Kristina Smith, MA,Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist/Foun
Hello! I’m Kris and I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and founder of Village Wellness Center. I started my practice, MOTHER WARRIOR COUNSELING, to help women work through life’s challenges and moms recover from perinatal mood disorder. Through my work, I heard time and time again from women that they were feeling "disconnected" and "alone" in their experience of motherhood; without a sense of community or a "village". Through this new awareness, Mother Warrior Counseling has grown to become Village Wellness Center, a place for care, connection, & community for the whole family. I continue to provide individual, couple, and family supportive therapy, as well as intensive perinatal support programs.
When I’m not doing the work I love, I tryyyy to spend some time with my two teenagers (shout out to all the parents navigating THIS minefield), watching the sunset with my husband at his “outdoor sandy office” (must be nice), and watching my favorite shows on constant repeat (I’m a creature of habit!). Thanks for taking the time to get to know a little more about me…
here’s a little more on why I know we can work together...
My Connection To What You’re Going ThroughHearing someone say “I understand” when they haven’t experienced what you’re going through can leave you feeling irritated and even more isolated than you already do. I want you to know that I understand because I’ve actually been there. I’ve experienced postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, postpartum OCD, difficult life transitions, relationship struggles, etc….and all as a mom.
I understand...right now you feel the saddest you’ve ever felt during a time when you thought you were suppose to feel the happiest.
I understand that your anxiety may be so bad that it feels as though you might crawl out of your skin every time the baby monitor makes the slightest sound or with every sunset because you know it would be another night without sleep.
I understand that you are over-scheduling, over-controlling, and over-reading. I understand that you want to give up, go away, and disappear. I understand that you cry when you leave your kids and cry when you have to pick them up. I understand you feel shame, guilt, anger, and frustration about everything!
I understand your sense of self has now shifted and you aren’t quite sure who you are anymore or how you’ll get through this. There’s an urge to make it all stop and return to the way it was, and you feel guilty and afraid for thinking this way.
I understand how it feels to experience major shifts in life. Relationships, jobs, family, community….they are all important parts of who we are and when one or more of them are changing, life can feel overwhelming and unbalanced.
What I want you to know is, although you don’t feel like it right now….
- You WILL be ok!
- You WILL start feeling better
- You WILL stop crying and blaming yourself
- You WILL enjoy your life with your children and your partner
- You WILL find the Warrior that is deep inside
- I WILL help you get there!
My ApproachI use a very comfortable and relational approach through the use of humor, empathy, and goal directed conversation that will focus on symptom identification and reduction. We will be a team and walk through this together. We will focus on re-connecting with your authentic self and integrating your “new self” into a whole person that will have a positive and lasting change to the feelings you are struggling with. We will focus on learning to embrace your role in any facet of your life and empower your identity as a Warrior at any stage of your life journey.
Contact me TODAY so we can start you on your journey towards a more fulfilled, happier, and stronger you.
