Kirstina Quast , LICSW

Kirstina Quast is a licensed independent clinical social worker in Minnesota with nine years of experience providing mental health care across a range of settings. As an LICSW (Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker), she has worked in adult and children’s mental health, residential treatment, child welfare, and adoption and foster care services, bringing broad social service experience to her clinical work.

She supports people coping with anxiety, depression, trauma, grief and loss, relationship and intimacy challenges, parenting and blended family dynamics, career stress, infertility concerns, mood disorders including bipolar disorder, and addiction-related issues. Her practice also focuses on attachment and adoption-related challenges, caregiver stress, end-of-life and hospice concerns, and the emotional consequences of divorce, domestic violence, and family-of-origin problems.

Kirstina has specialized training in Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), attachment work, adoption competency, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). She integrates evidence-based methods such as cognitive behavioral therapy, narrative and experiential techniques, motivational interviewing, and strengths-based, solution-focused strategies to tailor her approach to each person’s needs.

Known for creative problem solving and a flexible, client-centered stance, she approaches therapy believing that each person is the expert in their own life. She collaborates with clients to identify practical strategies and supports that align with their goals and values, and she values the courage it takes to seek growth and change.

Approaches and Access - How Online Therapy Works with Kirstina

Kirstina draws from several therapeutic approaches to tailor work to each person’s needs. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying unhelpful thought patterns and developing practical skills to manage mood, anxiety, and stress-related problems. Attachment-Based Therapy explores how early relationships influence current patterns, helping people improve connection, trust, and relational understanding. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a structured method used to process traumatic memories and reduce their emotional intensity, often helping those who have experienced significant trauma.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Kirstina works with clients to assess goals, preferences, and the specific issues they bring, and then adapts techniques over time so the treatment fits each person rather than forcing a single method.

Online therapy offers flexible ways to engage - including video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging - so people can access support from home or while managing busy schedules. These options make it easier to maintain continuity of care during life transitions, caregiving responsibilities, or other constraints, while allowing therapists and clients to focus on practical strategies and real-world progress.