About Kristen
Dr. Kristen Pavela is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a doctorate in social work and about 10 years of clinical experience. She practices from Wisconsin and draws on her background as a clinical social worker and substance abuse counselor.
Her work often focuses on anxiety and stress among other challenges. She meets people where they are and keeps the tone warm and interactive. Sessions aim to be respectful and free of stigmatizing labels.
Background and approach
Conversations are tailored to the person’s needs rather than a one-size-fits-all plan. In therapy she uses straightforward methods that help people notice thoughts and behaviors, strengthen motivation for change, and understand patterns that come from early relationships. That means practical steps you can try between sessions and time spent talking through history and current problems when that’s useful.
Her areas of interest include depression, addictions, trauma and abuse, grief, sleep and eating concerns, parenting stress, ADHD, relationship and intimacy issues, and career or life changes. She also supports people dealing with anger, codependency, caregiver strain, isolation, and impulsivity. Dr.
Pavela adapts her approach to each person’s goals. Some clients benefit from short-term work focused on skills and goals. Others choose longer-term work to look at deeper patterns.
Either way she emphasizes collaboration, clarity about goals, and practical tools to manage symptoms and stress.
Approaches and online care that fit your life
Client-Centered Therapy focuses on understanding each person’s experience and building a supportive relationship. It helps people feel heard and guides them to find their own answers for problems like anxiety or low self-esteem.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at the link between thoughts, feelings, and behavior. It offers straightforward strategies to reduce worry, change unhelpful thinking, and develop coping skills for anxiety and mood concerns.
Motivational Interviewing is a collaborative way to build motivation for change. It is useful when someone feels stuck with habits like substance use or trouble following through on goals.
Choosing the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with the person about goals, preferences, and what feels most useful. Together they decide whether to focus on short-term, skill-based work or deeper, longer-term exploration.
Online therapy offers flexibility for people with busy schedules. Video calls are similar to in-person conversation and work well for in-depth sessions. Phone sessions require less bandwidth and can be easier during a quick break. Live chat and text-based messaging let someone check in or get brief support between longer sessions. These options make it easier to keep therapy consistent while fitting other life demands.
Questions people ask
What kinds of problems does she help with?
How would you describe her therapy style?
What is her background and experience?
Where is she based and what credentials does she hold?
Which languages are sessions offered in?
What session formats are available?
How does cost and billing work?
How do I begin if I want to work with her?
What this therapist works with
Also listed
- Abandonment
- ADHD
- Anger management
- Attachment issues
- Bipolar disorder
- Career difficulties
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Compassion fatigue
- Control issues
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Domestic violence
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Eating disorders
- Family conflicts
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Intimacy-related issues
- Isolation / loneliness
- LGBT
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Parenting issues
- Post-traumatic stress
- Postpartum depression
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Relationship issues
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self esteem
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Sleeping disorders
- Smoking / vaping cessation
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Young adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 10 years
- Licensed
- Wisconsin, Illinois
- Languages
- English
We will earn a commission if you sign up through our link, at no cost to you.