Therapist profile
Dr. Kristen Pavela, LCSW
Wisconsin
Licensed Clinical Social Worker - Stress and Addiction
Continue with KristenWhere Kristen stands
- Credentials
- LCSW
- License
- LCSW, Wisconsin / 9369-123; LCSW, Illinois / 149020413
- NPI
- 1861926008
- Experience
- 10 years
- Languages
- English
- Location
- Wisconsin
About
- CBT techniques
- Client-centered work
- Motivational interviewing
About Kristen
Dr. Kristen Pavela is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with ten years of clinical experience in Wisconsin. She holds a doctorate in social work and has spent her career working with people facing stress, anxiety, addiction, and trauma among other concerns.
She talks plainly in sessions and keeps conversation focused on what is happening now. Sessions look at patterns that cause repeated problems, such as difficulty saying no, people-pleasing, or living around another person’s mood or substance use. She also addresses issues like grief, parenting strain, relationship conflict, and sleep or eating struggles.
Her work draws on several approaches including cognitive behavioral ideas and psychodynamic thinking, along with client-centered conversation and motivational interviewing. That means she will alternate practical strategies for managing symptoms with questions that look at long-term patterns and where they may come from.
People who come to her get both short-term tools and space to look at deeper patterns. Expect focused talk, problem-solving, and checking what is helpful from week to week. Sessions aim to make daily life more manageable while exploring why certain problems keep returning.
She practices in Wisconsin and conducts sessions in English. Before booking, readers should confirm the current session options and scheduling steps on the site.
How sessions work
Therapeutic approaches used in online sessions
Client-centered work focuses on listening and following what matters to the person. It helps when someone needs a clearer sense of their own priorities and feelings rather than directives from a therapist.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) gives concrete tools to change unhelpful thoughts and habits. It is useful for anxiety, low mood, sleep and patterns that cause repeated stress in relationships.
Motivational interviewing is a short-term approach that helps people clarify their own reasons for change. It is often paired with work on addiction, ambivalence about change, or starting new habits.
Deciding which approach to use is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with each person to pick strategies that match their needs, goals, and preferences. That might mean practicing a CBT technique one week and focusing on relationship patterns the next.
Confirm the session formats available before booking, as the biography does not list specific options. Online sessions can help fit therapy into a busy life by saving travel time, allowing shorter check-ins, or avoiding camera use when that is preferred. Licensed professionals often combine practical skills and deeper reflection to make progress that fits into everyday routines.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
10+ years
Listed in
Wisconsin, Illinois
Languages
English
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does she work with?
She works with stress, anxiety, addictions, trauma, depression, relationship and intimacy issues, grief, parenting and related concerns including codependency.
How would you describe her therapy style?
Her style mixes practical skills with deeper reflection. She uses conversation that is direct and focused on current patterns and problems.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has ten years of experience as a clinical social worker and holds a doctorate in social work.
What are her credentials and where does she practice?
She is an LCSW licensed in Illinois and Wisconsin and practices in Wisconsin.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the United States work with her?
She is not accepting international clients at this time.
What session formats does she offer?
Confirm current session options before booking, as the biography does not list specific formats.
How are fees handled and how do I begin?
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.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If you are not safe at home, use the crisis and helpline numbers.