Kristen Udell

Kristen Udell is an Iowa licensed mental health counselor (LMHC) with eight years of clinical experience. She works with stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, self-esteem, coping with life changes, relationships, and family concerns. Kristen also focuses on communication problems, forgiveness, life purpose, self-love, and women's issues. Sessions are presented as a collaborative effort to find practical steps forward.

Kristen draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy, and Solution-Focused Therapy. In sessions she listens to what matters most and helps people test small changes that can reduce distress. Conversations aim to identify unhelpful thinking, strengthen coping skills, and set achievable goals.

Her approach treats the client as an active partner. Kristen and the person she works with decide together which methods to try based on goals and how problems show up day to day. She notes she typically replies to messages within 24 hours on weekdays and within 48 hours over weekends.

Kristen often uses practical exercises between meetings. These might include brief behavioral experiments, tracking patterns, or specific communication practice. The plan evolves as progress and challenges become clearer.

For people feeling stuck after a life change or questioning purpose, Kristen helps break issues into manageable steps. She emphasizes testing options and building confidence through repeated small successes. To begin, prospective clients complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule a first session.

How Kristen’s approaches work for online sessions

Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and reflecting. It helps people clarify what matters to them by using supportive, person-focused conversation to draw out priorities and values.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy looks at how thoughts and behaviors interact. It uses clear, practical exercises to test unhelpful thinking and build different habits, which can be useful for anxiety, stress, and low mood.

Solution-Focused Therapy emphasizes finding small, realistic steps that move a person toward their goals. It highlights what is already working and expands those moments into repeatable actions.

Deciding which approach to use is a collaborative process. The therapist and client review goals, preferences, and how problems show up in daily life, then try methods that fit. Adjustments are made over time so sessions focus on what helps most.

If you plan to meet online, confirm the available session formats before booking since the biography does not list them. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy schedule, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time. These practical benefits help people test new habits and keep consistent practice between sessions.