About Me

What it’s like to sit across from me…

Hi, I'm Kristi Waidhofer (she/her).

I believe walking into therapy is one of the bravest gifts you can give yourself.

Maybe you've been carrying the weight of feeling like you're too much...or not enough. Too emotional. Too sensitive. Too loud. Too quiet. Too fat. Too different. Too anxious. Too exhausted. Maybe you've spent years wondering why everyone else seems to have life figured out while you're left questioning yourself, comparing yourself to others, or wondering, "Why can't I just be okay?"

Or maybe you've become so good at wearing masks, people-pleasing, surviving, or meeting everyone else's expectations that you've lost touch with who you really are.

If any of that resonates, you're not alone.

My goal is to create a calm, affirming space where you can finally exhale. Therapy should be a place where you don't have to perform, explain away your existence, or convince someone your experiences are real. Instead, it's a place to explore your story with curiosity instead of judgment—to reconnect with yourself, reclaim who you are, and discover that healing doesn't require becoming someone different. It often means returning to the version of yourself that has been buried beneath shame, trauma, comparison, and survival.

Clients often describe my style as warm, genuine, relational, and easy to talk to. I'm not a "smile and nod" therapist, and I'm probably not going to sit silently waiting for you to fill the space. I prefer to roll up my sleeves and sit in the suck with you. Together we'll make sense of what's happening, identify patterns that no longer serve you, and work toward meaningful, lasting change. I believe therapy works best when it feels like two humans having honest conversations—not one person analyzing the other from across the room.

I practice from a client-centered, strengths-based perspective because I believe you are the expert on your own life. I also approach therapy through a person-in-environment lens, recognizing that our struggles don't happen in isolation. Family systems, relationships, culture, identity, oppression, trauma, and life experiences all shape the way we move through the world. So often, people come to therapy believing they are the problem, when in reality they're responding to impossible circumstances or messages they've carried for years.

I also incorporate an understanding of neuroplasticity - the brain's remarkable ability to adapt, heal, and create new pathways throughout life. No matter your age or what you've experienced, meaningful growth and change remain possible.

Therapy is a place to lay down perfectionism, people-pleasing, shame, and comparison. It's a place to practice authenticity, develop self-compassion, build healthier boundaries, and create a relationship with yourself that feels kinder and more sustainable.

While I enjoy working with adolescents and adults navigating a wide range of concerns, I'm especially passionate about supporting people through:

• Trauma and PTSD

• Anxiety, chronic stress, and burnout

• Body image healing, body liberation, and learning to make peace with your body

• Chronic pain and chronic illness

• LGBTQIA+ identity exploration and support

• Life transitions, self-esteem, perfectionism, and people-pleasing

• Shame, authenticity, and reclaiming your sense of self

My practice is grounded in social justice and the belief that every person deserves dignity, autonomy, and compassionate care. I strive to create a therapeutic space that is anti-racist, LGBTQIA+ affirming, fat positive, sex positive, neurodiversity-affirming, and welcoming of all identities and lived experiences.

I bring more than 19 years of social work experience to my practice. Before becoming a therapist in private practice, I spent a decade working in adult mental health, trauma, substance use treatment, and research before dedicating eight years to supporting high school students in crisis. Those experiences taught me how to remain calm during life's hardest moments while helping people find practical next steps without losing sight of their humanity.

I earned both my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Master of Science in Social Work from The University of Texas at Austin and am clinically licensed in Texas, Massachusetts, and Colorado.

When I'm not in the therapy office, you'll probably find me listening to live music, hiking, tending to my garden, taking photographs, or trying to pet every animal I happen to meet.

Finding the right therapist matters because therapy is only as effective as the relationship you build together. If you're looking for a therapist who will meet you with warmth, honesty, compassion, and a willingness to walk alongside you through the hard stuff, I'd love to connect.

You don't have to keep carrying everything alone. Reach out today for a free consultation, and let's explore what reclaiming your life—and yourself—might look like together.

Access my MiResource Profile here!