Kristyn VanderZouwen, LMSW

Kristyn VanderZouwen is a licensed master social worker who listens carefully to the stories that shape people’s lives. She uses a calm, accepting style to help people name what feels off and find practical ways to move forward. Her work often centers on stress, anxiety, low self-esteem, depression, ADHD, and the shifts that come with midlife changes.

With three years of clinical experience, Kristyn focuses on what someone needs right now. Sessions typically center on understanding patterns, building coping skills, and setting small, manageable goals. She pays attention to how past relationships and attachment wounds influence present behavior and mood.

Kristyn draws on client-centered methods to make space for each person’s voice. She also uses cognitive behavioral techniques to shift unhelpful thinking and dialectical behavior strategies to build emotion regulation and distress tolerance. Motivational interviewing and solution-focused work help people clarify values and take practical steps forward.

Her practice includes care for people dealing with grief, life purpose questions, guilt and shame, and health-related challenges like cancer or pregnancy concerns. She also supports people navigating autism, intellectual disability, impulsivity, panic, post-traumatic stress, and seasonal affective patterns.

Kristyn practices in Michigan and conducts sessions in English. She invites people who feel stuck or in transition to start a conversation and explore what kind of change might be possible.

How these approaches translate to online work

Client-centered therapy focuses on listening and reflecting so a person feels understood and able to direct the process. Online sessions can preserve that collaborative tone by keeping the pace gentle and following the client's lead.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) helps people notice unhelpful thoughts and try different responses. In virtual sessions CBT often includes simple at-home exercises and behavioral experiments between meetings to test new ways of thinking.

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) offers tools for emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and improving interpersonal effectiveness. Those skills can be taught and practiced in sessions and then used in day-to-day moments when stress peaks.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk with each person about their goals, needs, and preferences and tailor strategies together. That collaborative process helps pick which methods to emphasize and how to pace them.

The practical benefits of online therapy include easier scheduling and the ability to fit sessions into a busy life. If you plan to pursue online care, confirm the session formats offered before booking so you know what to expect. Online work can make it simpler to keep therapy consistent while managing work, family, and other commitments.