About Kristen
Dr. Kristen Pavela is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) based in Wisconsin with ten years of clinical experience. She holds a doctorate in social work and has worked across clinical social work and substance abuse counseling roles.
Dr. Pavela brings direct, respectful care to people facing a wide range of concerns including depression, anxiety, addiction, trauma, and ADHD. Her background includes work with people affected by domestic violence, physical trauma, and emotional abuse.
Background and approach
She has also supported those navigating relationship challenges, parenting strain, grief, and work or career stress. Many clients have sought help for sleep and eating problems, impulsivity, and issues tied to shame or isolation. In sessions she keeps the tone warm and interactive.
Conversations are guided by the person’s needs rather than labels. She mixes several approaches so practical skills and personal history both get attention. Dr.
Pavela uses Client-Centered methods to understand a person’s goals and values. She includes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to map patterns and build new coping skills. Motivational Interviewing helps with change when habits or addictions are involved, and psychodynamic ideas can unpack long-standing relationship patterns.
People who want a collaborative, straightforward therapist often find her style helpful. She focuses on clear steps you can try between sessions. If someone is ready to make changes, she offers ongoing support and practical next steps.
How her therapeutic approaches translate to online work
Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening closely and helping the person set their own goals. Online sessions use that approach to build a clear plan based on what matters most to the client, whether that is mood, relationships, or daily functioning.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) breaks problems into thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and teaches specific skills to shift unhelpful patterns. In remote sessions this looks like collaboratively identifying patterns, practicing skills in real life, and reviewing what worked in follow-ups.
Motivational Interviewing supports people who are ambivalent about change. It uses gentle, goal-focused conversation to strengthen motivation, which can be helpful for substance use, impulsivity, or other habits.
Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. The therapist will help you decide which methods to try based on your goals, current struggles, and personal preferences. That choice is revisited as progress is made so treatment stays practical and relevant.
Online formats offer flexibility for people with busy or unpredictable schedules. Video calls let visual cues guide the conversation. Phone sessions can be shorter or easier when bandwidth is limited. Live chat and text-based messaging support quick check-ins, brief skill practice, and ongoing accountability between longer sessions.
Questions people ask
What kinds of concerns does she address?
What is her general therapy style?
How long has she been practicing clinically?
What credentials and region are listed?
Which languages are available for sessions?
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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
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