Kristen Buongiorno, LCSW

Kristen Buongiorno is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with 14 years of clinical experience supporting people through a wide range of challenges. She has worked with individuals facing depression, anxiety, relationship difficulties, major life transitions, illness or cancer, sexual assault, and Veterans concerns including combat-related trauma and military sexual trauma. Kristen combines a compassionate stance with a direct, practical approach and does not shy away from difficult conversations when they are needed to move a person forward.

Safety is a central priority in her work, and she emphasizes creating and maintaining safety plans for clients who require them. Her practice is rooted in understanding how thoughts and behaviors influence one another, and she regularly incorporates cognitive behavioral strategies alongside mindfulness and meditation practices to help clients ground themselves and build self-care routines. Kristen views therapy as a collaborative effort in which the client is the expert on their own life, and she partners with clients to create clear, achievable treatment goals.

Kristen welcomes motivated clients who are ready to make changes and supports them with practical tools, compassionate accountability, and a focus on building resilience. She aims to meet clients where they are and walk alongside them as they work toward meaningful change.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care with Kristen Buongiorno

Kristen frequently uses cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors to reduce symptoms and improve daily functioning. CBT is practical and skill-based, often helpful for anxiety, depression, stress, and managing everyday challenges.

She also integrates mindfulness therapy, teaching simple practices to increase present-moment awareness, reduce reactivity, and support emotional regulation. Mindfulness techniques can complement other therapies and are useful for grounding during moments of distress.

Kristen emphasizes a client-centered approach that treats the person as the expert on their own life and frames therapy as a collaborative process. She works with clients to identify goals, experiment with strategies, and refine the approach based on individual needs and preferences.

Online therapy with Kristen is offered through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, providing flexibility for those balancing work, family, or health needs. These options make it easier to maintain consistency in care, try different formats to find what fits best, and access licensed professionals without needing to travel to appointments.