- LGBTQ+ concerns
- Anger management
- Guilt and shame work
About Cristien
Cristien Storm is a Washington LMHC with 18 years of professional experience. She works with people facing relationship strain, LGBTQ+ related concerns, family conflict, trauma and abuse, and challenges with anger. She acknowledges clients as the experts on their own stories and focuses on practical steps toward clearer thinking and calmer responses.
She helps people talk through how guilt and shame show up after arguments, losses, or past harm. Sessions often include looking at what people tell themselves about their actions and identity. Conversations are straightforward and aimed at making sense of difficult feelings so they are less overwhelming.
Her approach is collaborative and respectful of each person's pace. She notices strengths people already have and uses those strengths to try new ways of responding to triggers or upsetting memories. She invites practical experiments between sessions so people can see what helps in real life.
Cristien also addresses problems that often go with shame - isolation, trouble trusting others, anger, and recurring panic or low mood. She talks through communication patterns and attachment issues that make relationships feel stuck. Work may include setting small boundaries, practicing different responses, and clearer ways of saying what matters.
People can expect direct conversation, steady attention to patterns, and a focus on skills they can use day to day. The aim is to reduce the hold that guilt and shame have on choices and interactions, while building more predictable ways to cope and connect.
How therapeutic methods translate to online sessions
Evidence-based therapeutic techniques often used with guilt and shame include approaches that focus on thoughts and behaviors and those that target relationship patterns. Cognitive-style work looks at the thoughts people repeat about themselves and tests whether those thoughts are accurate; this can help with self-blame and persistent guilt. Attachment-oriented work examines how early relational patterns shape current reactions and closeness, which can help when shame makes it hard to trust or connect.Finding the right approach is part of the process. The therapist works together with the client to decide which methods fit the person's goals and preferences, and may combine techniques as needs change. Clients are invited to try practical exercises and reflect on what helps between sessions so the plan can be adjusted.
The original biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm current options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life - for example, shorter check-ins during a lunch break, or avoiding travel time on workdays. It can also allow continued work when relocating within the same state. Discussing scheduling and format preferences at the start helps align sessions with daily routines.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Additional focus areas
Experience
18+ years
Listed in
Washington
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of issues does she address?
She works with relationship problems, LGBTQ+ related concerns, family conflict, trauma and abuse, anger, and related issues such as guilt and shame.
How would she approach feelings of shame from childhood?
She uses a collaborative approach that looks at how early attachment and family patterns shape current shame and self-blame, then practices small changes in thinking and behavior.
What is her professional background?
She has 18 years of professional experience supporting people through trauma, relationship strain, and emotional regulation challenges.
What are her credentials and location?
She is an LMHC licensed in Washington and provides services based in that state.
Does she offer sessions in other languages or internationally?
Sessions are offered in English. She is not accepting international clients at this time.
What session formats are available?
The original biography does not list specific session formats. Confirm current session options before booking.
How does payment and cost work?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I get started with a first session?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a first session.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are in danger or thinking about harming yourself, use the crisis numbers.