- Client-centered approach
- Skills-based work
- Focus on family
About Crista
Crista Shaw is a licensed clinical professional counselor (LCPC) practicing in Maine with 15 years of experience. She focuses on creating an open, nonjudgmental space where people can talk about difficult feelings and everyday struggles. Her manner is straightforward and warm, aimed at helping clients take practical steps forward.
She commonly helps with stress, anxiety, depression, anger, and trauma and abuse. She also supports people working through parenting challenges, grief, relationship strain, and questions about sexuality and identity. Adoption and foster care are listed as an additional focus area and may come up for some clients.
Crista uses approaches from client-centered work, cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, and trauma-focused therapy. In sessions she listens closely, helps identify patterns that cause pain, and practices skills that reduce distress. She explains ideas plainly and uses exercises people can try between meetings.
Her background includes 15 years of professional practice in Maine settings. The LCPC credential indicates a clinical counseling license in Maine. She encourages people to recognize small steps and builds treatment around their goals.
People who reach out will complete a short matching questionnaire to begin. Scheduling is done according to therapist availability, and the service uses a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
Approaches that translate well to online work
Client-centered therapy focuses on listening, understanding, and meeting each person where they are. It helps people speak openly about feelings, clarify goals, and decide what changes matter most. Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, identifies unhelpful thinking patterns and tests new ways of thinking and behaving. CBT is often used for anxiety, depression, and stress because it teaches practical skills and experiments to try between sessions.Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will work together with the client to choose and adapt methods based on needs, goals, and personal preference. That means trying different ideas, checking what helps, and shaping the plan as progress is made.
Session formats are not specified in the biography, so confirm current options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, reduce travel time, and let people meet from a familiar setting. It can also allow shorter check-ins when schedules are tight or let someone avoid video when they prefer audio only. Talk with the therapist about practical scheduling needs and format preferences so sessions fit into everyday life.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
15+ years
Credentials
Maine
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does Crista help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, anger, trauma and abuse, parenting concerns, grief, and related issues such as ADHD, sexuality, and women’s issues.
What is her general therapy style?
She uses a client-centered, practical style that emphasizes listening, skill-building, and plain language. Sessions focus on understanding patterns and practicing steps that reduce distress.
How long has she practiced?
She has 15 years of professional experience working in clinical settings in Maine.
What credential does she hold and where is she based?
She holds the LCPC credential, which is a licensed clinical professional counselor designation, and she practices in Maine.
Can sessions be conducted in other languages?
Sessions are offered in English.
Does she work with international clients?
International clients are not currently accepted.
How is cost handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What are the first steps to begin therapy?
Click the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to the therapist's availability.