About
Kristen Keathley Counseling
Keathley, Kristen – MSW, LCSW, LCAS
I was drawn to the work of therapy because of my love of building, maintaining, and spending time in relationships. I saw this work as something that would give me the ability to do what I love most, talk with and listen to people all day. I get to learn about them, their stories, their perspectives on life and on the world. I get to support healing and repair of broken relationships (with self and others). I also am able to support individuals in moving on, separating from, and grieving relationships (with people, things, or behaviors) that are no longer serving them, and in some cases, causing harm. I get to support clients in discovering their relationship with the most authentic version of themselves and better understand protective parts that may block the light of the authentic self shining through.
What an incredible opportunity and privilege I have to build relationships like this with my clients, to get to know who they are at their core, and to support and witness them attend to themselves and the relationships that matter most in their lives!
Similar to my professional life, I love spending time in my personal life engaged in meaningful relationships. I enjoy spending time with friends, family, and efforts to support the greater community. You can often find me on long walks, talks, hikes, and bike rides. I have practiced yoga for over 20 years and incorporate much of this into my work with clients as well. While traveling is certainly something I enjoy, I am a long-time resident of Asheville and enjoy adventuring outdoors in the WNC mountains with my son, Finn, and pup, Charlie.
Approach
My approach is rooted in the experience and belief that we have the answers within. I want my clients to not only survive the challenges they are facing, but to thrive and live a life that they love.
My clients are often incredibly intelligent, creative, and driven. I have seen my clients accomplish amazing things when they get clear on their goals and apply their gifts toward a fulfilling and meaningful life. I believe that some of our greatest challenges, once better understood and harnessed, can also become some of our greatest strengths. My goal is to help you get beneath the layers (often thoughts, behaviors, and relationship patterns) and get down to your core. Much of our work focuses on aligning your decisions and actions with your own truth.
My approach is often described as gentle yet direct. I believe in having hard conversations in order to create better relationships and better lives. I aim to make this experience as comfortable as possible, and while I will challenge you when appropriate, I will ultimately be aiming to guide you toward your own wisdom. I also at times incorporate metaphor and humor into sessions when appropriate.
My passion is helping individuals listen to, trust, and love themselves and their bodies, to wake up and be present for a life they love. I incorporate a variety of therapeutic modalities in my work, and individualize my approach to each client. Some clinicians will say that one approach is superior to another, such as somatic (body centered) vs. cognitive (thought centered). I tend to weave all of these approaches together on an individual basis in order to best serve each client and do not believe that these approaches are mutually exclusive. I dive deep into somatic work with clients and believe that learning to listen to and trust our bodies as guides is essential to this work. That being said, I often also incorporate attachment-based, cognitive, psychodynamic, values-based, goal-oriented, and skill-based approaches and weave that in with the somatic wisdom that we are gaining and healing that we are doing. With an ability to heal and regulate our nervous system, and better understand how we show up in relationships, we can do all kinds of fun work!
I incorporate a variety of approaches, including psychodynamic, somatic, emotionally focused, existential, attachment-based, and Gestalt. I have specific training in domestic violence and narcissistic abuse recovery. Some modalities that I often incorporate are:
IFS (Internal Family Systems)
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)
DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy)
ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy)
EFT (Emotionally Focused Therapy)
“I’ve been seeing Kristen for a little over 5 years now. In the past I found it hard finding a therapist that was a good fit for me. I don’t like feeling like I’m being examined and I never have felt that way with her. She listens, challenges me (in a healthy way), and guides my thoughts in a way that I come to my own resolutions a lot of the time. I’ve never felt judged regardless of the topic being discussed and the atmosphere is always light and comfortable.”
— Chris