Cristien Storm, LMHC

Cristien Storm is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) in Washington with 18 years of professional experience helping people navigate relationship struggles, family conflict, trauma and abuse, and challenges with anger. She works with clients facing LGBT-related issues and brings focused attention to concerns such as abandonment, attachment difficulties, communication problems, control issues, and feelings of guilt or shame.

Cristien frames clients as the experts of their own stories and highlights the strengths people already possess to move through life transitions and emotional pain. Her practice addresses a wide range of needs including mood disorders, panic attacks, social anxiety, sexuality and women's issues, and the work often includes building self-love, improving connections, and healing from past hurts. She aims to support clients in reclaiming stability and developing practical tools that fit their daily lives.

Taking the first step toward a more satisfying and happier life can require courage, and Cristien makes that step a collaborative process. She offers steady guidance and encouragement while helping clients identify goals, apply effective strategies, and draw on personal strengths to create lasting change.

Evidence-Based Approaches and Flexible Online Care

Cristien uses evidence-based therapeutic techniques that focus on practical change and emotional healing. Some approaches involve skill-based work that helps people identify unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns and develop healthier ways of responding - these strategies can be helpful for mood concerns, anxiety, and relationship difficulties. Other approaches are trauma-informed and emphasize safety, pacing, and processing of past hurts in ways that honor each person's resilience and limits; these approaches support recovery from abuse and overwhelming experiences.

Finding the right method is part of the therapeutic process, and Cristien approaches that decision collaboratively. She partners with clients to explore their needs, goals, and preferences, adapting methods and pacing to fit what feels most effective and respectful for each individual.

Online therapy offers practical benefits for this work. Video calls allow face-to-face conversation from home, phone sessions provide a simple option when video is not possible, and live chat or text-based messaging can offer ongoing support between sessions. These options increase flexibility and accessibility, making it easier to fit therapy into a busy life while maintaining continuity with a licensed professional.