Crista Shaw , LCPC

Crista Shaw is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) with 15 years of experience. She focuses on helping people who are dealing with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, parenting challenges, and women's issues. Crista aims to make the first step into therapy feel manageable and supportive.

Crista creates a calm, nonjudgmental space where clients can talk through difficult thoughts and feelings. She listens closely to each person’s story and helps them find practical ways to cope. Sessions emphasize skills that address everyday problems and emotional pain.

Her work often includes addressing family concerns, adoption and foster care questions, blended family dynamics, and family of origin issues. She also supports people facing grief, postpartum depression, seasonal mood shifts, and challenges around sexuality and identity. Crista pays attention to co-occurring problems like mood disorders and impulsivity when they affect daily life.

Crista uses approaches that help people build new habits and manage emotions. She draws on client-centered methods to keep the focus on each person's goals. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy tools are used to shift unhelpful thinking and behavior, while Dialectical Behavior Therapy offers skills for emotion regulation and distress tolerance.

People who come to Crista can expect clear communication about goals and straightforward tools to practice between sessions. She works in English and provides sessions from Maine. If someone is ready to begin, Crista encourages completing the simple intake steps to match and schedule their first appointment.

Therapeutic approaches that translate well online

Client-centered therapy focuses on the client's experience and priorities. It involves active listening and reflection so the therapist follows the client's pace and concerns. This approach helps people who want a supportive space to sort through feelings and make decisions.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, teaches practical skills to change patterns of thinking and behavior. It is useful for anxiety, depression, and mood-related problems because it breaks down problems into manageable steps and homework exercises.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Crista will collaborate with each person to choose methods that match their goals, symptoms, and daily life. The plan can be adjusted over time based on what is helpful.

Online therapy offers real flexibility. Video calls let the therapist and client see each other's expressions for deeper connection. Phone sessions take less bandwidth and can be easier to fit into a workday. Live chat and text-based messaging allow brief check-ins, skill practice, and ongoing support between sessions. These formats make it simpler to keep therapy consistent while balancing family, work, and other commitments.