Therapist profile
Kristen Gaughan, LPC
Licensed Professional Counselor - Family and parenting focus
Continue with KristenAbout
- Stress and anxiety
- Addictions and recovery
- Emotion-focused work
About Kristen
Kristen Gaughan is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Pennsylvania with 23 years of clinical experience. She has worked across a range of treatment settings and supports people dealing with stress, anxiety, addiction, trauma, depression, relationship and family concerns, parenting strain, grief, and related issues.
Kristen has long focused on both mental health and substance use concerns, including process addictions such as gambling, disordered eating, and problematic spending or sexual behaviors. She holds a bachelor’s degree from York College of Pennsylvania with majors in psychology and sociology, and a master’s degree in mental health counseling from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania. Her background includes work with people facing complex stressors like caregiving burdens, cancer, and first responder issues.
In sessions she draws on approaches that center the person and their experience. She uses client-centered ideas alongside emotion-focused and solution-oriented methods to help people clarify what matters and take practical steps. Motivational interviewing is part of her work when people are wrestling with change related to substances or habits.
Her style mixes exploring underlying patterns with short-term, goal-focused planning. That can mean talking through attachment or family-of-origin issues one week, and practicing a concrete communication skill the next. She also brings psychodynamic perspectives when deeper history is useful to understand current problems.
Kristen sees people in English and accepts international clients. She asks prospective clients to confirm current session formats before booking and to follow the practice instructions to schedule an initial meeting.
How sessions work
Therapeutic approaches and how online sessions work
Kristen integrates client-centered therapy and Emotionally-Focused Therapy into her online work. Client-centered therapy emphasizes a respectful listening approach where the person sets the pace and topics. It is useful for people who want space to speak and reflect on their concerns. Emotionally-Focused Therapy focuses on identifying and working with emotional experience in relationships; it can help people make sense of attachment patterns and improve closeness and trust.She also uses Motivational Interviewing when change is the goal, such as addressing substance use or shifting habits. Motivational Interviewing is a collaborative, nonjudgmental way to explore readiness for change and strengthen personal motivation. Together, these approaches allow for both deeper exploration and practical, step-by-step planning based on what a person needs.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will discuss goals, preferences, and what feels helpful, and will adjust methods collaboratively as therapy progresses. That discussion helps decide whether to focus on emotions, history, or short-term solutions in upcoming sessions.
Specific session formats are not listed here, so please confirm available options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit appointments into a busy life, reduce travel time, allow for shorter check-ins during a workday, or avoid needing to be on camera depending on the format offered. Licensed professionals can use these practical benefits to help sessions fit everyday routines better.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
23+ years
Listed in
Pennsylvania
Languages
English
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of concerns does she address related to home and family?
She works with issues such as relationship strain, family problems, parenting stress, grief, intimacy concerns, and the impact of past family of origin issues.
What is her therapeutic style like?
She uses client-centered and emotionally-focused approaches together with solution-focused techniques, blending exploration of feelings with practical steps for change.
How much experience does she bring?
She has 23 years of clinical experience working in a variety of behavioral health settings.
What credential and region does she practice under?
She is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) practicing in Pennsylvania.
Can someone who lives outside the United States work with her?
She accepts international clients and conducts sessions in English.
What session formats are offered?
Session formats are not specified here; please confirm the current options before booking so you know how meetings are conducted.
How are fees handled?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule your first session.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If anyone is in danger, use the crisis numbers.