About Crista
Crista Shaw uses a client-centered approach to guide people through stress, anxiety, trauma, and family conflict. She is Crista Shaw, LCPC, and she aims to make starting therapy feel manageable. Crista writes in plain language and focuses on practical next steps people can use right away.
Her sessions emphasize listening first. She helps people name what feels hard and then works with them to set small, realistic goals. Techniques from cognitive behavioral therapy and dialectical behavior therapy are used when they fit the concern and the person's goals.
Background and approach
Crista has 15 years of professional experience in clinical settings. That experience includes supporting people who struggle with depression, grief, anger, and challenges tied to parenting or life transitions. She also helps with issues related to sexuality, LGBTQ concerns, adoption and foster care, and the effects of past abuse or trauma.
She pays attention to how family history and current family dynamics shape feelings and behavior. Crista addresses co-occurring difficulties like mood disorders, impulsivity, or social isolation so people get help that matches the whole picture. Sessions aim to build coping skills and reduce daily distress.
People can expect an approachable, steady presence in sessions. Crista works with each person to find the best mix of strategies for their situation. The goal is clearer thinking and more workable ways to handle stressful moments.
How collaborative therapy and online formats work together
Client-centered therapy focuses on understanding each person's experience and building the relationship first. It involves reflective listening, open questions, and working at the client's pace to identify goals and priorities.Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) helps people notice and change patterns of thought and behavior that increase distress. CBT is useful for anxiety, depression, stress, and mood-related problems because it breaks big issues into manageable steps and practice tasks.
Finding the right approach is part of the process. The therapist will work with the person to decide which methods fit best based on their needs, goals, and preferences. That collaborative planning may shift over time as goals change or new issues arise.
Online therapy offers several practical benefits. Video calls let people use visual cues and keep the conversation close to an in-person session. Phone sessions can be a good option when bandwidth is limited or for shorter check-ins. Live chat and text-based messaging provide flexible, ongoing ways to check in between sessions or when immediate access to a therapist's guidance is helpful. These options make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life and support steady progress.
Questions people ask
What kinds of concerns does Crista address?
What is her therapeutic style like?
How much clinical experience does she have?
Where is she licensed and based?
Which languages are available for sessions?
What formats are used for online sessions?
How are fees and billing handled?
How do I begin working with her?
What this counselor works with
Most often
- Stress, Anxiety
- Family conflicts
- Trauma and abuse
Also listed
- ADHD
- Adoption and foster care
- Anger management
- Blended family issues
- Co-morbidity
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Eating disorders
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Grief
- Guilt and shame
- Impulsivity
- Isolation / loneliness
- LGBT
- Life purpose
- Mood disorders
- Parenting issues
- Postpartum depression
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Sexuality
- Women's issues
- Young adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 15 years
- Licensed
- Maine
- Languages
- English