Hi, my name is Krista Haws and I am a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Thank you for taking the time to get to know a little about me.  First off, I want to commend you for taking the difficult step of considering therapy. I also want to emphasize when you’re looking for a therapist, find someone you connect deeply with! No technique matters as much as the connection you have with your therapist! I truly love and admire my clients and my focus is to inform and guide my clients in the ways they want or need, in a nonjudgmental, supportive way. There is something very sacred about being allowed to sit one on one with someone in their pain and suffering; thank you for trusting me.  I work with individual adults, couples, and older teenagers. 

I was born and raised in the Bay Area of California, which is a wonderfully diverse area and I moved to the Denver, CO area in 2017. I received my Masters of Science in Clinical Psychology in 2005 from San Jose State University.  I have been working in the mental health field since 2001 and licensed since 2009.  I have experience with sexual addiction, betrayal trauma, depressive disorders, anxiety issues, big and little traumas, PTSD, ADHD, adjustment problems, family dynamics/interpersonal problems, various health issues and the effect on mental health. 

As for my therapeutic perspective, I believe unresolved trauma, which leads to disconnection with your core self, significant others, community, your higher power, peers, etc combined with ineffective coping skills cause the majority of our pain and suffering. My belief is that by figuring out and changing our attachment patterns, changing those and resolving traumas, especially by incorporating somatic processing techniques, we can help increase life satisfaction and decrease pain. Remember, what you put in to therapy determines how much you will get out of it! Being able to be uncomfortable in the short term will allow you to feel more peace and joy long term. 

As for formal training, I am trained in EMDR, AASAT for sexual addiction recovery, Betrayal trauma certified, CBT, Complex PTSD and trauma certified, IFS, EFT and Gottman methods. I also have a certificate in mental health and nutrition as well as the aging brain.

I use a number of techniques depending on my client’s needs using evidenced based practices including Neuropsychology, somatic processing, journaling, nutrition, exercise and walking sessions, yoga, Bibliotherapy, podcasts and more. 

Just for fun, a little more “personal” stuff about me. I’m a type 1 diabetic and I learn so much through my struggles. I am passionate about all kinds of healthy living and it’s effects on ALL areas of life! I love the outdoors and nature, watercolor, learning in almost anyway I can, home improvement projects, and crafts of all kinds.  I have been married since 2008 to an amazing husband who's dedication to “doing life” and doing hard things with me makes me SO grateful everyday! I have two  girls I love dearly and struggle to parent the best I can. They have such strong spirits! I love to learn new things and try to be better while being kind to myself. I feel fortunate to have the chance to practice the skills I learn at work on a daily basis to help me with my family.  I’m excited to help you too!