Who I am
Hello, I'm Chrystal. A licensed psychotherapist and mental health counselor with almost 15 years in private practice, and an empath by nature, I came to this work through a deep calling to connect, a fascination with belief, curiosity for the way people make meaning, and the honor of being trusted with someone's story.
My work centers on women navigating the profound changes that can come with midlife: hormonal transitions, complex chronic conditions, identity shifts, and the quiet but urgent call toward a more authentic life. I believe these passages deserve more than clinical management. They deserve compassion and respect.
I trained at Naropa University in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology and Bastyr University in Health Psychology, two programs that shaped my conviction that healing happens at the intersection of body, mind, and soul. That foundation has been deepened through study with, and inspiration from, teachers I deeply respect: Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés, whose exploration of the wild feminine informs how I understand women's depth; Dr. Peter Levine, Dr. Daniel Siegel, and Dr. Gabor Maté, whose somatic and polyvagal work has shaped how I listen to the body's wisdom in the wake of trauma and dysregulation; and Pema Chödrön, Jack Kornfield, and Tara Brach, whose teachings on compassion, impermanence, and sitting with uncertainty ground both my mindfulness practice and my clinical presence.
Why this focus
Perimenopause and menopause are more than biology. They're turning points where body and psyche shift together. Mood swings, anxiety, depression, brain fog, poor sleep, irregular cycles, hot flashes, and changes in libido and identity are real, and they deserve more than platitudes.
Complex chronic conditions, autoimmune disease, cancer, and other major health diagnoses also reshape who you are: your body, mind, and mood, your relationships, and your sense of what's ahead.
I bridge the gap between body, mind, and soul with an integrative approach, helping women move beyond symptom relief and toward what this season of life is asking of them.
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My approach is holistic and integrative, which means I work with all of you, not just the presenting problem. In our sessions, we listen to what your body, emotions, inner parts, and life patterns are communicating, and we move at a pace that feels right for you.
Health Psychology
Exploring the relationship between physical health changes and emotional wellbeing, including preexisting diagnoses, hormonal shifts, chronic illness, and nervous system patterns.Depth & Transpersonal
Welcoming what's symbolic, archetypal, and meaningful, because midlife transitions are as much a spiritual passage as a biological one.IFS & Parts Work
Meeting the protective, wounded, and wise inner parts of you with curiosity and compassion rather than judgment.Somatic & Polyvagal
Attending to the body's signals and nervous system states as essential guides, rather than obstacles, in the healing process.Mindfulness
Grounded in over 20 years of personal practice, mindfulness is not a technique I apply, it's a way of being I bring into the room.Collaborative Care
When helpful, I collaborate with your healthcare providers, including NDs, MDs, nurse practitioners, midwives, and other integrative practitioners, to support the whole picture and work together as a team. -
Throughout this website I use the word woman and women as the primary language for the work I do. Not to draw boundaries around who belongs here, but because it reflects the lived experience most of my clients are navigating: bodies shaped by estrogen, cycles, and hormonal transitions; cultural conditioning around femininity and caregiving; and the particular ways midlife arrives for those who have moved through the world as women.
This work is also open to trans men, transmasculine individuals, and non-binary people who are navigating hormonal transitions, surgical menopause, or the intersection of gender identity and midlife change. If you have experienced these shifts in your body and are looking for depth-oriented, affirming support, you belong here.
If you are unsure whether this practice is a good fit for your particular experience, I welcome you to reach out. A consultation is always the right place to start.
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An affirming and inclusive space
I am committed to offering care that honors the full diversity of the human experience. My clients come from a wide range of backgrounds, ethnicities, cultures, and countries of origin, and bring with them spiritual, religious, philosophical, gender and sexual presentation perspectives that enrich the therapeutic process.
I am proud to support members of the LGBTQIA2S+ community, including those who identify as non-binary, transgender, gender-fluid, asexual, non-monogamous, and polyamorous.
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Growth is not always linear, and I believe that doing personal work is one of the most meaningful investments we can make. I do not walk alongside clients as someone who has arrived, but as someone committed to the same ongoing work of being human.
Mindfulness has been a living practice for me for over twenty years, inspired by Alan Watts in my 20’s, and rooted in the contemplative tradition of Naropa University. I maintain a daily meditation practice and am currently deepening my formal training in mindfulness teaching. The influence of learning under Dr. Clarissa Pinkola Estés runs through how I understand women's inner lives. The instinctual knowing, the grief, the reclamation, and the wildness that midlife so often calls back to the surface.
I live on the Oregon coast, where the forests and ocean inspire how I understand change, rest, and renewal. Tending to my garden, keeping bees, and being in community is part of doing this work for me.
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Questions about the therapy process?
Send me a message, and I’ll get back to you within two business days.