coeo

who exactly is this kristen character?

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let’s start with the basics. first and foremost, she is a human. a human with a unique story, just like every other human. she is  a licensed marriage and family therapist who sees individuals, couples, and families and pediatric nurse practitioner.  she is an empath at heart and a realist through and through. kristen values individuality while understanding how systems and relationships impact each person differently. she challenges clients to think differently,  feel deeply, and find humor in the process.  together, she will move with you beyond the symptoms and nurture safe spaces for connection and healing. kristen believes in the power of showing-up and wants nothing more than for people to arrive at her (virtual) door exactly as they are, and she will meet you there with open arms.

you, you & your partner, or you & your family should consider chatting with Kristen if…

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you feel like you are existing, not living. you know you need to do this work, but you wish you could find some levity and humor in it all.  you hate food and secretly love it at the same time. and it feels so excruciating to be in your body that the desire to be empty keeps you trapped in an endless cycle of “too much and not enough.” you have worked so hard to be “right” and “accepted” that neither your external life, nor your internal life feel like the truth, but they both hurt, really badly. you can’t understand why it feels more comfortable to give a presentation at work than it does to talk to a friend, eat, or sleep. maybe you feel desperately lonely in a room full of people and constantly ask yourself “what’s wrong with me?.” you might feel like you have a new member of your family who doesn’t resemble your loved one, but more a body enveloped by their eating disorder, addiction, depression, or the past. and, truthfully, some days may feel great and other days it takes every molecule of energy to open your eyes. or your body, brain, and life feel completely out of control, but have no words, and you dream of someone just sitting next to you and saying “me too.”

colleen, describe kristen in five words or fewer.​

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world's

most

compassionate

human.

one book for the rest of your life, go.

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radical candor

by kim scott

how did kristen end up at coeo?​

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kristen, always “dancing to the beat of her own drum” landed at coeo following a journey filled with many years of schooling, a smattering of jobs, and a trip (or five) to kenya, africa. for the first 10 years, kristen was a nurse practitioner for pediatric patients in the ICU. although she loved medicine, she found herself drawn to the emotional experiences of both patients and families. this realization led her to become a therapist working with clients in all stages of life struggling with relationships, trauma, identity, eating disorders, addiction, and more. 

kristen would describe the last 8 years as a whirlwind of great experience, the merging of two careers, infinite lessons, and a quest to drive change. she worked at the children’s hospital of philadelphia as the director of psychiatric nursing and focused on building systems and influencing culture around behavioral and mental health. with a big vision and a lot of passion, kristen co-founded coeo, jumped back into counseling full-time, and is now dedicated to not only building a practice but a connected community of humans.