About Kirsten
Kirsten Munson draws on more than three decades of clinical experience to offer thoughtful, individualized care using evidence-based methods. As an LCPC licensed in Illinois, she focuses on helping people navigate stress, anxiety, grief, low self-esteem, depression, and major life transitions.
Background and approach
Her practice emphasizes respect, sensitivity, and compassion while tailoring conversations and treatment plans to each person’s specific needs and circumstances. Clients find a professional who integrates several therapeutic frameworks to address complex concerns such as trauma and abuse, family and relationship difficulties, gender dysphoria, chronic illness or pain, and mood disorders.
With experience that spans work on adoption and foster care issues, blended family dynamics, communication challenges, and grief-related struggles, she brings a broad perspective to common and layered emotional problems. Kirsten encourages taking that first step toward therapy and supports clients through the matching and scheduling process so care can begin when they are ready.
How evidence-based approaches translate to online therapy
The therapist commonly uses Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in clinical work. ACT helps clients clarify their values and develop psychological flexibility by learning to accept difficult thoughts and feelings while committing to meaningful actions; it is often useful for stress, anxiety, and coping with life changes. CBT focuses on identifying and adjusting unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety and improve daily functioning.Choosing the right approach is part of the therapeutic process and will be determined collaboratively. The therapist will work with each person to explore goals, preferences, and symptoms and then recommend strategies or a combination of methods that best fit the client's needs and pace.
Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, which provide flexibility for scheduling and different communication styles. These options make it easier to maintain continuity of care around work, family, or mobility constraints and allow people to engage in therapy in a way that suits their daily life.
Frequently asked questions
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Specialties and expertise
Top specialties
Also works with
- Adoption and foster care
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Blended family issues
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Co-morbidity
- Communication problems
- Coping with life changes
- Depression
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Family conflicts
- Family of origin issues
- Gender dysphoria
- Guilt and shame
- Infidelity
- Jealousy
- LGBT
- Midlife crisis
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Phobias
- Post-traumatic stress
- Self-harm
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Trauma and abuse
- Visually impaired
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Therapeutic approaches
- Experience
- 33 years
- Licensed
- Illinois
- Languages
- English