Dr. Kristi Hottenstein, LPC, LPCC
Compassionate counselor focused on practical growth
Book with KristiWorks with
- Anger
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Self esteem
- Depression
How Kristi works
Practical facts
- Credentials
- LPC, LPCC
- Licensed in
- Michigan, Texas, Arizona, California, New Jersey, Virginia
- Years in practice
- 20
- Languages
- English
- Session format
- Online, through our partner platform
About Kristi
Dr. Kristi Hottenstein is a licensed professional counselor with two decades of experience. She has practiced in Michigan since 2009 and holds a doctorate in higher education administration from the University of Toledo.
Kristi also earned a master’s degree in Counseling from the University of La Verne and a bachelor’s in Sociology from Alma College. She runs Compass Counseling & Coaching, PLLC and brings a practical, down-to-earth style to sessions.
Background and approach
Kristi sees each person as unique and adapts her approach to fit their needs. She listens first, then helps set clear, doable steps forward. Her work covers a wide range of concerns including stress, anxiety, depression, relationship and intimacy issues, anger, addictions, grief, trauma and abuse, self-esteem, and sleep and eating struggles.
She also supports people facing career changes, caregiving stress, ADHD, and concerns linked to adoption and attachment. Kristi uses a mix of approaches such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Client-Centered Therapy, and Existential Therapy.
In practice this means she helps clients notice what matters to them, change unhelpful thinking patterns, build emotion regulation skills, and clarify personal values. Sessions are offered through video calls, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging. She works collaboratively to help people find manageable ways to cope, grow, and move forward while honoring each person’s strengths and life context.
What Kristi works with
Everything Kristi lists, in the therapist's own terms. Anger is the reason this directory exists; the rest tells you what usually sits alongside it in Kristi's practice.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Family conflicts
- Self esteem
- Depression
- Addictions
- LGBT
- Trauma and abuse
- Grief
- Intimacy-related issues
- Eating disorders
- Sleeping disorders
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Career difficulties
- Bipolar disorder
- Coping with life changes
- Coaching
- Compassion fatigue
- ADHD
- Abandonment
- Adoption and foster care
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Antisocial personality
- Attachment issues
- Avoidant personality
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Cancer
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Dependent personality
- Dissociation
- Divorce and separation
- Drug and alcohol addiction
- Eating and food-related issues
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- Fertility issues
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Hoarding
- Hospice and end-of-life counseling
- Immigration issues
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Midlife crisis
- Veteran and Armed Forces Issues
- Money and financial issues
- Narcissism
- Obsessions, compulsions, and OCD
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Phobias
- Postpartum depression
- Post-traumatic stress
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-harm
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Kristi lists
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Existential Therapy
- Gottman Method
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Narrative Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
- Internal Family Systems
Listing an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist names and does not check training records.
How Kristi’s Approaches Work Online
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) focuses on clarifying personal values and taking committed action toward them. Online ACT sessions often include short exercises and values-based homework to help people handle difficult thoughts and feelings while moving toward what matters.Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) targets the thoughts and behaviors that keep problems going. In teletherapy this looks like identifying unhelpful thinking patterns, practicing new behaviors during the week, and reviewing progress together to build better coping skills.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) teaches concrete emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and communication skills. When used online, DBT skills can be taught in short, practical segments and practiced in real life between sessions to reduce reactivity and improve relationships.
Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Kristi will discuss goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t helped in the past. Together they will try strategies, track what works, and adjust the plan so therapy fits the person’s life and needs.
Online therapy with video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging offers flexibility for different schedules and situations. Video is useful for deeper conversations, phone can be easier when bandwidth is limited, live chat works for brief check-ins, and messaging lets people share thoughts between sessions. These options make it simpler to keep therapy consistent while fitting it into a busy life.
Questions people ask about Kristi
What kinds of concerns does she help with?
She helps people with many issues including stress, anxiety, depression, anger, addictions, grief, trauma and abuse, relationship and intimacy issues, self-esteem, sleep and eating problems, career questions, and caregiving stress.
What is her general approach in sessions?
She uses a practical, person-focused approach and adapts methods to each individual. Expect listening, goal setting, and practical steps you can try between sessions.
How long has she been practicing?
She has about 20 years of clinical experience and has been a licensed professional counselor in Michigan since 2009.
What credentials and region are listed?
She holds LPC and LPCC credentials and practices in Michigan. Her education includes a doctorate from the University of Toledo and a master’s degree in Counseling.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Are international clients supported?
International clients are not currently accepted; her practice is based in Michigan.
What formats are available for meetings?
She offers video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to match different schedules and needs.
How do fees and getting started work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability and uses a subscription that can be canceled at any time. To begin, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.