Kristin Harkins, LMFT

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Background:

Kristin Harkins is a licensed marriage and family therapist (LMFT) who provides individual psychotherapy, couples counseling, marriage counseling, and family therapy to clients ages 13 and older.

Education:

From her undergraduate degree in sociology at the University of California Los Angeles, Kristin gained an appreciation for how social and environmental aspects of a person’s life affect their mood state and responses to stress. In 2001, she completed her master’s degree in marriage and family therapy from the University of Southern California.

Professional Involvement and Academic Affiliations:

Ms. Harkins has held a number of clinical and supervisory positions in her field. She has served as an adjunctive professor at Loyola Marymount University, in their Department of Specialized Programs in Professional Psychology, and has provided training and support to fellow clinicians.

Theoretical Orientations and Treatment Approach:

When working with her clients, Ms. Harkins utilizes a combination of evidence-based psychotherapies and theoretical approaches, including cognitive-behavioral (CBT), psychodynamic, family systems, and solution-focused theories. It is Ms. Harkins’ belief that a strong therapist-client relationship is essential to treatment. While establishing trust in an emotionally safe environment, she utilizes a strengths-based approach that builds on her clients’ innate strengths to help them achieve their goals. Her therapeutic style is supportive, empathic, and active, and she regularly teaches pragmatic skills designed to foster a sense of empowerment.

Areas of Clinical Focus:

 Over the course of her career, Ms. Harkins has worked with clients of all ages, across various settings. She regularly addresses issues involving depression, anxiety, grief, trauma, disruptive behaviors, interpersonal challenges, partner relationship issues, and parenting challenges, amongst other concerns.