Crista Shaw , LCPC

Crista Shaw is a licensed mental health professional in Maine with 15 years of clinical experience. As an LCPC (Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor), she brings a practical, strengths-based approach to helping people manage stress, anxiety, family conflict, trauma and abuse, and anger. Her work focuses on understanding each person's unique circumstances and building coping strategies that fit daily life.

She emphasizes a respectful, nonjudgmental atmosphere where thoughts and feelings can be shared openly. Crista collaborates with individuals to set clear goals and to develop skills for handling difficult emotions, navigating family dynamics, and addressing grief, mood concerns, or life transitions. She acknowledges that beginning therapy requires courage and affirms the decision to seek support as an important first step toward change.

Integrating therapeutic approaches into online care

Crista Shaw uses client-centered therapy to create a respectful, empathetic space that helps people explore their values and priorities; this approach supports individuals coping with family issues, life transitions, and feelings of isolation by focusing on the person's own goals and experiences.

She also employs cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to identify and shift unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors, a practical method often used for anxiety, depression, stress management, and mood concerns. In addition, Trauma-Focused Therapy is used when past traumatic experiences are central to a person's difficulties, offering targeted strategies to process trauma and reduce its impact on daily functioning.

Deciding which approach will work best is a collaborative process. Crista works with each person to assess needs, preferences, and treatment goals, and adjusts techniques over time to find the best fit between approach and progress.

Online therapy with Crista includes options for video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, providing flexibility for scheduling and different comfort levels with communication styles. These formats make it easier for people to maintain continuity of care while balancing work, family, and other responsibilities, and allow licensed professionals to deliver focused therapeutic support across a range of concerns.