Kristen Rashid MA, ATR-BC, LPC

I have 15 years of experience working with children and youth in art therapy and counseling. Over that time I have supported kids and teens through many experiences, challenges, or diagnoses including Generalized Anxiety, Social Anxiety, ADHD, Autism, Adjustments, Divorce, Grief/loss, Emotion Dysregulation, Immigration/Acculturation, Adoption, Family Conflict, Peer Relationship concerns, Trauma, and more.

Many clients come to me with anxiety that preoccupies them, prevents them from full participation at school/work/social settings, impacts their overall emotional regulation, or drives them to engage in perfectionistic or obsessive-compulsive behaviors. I've helped many kids, teens, and adults to process, move through, and manage their anxiety in order to more fully enjoy and experience their social relationships, better navigate various settings and situations, and learn how to self-regulate.

ADHD can bring with it challenges in sustaining focus and attention, managing impulsivity, making and keeping friends, staying organized and engaged enough to be successful at school or work, and regulating emotions. I have found that art therapy is especially helpful to be able to target and practice some of these skills as well as process some of the underlying emotional and relational content that someone with ADHD may find relevant to their experience.

When working with kids and teens, I always view the client in the context of their family system. I consider the roles and dynamics in family interactions and the home setting, and aim to involve parents/guardians in treatment. Parent/guardian consultations and sessions, sibling sessions, and whole family sessions are offered as relevant to support the children and adolescents on my caseload in communication, conflict resolution, family dynamics, and family support.

As an Asian-American, mixed race therapist, I value cultural humility and I also have lived experience that I bring with me to my interactions with clients. Beyond that, I have engaged in many continuing education courses that support a framework of culturally sensitive therapy and have offered further training to develop a therapeutic approach that centers inclusivity, accessibility, antiracism, and cultural humility.

The supportive, therapeutic relationship I provide in art therapy offers the opportunity to explore & express feelings/thoughts that are hard to put into words. An image may spark conversation, expand capacity to put verbal language to an experience, & increase insight. An image may be a space to stay in metaphor to process emotions and experiences. The act of creating an image can also allow for chances to connect with others, work through frustration, take creative risks, & develop confidence.