Independent Therapist at Integrity Counseling Center
Do you feel alone, overwhelmed, or just ‘stuck’? Do you want to heal from past events that hold you back from fully living?
Life is hard at times.
Your old patterns, habits, or ways of thinking might not serve you well anymore. A skilled therapist that gets it can meet you where you are, and also show you a new path so that you can have a different outcome.
I am here to help you move past what is keeping you up at night.
I am here to help you reach your deepest desires for yourself and your relationships.
Who I work with?
Counseling for Women and Men Individually
I help adults with a variety of challenges. Counseling people in seasons of change, such as making adjustments with grief and loss and those who have a chronic medical condition are some of my specialties (I have a personal experience living with type-one diabetes).
Most often, I help people just like you to overcome past trauma and anxiety.
You might have noticed how worry and other overwhelming emotions can lead to other issues such as relationship problems and substance use.
By working to understand what triggers your emotions or behaviors and then applying healthy coping mechanisms, I help you make a change. In the process, you start to feel more in control of your thoughts and feelings rather than be driven by irritability, fear, or addictive behaviors.
To help you understand your triggers and move you toward positive change, I utilize EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), CPT (Cognitive Processing Therapy), and IFS (Internal Family Systems), which are some of the leading therapy methods to assist people in recovering from trauma and anxiety.
Counseling for Teens and Children Age 6+
I am a therapist of choice for kids ages 6 and up. If you are concerned that your child or teenager shows signs of worry, irritability, trauma, or self-harm, I would like to help.
I use a variety of techniques to help children and teens feel comfortable, look forward to our sessions and express themselves. My therapy work with younger children may involve role-playing, drawing, play dough, and games.
I know how hard it is to watch your child struggle. Working with your child and teen in counseling will be a collaborative experience between your family and me. Parent education is also one of my passions.
In my counseling with children and teens, I draw from the work of Dr. Dan Seigel and attachment theory. DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) is very helpful in my therapy with teens. CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), EMDR and IFS are also very helpful in helping children and teens process trauma and their worries.
I am a trained facilitator in Circle of Security Parenting™. With this approach, I work with parents like you to understand your child’s needs and how to meet them while building and maintaining a secure relationship.
Marriage Counseling and Couples Therapy
Couples often come to me saying they struggle with conflict and communication. And this term encompasses dozens of issues: criticism, contempt, sweeping things under the rug, having or contemplating a physical or emotional affair, and the list goes on.
You want to reconnect and find closeness that seems to have vanished. You want to have peace in your relationship again.
I’ll support you in making sense of where you get stuck and how you can channel your passion for each other into rediscovering feelings of love, commitment, and partnership.
My couples therapy work is rooted in Gottman method of relationship therapy. I am also trained in using Prepare/Enrich assessment that has a lot to offer to couples wanting to increase their connection.
What to expect in a counseling session with me as your therapist?
People who work with me find relief that they will not be judged.
Clients feel I genuinely care about them and their struggles. They share I help them to feel hope right from the beginning no matter how difficult are the challenges they face.
In our therapy work together, you can count on me being real, and that I’ll help you feel safe to do the same.
I will encourage you to work on some assignments and practice certain skills between our counseling sessions.
It is never my intent to make therapy drawn out. We will take the time you need, not more and not less. Together, we will determine the frequency and duration of therapy that will be right for you.
Why choose me as your therapist?
A few things have shaped me to be the therapist that I am today.
My past careers as a teacher, a manager at a large non-profit agency, and a children’s ministry pastor have taught me much about people.
Growth through pain in my personal life has helped me to see hope in difficult seasons and build on my compassion for people.
My continued professional learning and training in research-based therapies are of much value to help me help you meet your goals.
I have the heart to help you heal!
I have the courage to gently challenge you in becoming who you were made to be!
I have the training and experience to help you transform yourself and your relationships!
I would love to help you move forward in your life!
When I’m not doing therapy…
First thing that comes to mind are my morning routines. I love the quiet mornings with coffee (yes, decaf coffee can still be euphoric), my Bible, journal, and exercise.
It’s during these times of stillness that I find the action or surrender that makes my life worth living.
All of my greatest joys are found in the context of my relationship with God, family, and friends.
I love being with my family, riding my bike, hiking, camping, sitting outside and practicing gratitude.
If you’re ready to grow and thrive, schedule your appointment today!
Not ready to schedule your first appointment yet?
Give us a call and we will be happy to answer your questions (360) 356-8756
Rates information is here.
I look forward to meeting you!
Kristi Canning-Lee, MS, LMHC
What our clients say:
“Therapy with you [Kristi] has been very helpful, especially in the area of self-harm. I am communicating with my parents better. My struggles with the food part is a lot better, it’s like it never happened. My patience has increased with others, and I’m a lot more patient with myself.”
– 14 year old teen girl, Washington
“I find Kristi to be understanding and empathetic. The fact that she as a counselor utilizes her own experience was very powerful for me. She is also very clear in sharing her observations and suggestions.”
– 48 year old female, Washington
“Counseling with Kristi helped me with trauma from my past. Her guidance during this time has been nothing less than excellent. There is nothing I haven’t been able to discuss with Kristi during our sessions.”
– 55 year old male, Washington
“We used to fight all the time. In marriage counseling, we learned how to listen and understand, to validate each other and hear things from each other’s perspective. We can pick and choose what is driven by emotion vs. our values and goals for our interactions. Our home has more joy.”
– couple with two children, Washington
“I have been riddled with pain from my past for years. It found a way to creep into daily life all the time. Cognitive Processing Therapy with Kristi helped me to understand the thoughts and behaviors that kept me stuck. I can now balance thoughts that lead to balanced expectations and I have hope.”
– 32 year old female, Washington
“When I first came to therapy I was having problems with friends. My parents tried to help me, but I just needed them to be my mom and my dad. In therapy I learned how to reflect and talk about what I wanted in friendships, what I valued, and to look for that. I had no self confidence in the beginning and would just respond in anger. But now I am confident being myself. I can laugh and have fun without giving it a thought, and I have amazing friends. I’m so much more comfortable with who I am, and who I am not. ”
– 16 yo female teen, Washington