Kristel Avilus, LCSW

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Warm, narrative-minded LCSW for trauma and life change

Details

Name	Kristel Avilus
Credentials	LCSW
Based in	Florida
Licensed in	Florida
Session format	Online
Languages	English
Years in practice	7

About Kristel

Kristel Avilus is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with seven years of experience helping people sort through trauma, mood struggles, and life changes. She speaks plainly and offers a warm, interactive approach so people feel heard and respected. She welcomes conversation about anxiety, depression, relationship struggles, and worries about parenting, career, or identity.

Kristel often combines Narrative ideas with Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people rewrite stressful stories about themselves.

Background and approach

Sessions focus on noticing patterns, naming painful parts of experience, and testing new behaviors in small steps. She also draws on client-centered and dialectical techniques when emotion regulation and strong feelings get in the way of progress. Her background includes work with people affected by physical, sexual, or emotional abuse and with those living with ADHD, obsessive-compulsive concerns, or bipolar mood shifts.

She helps people cope with grief, addiction, anger, and compassion fatigue, and she addresses issues like abandonment, attachment, and family of origin dynamics. Kristel offers practical tools for sleeping problems, self-esteem, communication struggles, and intimacy-related concerns. Conversations are tailored to each person's priorities and paced so change feels manageable.

She also supports people dealing with divorce, blended family challenges, and caregiver stress. Kristel works with English-speaking clients from Florida and beyond. Her sessions aim to build skills, shift unhelpful stories, and create concrete next steps toward greater stability and meaning.

What this therapist works with

Her listing names Stress, Anxiety, LGBT, Relationship issues among the things Kristel works with, alongside the areas below.

Stress, Anxiety
LGBT
Relationship issues
Family conflicts
Depression
Addictions
Trauma and abuse
Grief
Intimacy-related issues
Sleeping disorders
Parenting issues
Anger management
Self esteem
Career difficulties
Bipolar disorder
Coping with life changes
Coaching
Compassion fatigue
ADHD
Abandonment
Attachment issues
Blended family issues
Body image
Caregiver issues and stress
Codependency
Commitment issues
Communication problems
Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
Dependent personality
Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)
Divorce and separation
Domestic violence
Emptiness
Family of origin issues
Family problems
Fatherhood issues
Fertility issues
First responder issues
Forgiveness
Gender dysphoria
Guilt and shame
Hearing impaired
Hospice and end-of-life counseling
Immigration issues
Infidelity
Intellectual disability
Jealousy
Life purpose
Men's issues
Midlife crisis
Money and financial issues
Mood disorders
Multicultural concerns
Narcissism
Panic disorder and panic attacks
Personality disorders
Polyamory / non-monogamous relationships
Postpartum depression
Post-traumatic stress
Pregnancy and childbirth
Prejudice and discrimination
Self-harm
Self-love
Sex addiction
Sexual assault and abuse
Sexual dysfunction
Sexuality
Somatization
Women's issues
Workplace issues
Young adult issues

Approaches listed

Narrative Therapy: Named in her listing among her approaches.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): Listed by Kristel among the ways she works.
Client-Centered Therapy: Listed by Kristel among the ways she works.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): Listed by Kristel among the ways she works.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): Listed by Kristel among the ways she works.
Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT): Listed by Kristel among the ways she works.
Mindfulness Therapy: Listed by Kristel among the ways she works.
Motivational Interviewing: Listed by Kristel among the ways she works.
Solution-Focused Therapy: Listed by Kristel among the ways she works.
Trauma-Focused Therapy: Listed by Kristel among the ways she works.
Training stated: This directory copies the approaches a therapist names and does not check training records. Ask Kristel directly how much of the work is narrative and what a session usually looks like.

Narrative Therapy in this listing

Narrative Therapy appears in this therapist's own list of approaches. That tells you it is part of how she works. It does not tell you how much of a session it shapes, and this directory does not check or rate training.

If a narrative approach is what you are looking for, it is worth asking Kristel directly how she uses it and what a session usually looks like.

Online session options

Therapeutic approaches for online care

Kristel uses Narrative Therapy to help people uncover and rewrite the stories they tell about themselves, making room for new meanings and different choices. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is another key approach she uses; it focuses on clarifying values and taking small committed actions even when uncomfortable feelings are present. She also uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to identify unhelpful thoughts and test out new behaviors that reduce distress.

Finding the right mix of approaches is part of the work. Kristel treats the choice of method as collaborative and will adjust techniques based on a person’s goals, needs, and preferences. Together she and the client decide whether to emphasize narrative exploration, values-driven action, or skill-based CBT practice.

Online therapy offers practical flexibility. Video sessions let people maintain face-to-face connection; phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or a shorter check-in is needed. Live chat and text messaging suit brief check-ins, written reflection, or ongoing support between sessions. These options make it easier to fit therapy into a busy life while still progressing toward clear, attainable goals.

Common questions about this listing

What concerns does Kristel help address?

She helps with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, addictions, grief, relationship and intimacy issues, sleep problems, parenting worries, ADHD, bipolar concerns, and related struggles.

What is her therapeutic style like?

Her style is warm and interactive. She blends Narrative approaches with ACT and CBT ideas and uses client-centered and DBT elements when strong emotions need managing.

How much clinical experience does she have?

Kristel has seven years of experience working with people around unresolved trauma, mood concerns, and life transitions.

What are her credentials and location?

She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, LCSW, practicing from Florida.

Which languages are supported and can she work internationally?

Sessions are offered in English, and she accepts international clients.

What session formats are available?

Kristel offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to fit different needs and schedules.

How much do sessions cost?

Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.

How do I begin working with her?

Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and then schedule according to therapist availability.

Contacting this therapist

Sessions with Kristel are arranged through our partner platform. It asks a few questions about what you are looking for, then shows you the therapists available to you, including Kristel where she has space. Ask about fees, and whether she holds a licence or registration where you live.

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