Kristen Miciotto
As a therapist, I believe the most authentic way one can compassionately listen to, guide and empower another is by drawing from experiences in which one has done their own work to overcome and grow through life’s unavoidable obstacles.
I am a perpetual student of life, love and Source (some people call it “God,” while others are more comfortable with “The Mystery” or “Higher Power”). While I’ve been fortunate to work with amazing teachers and students over the years, I’ve also had my share of life-altering challenges along the way. Through these experiences, I’ve acquired a vast array of tools to help navigate the rougher waters in my own life. These tools have come to powerfully serve my clients as well.
Through these experiences, I’ve been led me to believe in a few core principles by which I guide my therapeutic practice.
I believe that we get to choose the lens through which we see the world.
I believe the heart is where compassion, truth, courage, mercy and Source lives. It is the place within us that welcomes and embraces the dark parts as well as nurtures our hopes for who we can become.
I believe that when we practice shifting our awareness from our critical minds to our compassionate hearts, our lives can become lighter, yet so much more full. We become able to navigate from the dark into the light, replacing harsh judgment with gentle awareness and compassion, opening a space for joy and trust.
I believe we all get attached to stories, experiences and expectations. We all suffer when these attachments don’t serve our higher purpose any longer. However, I believe that these stories and attachments can be overcome and that the experiences of joy and peace of heart/mind are available to us all.
Like yours, my life has taken many twist and turns. I understand what it is like to wake up one day complacent or anxious or dissatisfied and not knowing how I got there. I can relate to how it feels like to come to the edge and be forced to evaluate the truth of what is holding me back. I am intimately familiar with the power of shame, self betrayal, fear and anxiety. I know the experience of allowing these emotions to influence my choices and keep me stuck in relationships and patterns that have created suffering.
With myself as well as with clients I focus on incorporating a practice of inner mindfulness while addressing these attachments. I incorporate my understanding of neurobiology and other psychodynamic theories and techniques to help unravel the stories that no longer serve and to develop new, more empowering and liberating practices and awareness.
My mission in this work is to utilize this ever-growing set of tools with compassion, trust and clear communication to help clients identify patterns that no longer serve them and create new habits and stories that support their whole-hearted, higher vision of themselves.