp does not need a reason. A first session that does not click is common and is not a verdict on therapy. That option existing is the main practical difference between a platform and a private practice.

05 · Before you commit

3 questions worth asking Kirstina

Built from what Kirstina actually lists, so they are answerable and specific rather than generic. Maker Therapy's, not Kirstina's - Kirstina has not seen them and is under no obligation to answer any of them.

• “You list both Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Attachment-Based Therapy. Which do you lean on with someone like me?”

  Those two point in different directions - one structured and led by the therapist, the other led by you. The answer tells you what the sessions will actually feel like.

• “How do you decide when someone is ready to work on a traumatic memory itself?”

  Pacing is the biggest safety question in trauma work. A clear, unhurried answer here matters more than any credential.

• “How do you handle the gap between sessions if something comes up?”

  On BetterHelp this varies a great deal by therapist. Better to know the rhythm now than to discover it on a bad week.

06 · Practical details

Credentials and licensing

Credential

LICSW

Licensed in

Minnesota

Licence

MN LICSW 18277

Licence number

18277

Licence expires

30 Apr 2028

NPI

1366825614

Years in practice

9

Gender

Female

Languages

English

International clients

Not accepted

Listed since

15 May 2026

07 · Provenance

Where every line on this page came from

Kirstina's name, credential, state, subjects, approaches and biography are read from BetterHelp's therapist roster, which Maker Therapy re-reads once a day; this page reflects the reading taken on 9 Oct 2026. The licence number and NPI are cross-checked against public registers.

The plain-English method descriptions, the first-session walkthrough and the questions are written by Maker Therapy and labelled as such wherever they appear.

Maker Therapy is not BetterHelp, does not take bookings, and has not met Kirstina. There are no reviews or ratings on this page because we have no way to verify one. If you start therapy through a link here, we may be paid a commission - it does not change your price and it does not affect who appears here or in what order.

Something on this page wrong or out of date? Report it and it will be checked against the source.