Family therapy and counseling in Buffalo, NY

I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in the state of New York. My approach to therapy is warm, open-minded, collaborative, and supportive. Throughout that process, I use an integrative

approach utilizing DBT, CBT, strength-based therapy, and solution-focused therapy. I specialize in

couples’ therapy, and treatment resistant individual therapy.

I have been in the health care field for over 10 years. When working with individuals, I believe it’s important to take a humanistic approach and focus on what a client’s goals. Providing a safe non-judgement space is important in order to have a successful relationship. I like to meet individuals where they are and utilize a person-centered approach when discussing coping skills or creating goals for outside of the counseling session.

Hi, I'm Kristina. I work with people navigating anxiety, trauma, identity, and the weight that builds up when life gets genuinely hard. That includes LGBTQ+ youth and adults, adolescents with disabilities, couples, people of color, and clients who have felt like the system was not

built with them in mind. My approach is integrative and strengths-based, with CBT and trauma-informed care at the core, and I show up with genuine empathy and honest

directness. I have received training in exposure and response prevention, psychoeducational testing, and family and forensic psychology, and I have worked with couples, court-mandated individuals, and clients who struggle financially. Reach out when you are ready. (Psy.D.,

Hofstra University 2022; MA, Teachers College Columbia 2015.)

I've spent over 40 years helping people navigate some of life's most challenging moments — and that work began long before I had a formal practice. Coming of age during the AIDS crisis, I watched everyone around me step into caregiving roles, often while struggling themselves. Witnessing the emotional weight of that — the anxiety, the fear, the toll — shaped everything about how I approach this work. My focus ever since has been helping people not just survive difficult experiences, but genuinely grow from them.

I've maintained a private practice in psychotherapy since 1983, and I hold a doctorate from Columbia University along with post-doctoral training in Organizational Development.

Outside of work, you'll find me hiking, swimming with my family, or playing the ukulele.

I am a Latino New York State Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a graduate degree from Fordham University. As a psychotherapist i have over nine years of experience working with documented/undocumented immigrant families, trauma, anxiety, substance abuse, Bipolar I &II, Schizophrenia, ODD and Depression with individuals with an age range of 3 to 83 years of age.

Welcome! During my studies for my Master of Social Work at Binghamton University, I completed a two-year internship that worked with young adults on their executive functioning and cognitive skills. My journey then led me to the position of a community-based clinician. This is where I provided therapeutic services to children, teenagers, and young adults in their homes and the community. Furthering my interest in working with the community, I became involved in different school settings as a social worker. I have been providing crisis intervention, individual and group therapy, and case management services within these environments.

I help high-performing professionals, parents, and caregivers navigate the heavy mental load of modern life. Whether you are battling severe corporate burnout, or managing the chaos of a non-traditional family-like single parenting, a blended household, or high-conflict custody, you are likely the person everyone else relies on. I understand how exhausting it is to feel completely unsupported while keeping it all together for everyone else.

With over 15 years of experience in clinical practice and healthcare leadership, I have a deep, firsthand understanding of workplace stress, chronic burnout, and executive pressure. I know exactly what it means to look highly successful and polished on the outside, while quietly drowning under immense pressure on the inside.

My style is direct, practical, and action-oriented. You won't get generic textbook platitudes here. I take your unique situation seriously and focus on tangible strategy to help you regain control.

Being a young professional in New York City means juggling a lot at once. A demanding job, relationships, family expectations, and the quiet question of whether you're actually building the life you want. If you're feeling stretched thin, stuck, or unsure of your next move, you're not alone, and you don't have to figure it out by yourself.

I work with driven, high-achieving individuals in their 20s and 30s who are navigating career pressure, relationship challenges, family dynamics, and the everyday stress of living and working in a fast-paced city. Many of my clients are successful on paper but feel anxious, burnt out, or disconnected from what actually matters to them. Others are at a crossroads, being a career change, a relationship decision, a move, a new phase of adulthood, and want support thinking it through clearly.

Therapy with me isn't just a space to vent. It's a space to grow. I'll challenge you when it's useful, support you when things are hard, and help you leave each session with something you can actually use. If you're ready to stop just getting through the week and start building a life that feels aligned and sustainable, I'd love to work with you.