Who I am
Hello, I’m Chrystal. I am a licensed counselor with nearly 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, and curiosity about the ways people make meaning.
For many years, I practiced as a holistic, integrative therapist with people of all genders. Over time, my work has come to center on women in midlife, and I consider it an honor to accompany my patients through the profound physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual changes this season of life can bring.
My training in Transpersonal Counseling Psychology at Naropa University and Health Psychology at Bastyr University shaped my conviction that healing happens in the intersection of bio-psycho-social-spiritual-cultural care. Years of continuing education, and decades of contemplative study have deepened that foundation. Some of my most important lessons have come from the wisdom of hundreds of patients I have sat with over the years. Whose courage and honesty has helped shape the quality of care I provide today.
Why this focus
Perimenopause and menopause are more than biology. They are turning points where body and psyche shift. Mood changes, anxiety, depression, brain fog, disrupted sleep, irregular cycles, hot flashes and night sweats, changes in libido and identity are real experiences. Patients come to me feeling the relief of being seen, heard and believed, and I give them the space to be taken seriously.
A complex chronic condition, cancer, autoimmune disease, or another major health diagnosis can be as overwhelming as it is transformative. It reshapes your body, mind, and mood. Changes your relationships, your understanding of Self/self, and brings a lot of uncertainty. Additionally, when medical treatment brings on menopause abruptly, there is even more to figure out and navigate. Patients come to me for the understand of health psychology that I bring. Offering psychoeducation, advocacy and a safe space to process, I provide dedicated support tailored to patients right where they are.
For all patients, my integrative approach bridges all aspects of the Self/self - the physical, mental, emotional and psyche. Treatment for anxiety, depression, grief, trauma, relationship challenges, and life transitions are all a part of the conversation. Helping women move beyond symptom relief, towards a deeper understanding of what this season of life is asking for 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 patients 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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I am committed to offering care that honors the full diversity of the human experience. My patients 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. Please do not put personal information in the form.