Christy Alten , LPC-MH, LMHC

Christy Alten is a seasoned mental health and addictions counselor with 31 years of clinical experience working with adolescents and adults. She holds professional licenses as LPC-MH and LMHC - designations that reflect formal training and authorization to provide mental health counseling - and also has a background as a licensed addictions counselor in South Dakota. Her practice blends faith-informed care with evidence-based techniques, reflecting a commitment to hope, purpose, and healing through both spiritual resources and proven therapeutic strategies.

She brings extensive experience in 12-step approaches, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), Gottman couples work, polyvagal-informed techniques, and Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART). Christy approaches counseling from an existential and spiritual perspective, supporting clients through depression, anxiety, addictions, grief, relationship and family issues, parenting challenges, career changes, and other life transitions. She also works with concerns such as abandonment, codependency, control issues, and feelings of emptiness or isolation.

In addition to direct clinical work, Christy has more than 22 years of experience providing clinical supervision and professional development for new and experienced clinicians. She emphasizes collaboration and practical planning to guide people through the healing process, and she encourages those who are struggling to seek support and engage fully in therapy.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care with Christy Alten

Christy integrates Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) into her work to help people identify and shift unhelpful thinking patterns and develop practical skills for managing anxiety, depression, and stress-related problems. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is used to teach emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness - tools that support people facing intense emotions, relationship conflict, or self-destructive urges. For couples and relationship work she draws on the Gottman Method to improve communication, rebuild trust, and strengthen problem-solving between partners.

Finding the right approach is part of the therapeutic process. Christy collaborates with each person to determine which methods best match their goals, needs, and preferences, and she adapts techniques over time as those needs evolve. This collaborative stance helps clients feel involved and supported while exploring change.

Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, offering flexibility for different schedules and comfort levels. These formats allow licensed professionals to provide consistent care across distances, making it easier to fit therapy into busy lives and to maintain momentum between sessions.