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Therapist profile

Kristen Gaughan

Therapist · Pennsylvania

Compassionate counselor with long-term clinical experience

Continue with Kristen

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Kristen Gaughan
Credentials
LPC
License
LPC, Pennsylvania · PC006886
NPI
1770776874
Experience
23 years
Languages
English
Location
Pennsylvania
  • 23 years experience
  • Codependency focus
  • Client-centered care

About Kristen

Kristen Gaughan is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) based in Pennsylvania with 23 years of clinical experience. She has worked across many treatment settings and brings long-term practice with mental health and addiction concerns. Kristen decided early in life to become a counselor and treats issues with steady commitment and direct care.

She helps people facing anxiety, depression, stress, and coping with life changes. She also supports those dealing with substance use and process addictions such as gambling, eating, sex, and spending. Codependency and attachment concerns are among the additional focuses she addresses.

Kristen’s background includes a Bachelor’s degree from York College of Pennsylvania with majors in psychology and sociology, plus a Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania. Her experience spans work with trauma, grief, caregiver stress, and first responder issues. The depth of her years in the field informs practical clinical judgment.

Her approach blends client-centered work, emotionally-focused methods, motivational interviewing, psychodynamic ideas, and solution-focused techniques. Sessions tend to focus on clear goals, uncovering relationship patterns, and building motivation for change. Kristen aims to help people find more peace, joy, and contentment in day-to-day life.

She accepts clients internationally and offers sessions that follow the platform’s scheduling and subscription model. To begin, prospective clients complete a short matching questionnaire and then schedule based on therapist availability.

Therapeutic approaches and how they translate online

Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and building a respectful therapeutic relationship. It helps people feel heard and supports them in finding their own solutions. Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT) looks at emotional patterns in relationships and helps people understand and shift those patterns to feel more connected and secure. Motivational Interviewing is a practical, empathetic way to build a person’s own motivation to change behaviors such as substance use or other habit patterns.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Kristen will talk with each person about their needs, goals, and preferences and use elements from these methods to create a collaborative plan. Clients and therapist decide together which strategies make the most sense as therapy progresses.

The practical benefits of online therapy can include fitting sessions into a busy life and reducing travel time so appointments are easier to keep. Online work can also make shorter check-ins feasible and allow sessions when schedules are tight. The biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm current options before booking to know whether video, phone, or messaging sessions are offered.

Areas of expertise

Also works with

Relationship issuesFamily conflictsGriefIntimacy-related issuesParenting issuesAnger managementCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCoping with life changesCompassion fatigueADHD

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAttachment issuesBlended family issuesCancerCaregiver issues and stressCo-morbidityCodependencyCommitment issuesDivorce and separationDomestic violenceDrug and alcohol addictionEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFirst responder issuesForgivenessInfidelityJealousyMidlife crisisVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMood disordersObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPanic disorder and panic attacksPostpartum depressionPregnancy and childbirthProcess addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Sex addictionSexual assault and abuseWomen's issuesWorkplace issues

Therapeutic approaches

Client-Centered TherapyEmotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Motivational InterviewingPsychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused Therapy

Experience

23+ years

Credentials

Pennsylvania

Languages

English

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does Kristen commonly address?

Kristen works with stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, trauma, grief, self-esteem, intimacy and relationship issues, parenting strain, ADHD, and related concerns such as codependency and attachment issues.

How would you describe her therapeutic style?

Her style mixes client-centered listening with emotionally-focused and solution-focused work. She also uses motivational interviewing and psychodynamic ideas to help people identify patterns and set practical goals.

What is her professional background?

She holds a Bachelor’s degree from York College of Pennsylvania and a Master’s in Mental Health Counseling from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania, and she brings 23 years of clinical experience in behavioral health.

Where is she licensed and practicing?

Kristen is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Pennsylvania and provides services while based in that state.

Which languages are sessions offered in?

Sessions are offered in English, and she accepts international clients as part of her practice.

What session formats are available?

Session formats are not specified in the biography; please confirm current session options before booking so you know which formats are offered.

How are fees and payment handled?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time according to the platform’s terms.

How do I begin working with her?

To get started, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule sessions according to the therapist’s availability.

Profile details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. Credential and registration rules differ between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.

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