Profile / United States
Kirstina Quast, LICSW
Minnesota
LICSW - Anxiety and Trauma
See online therapy options- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Attachment-focused work
- EMDR and narrative methods
About Kirstina
Kirstina Quast is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) in Minnesota with nine years of clinical experience. She works with people facing stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, family and parenting challenges, and relationship or intimacy concerns. She also supports those dealing with addiction, compassion fatigue, ADHD, bipolar disorder, and career or life changes.
Her background includes work across adult and children's mental health, residential treatment, child welfare, and adoption and foster care systems. That experience informs how she addresses adoption-related concerns, attachment issues, and blended family dynamics. She also has experience with end-of-life and hospice-related counseling work.
Kirstina uses clear, practical strategies in sessions. She draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, attachment-based ideas, client-centered methods, motivational interviewing, narrative work, and EMDR when appropriate. Sessions focus on noticing unhelpful thoughts and habits, testing small changes, and developing coping skills that fit everyday life.
She values collaborative, problem-focused work. Clients can expect creative problem solving and straightforward tools aimed at manageable steps. The emphasis is on concrete skills for handling anxiety, grief, parenting strains, and the aftereffects of trauma.
Her practice is informed by a strengths-based, solution-focused perspective. Kirstina aims to help people clarify goals, try practical strategies, and adjust approaches when needed. To begin, people are guided through a short matching questionnaire and scheduling for a first session.
How her approaches translate to online work
CBT focuses on identifying unhelpful thoughts and habits and trying different responses. It breaks problems into specific thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and uses practical exercises to test changes. This can help with anxiety, depression, parenting stress, and everyday coping.Attachment-Based Therapy looks at patterns in close relationships and how early experiences influence current reactions. It helps people notice relationship patterns and practice new ways of connecting and responding. EMDR uses guided attention and memory processing techniques to reduce the intensity of distressing memories and is often used for trauma-related symptoms.
Choosing the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will collaborate with the client to identify goals and try methods that fit those goals. If one approach isn’t working, adjustments are made together so the work stays practical and goal-oriented.
Session formats are not listed in the provided biography, so confirm current online options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, allow shorter check-ins when needed, reduce travel time, and let people use techniques in the real-world contexts where difficulties occur. Licensed professionals can adapt CBT exercises, attachment-focused interventions, and EMDR-informed processing to the online setting while keeping sessions focused on measurable steps.
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 concerns does she commonly address?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, family and parenting challenges, relationship and intimacy issues, addiction, ADHD, bipolar disorder, and coping with life changes.
How would she describe her therapeutic approach?
Her style is practical and problem-focused, using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy alongside attachment-based and client-centered methods to test small changes and build coping skills.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has nine years of experience working in mental health, residential treatment, child welfare, and adoption and foster care services.
What credential does she hold and where does she practice?
She is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) licensed in Minnesota and practices there.
Which languages are used in sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Does she accept clients outside the United States?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
How are costs handled for sessions?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What are the steps to begin working together?
Start by selecting the See online therapy options button, complete a 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, use the crisis numbers.