- Attachment-based work
- CBT techniques
- EMDR-informed care
About Kirstina
Kirstina Quast is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) in Minnesota with nine years of experience. She works with adults facing stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, grief, depression, relationship and intimacy issues, addiction concerns, parenting stresses, and challenges tied to ADHD and bipolar disorder. She also supports people carrying guilt and shame related to family, faith, or relationships.
Her background spans adult and children’s mental health, residential treatment, child welfare, and adoption and foster care services. That range informs practical, experience-grounded help for common life strains, such as blended family dynamics, fertility and adoption questions, and caregiver stress.
Kirstina uses several approaches to help people make sense of painful feelings. She draws on attachment-based ideas to look at how early relationships shape current patterns. She uses cognitive behavioral techniques to identify unhelpful thoughts and try different behaviors. She also offers EMDR-informed work for processing traumatic memories.
She favors a client-centered style that treats the person as the expert in their life. Sessions focus on problem solving, creative strategies, and practical steps people can try between meetings. Motivational interviewing and narrative techniques also appear in her work when they fit the situation.
Kirstina aims to adjust methods to each person’s needs rather than follow one single set of tools. Her approach tends to be straightforward and goal-oriented, while also attending to family history, grief, and identity issues that often underlie guilt and shame.
How her approaches are used in online work
Attachment-Based Therapy looks at how early relationships influence how people relate now. It helps when patterns of shame or fear repeat in friendships, caregiving, or intimate connections. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on finding and testing unhelpful thoughts and trying small behavior changes to reduce distress and improve daily functioning. EMDR-informed work is offered for people who need structured processing of traumatic memories; it uses focused attention and guided steps to revisit and reprocess painful events.Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will work with the client to identify what feels most useful based on needs, goals, and preferences. That decision can shift over time as progress and new concerns appear.
The original biography does not specify session formats, so confirm current online options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into busy schedules, reduce travel time, and allow for shorter check-ins when needed. It also lets people try approaches like CBT or attachment-focused work in the context of their day-to-day life, and EMDR-informed sessions can be adapted for remote delivery when appropriate. Licensed professionals can discuss which format will support the client's goals and routine.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
9+ years
Listed in
Minnesota
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she work with?
She supports adults with stress, anxiety, trauma, grief, relationship and intimacy issues, addictions, parenting strains, mood disorders, and struggles with guilt and shame.
How would she approach feelings of guilt or shame?
She combines attachment-based understanding with cognitive behavioral tools and narrative work to help people name and reframe shame and guilt-driven thoughts and behaviors.
How much clinical experience does she have?
Kirstina has nine years of experience working in psychotherapy and social services, including adult and children’s mental health and adoption and foster care settings.
What credential does she hold and where does she practice?
She is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker - MN LICSW - and practices in Minnesota.
Does she offer sessions in other languages?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the United States work with her?
International clients are not currently accepted.
What session formats does she provide?
The original biography does not list specific session formats; please confirm current session options before booking.
How are fees and getting started handled?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time. To begin, select the See online therapy options button, complete the 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.