Dr. Kristi Hottenstein, LPC, LPCC

Dr. Kristi Hottenstein brings two decades of experience to her work supporting individuals, couples, and teens through life transitions and emotional challenges. She has been a licensed professional counselor in Michigan since 2009 and holds LPC and LPCC credentials - licensed professional counselor and licensed professional clinical counselor. She is the practitioner and owner of Compass Counseling & Coaching, PLLC, and serves on the board of the Michigan Mental Health Counselors Association after her 2021 appointment.

Dr. Hottenstein earned a doctorate in higher education administration from the University of Toledo, a master’s in Counseling from the University of La Verne, and a bachelor’s in Sociology from Alma College. She also offers college selection coaching in addition to therapeutic services. Her clinical focus spans stress, anxiety, relationships, family dynamics, self-esteem, depression, addictions, trauma and abuse, grief, LGBT issues, intimacy-related concerns, eating and sleeping problems, parenting, anger, career matters, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and many related challenges.

Her practice emphasizes a holistic, individualized approach: no two people are the same, so treatment is tailored to each client’s needs. She draws from a variety of counseling techniques to foster self-awareness and encourage acceptance of personal responsibility in the healing process. Dr. Hottenstein believes that greater self-knowledge improves how people respond to life’s situations and helps them move toward meaningful change.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Support

Dr. Kristi Hottenstein integrates Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy into her online work. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps clients notice difficult thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them and focuses on taking actions that align with personal values - it can be useful for stress, anxiety, and life transitions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) explores links between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors and offers practical strategies to shift unhelpful patterns, which can help with depression, anxiety, and coping skills.

She also uses client-centered principles that prioritize the client’s experience, offering empathy and collaborative support as the foundation for change. Finding the right therapeutic approach is part of the process - Dr. Hottenstein works collaboratively with each person to identify which methods fit their needs, goals, and preferences and adapts techniques as progress unfolds.

Online therapy with Dr. Hottenstein is offered via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to provide flexibility and accessibility. These options make it easier to schedule sessions around work, school, caregiving, or geographic constraints and allow licensed professionals to tailor communication styles and interventions to what works best for each client.