Meet Therapy Providers Kirsten and Robbie
To get the best results from your therapy experience, you must feel comfortable with your provider. You want a therapist who can provide a safe space to share your most personal details. And, someone you respect as they make suggestions and guide you towards healing.
We understand this at CW Psychological Services in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. That is why we have asked our newest providers to share some personal details about themselves. We want you to get to know them as people, just as they will get to know you.
CW Psychological Services welcomes Associate-Level Therapist Kirsten Newlin, M.A., NCC, and Pre-Licensed Therapist Robbie Hazard, M.A., to our growing team. Here is more about them:
Kirsten Newlin M.A., NCC
Associate Level Therapist
Pronouns: She/Her
What drew you to the therapy profession?
I always knew I wanted to help others but was unsure about the route. I wasn’t cut out to be a nurse or a doctor. During my middle and high school years, I experienced a lot of trauma and loss. I went through therapy to help me heal from my experiences. My favorite saying to my therapist was “You do not understand how I am feeling nor what I went through.” Seeing her patience and desire to understand my pain, was healing in its own way. She was an unbiased person who listened to me. After my successful therapy experience, I knew how I wanted to help others.
What is your favorite thing about being a therapist?
I am meeting new people and hearing their stories.
What makes you unique as a therapist?
My ability to use my accepting personality to connect with my clients no matter how different our experiences and backgrounds are. I am flexible with my approaches to individualize the therapeutic experience for each client.
How would you describe your therapeutic approach?
Dependent on the client’s needs and goals from treatment. I use a variety of therapeutic approaches, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, etc. I also understand those approaches are not a good fit for everyone and will customize treatment to fit the needs of my clients.
Everyone needs self-care. How do you practice self-care?
I like to nap with my dog Mac, cook, read, and watch reality TV to unwind and destress.
What is one thing that is important for anyone to know as they travel through life?
We are our biggest critics. Have grace with yourself.
What’s most important to you?
My family and friends.
You can learn more about Kirsten here.
Robbie Hazard, MA
Pre-licensed Therapist
Pronouns: He/Him
What drew you to the therapy profession?
Feedback from close friends/family often suggested that I was a good listener, a caring person, and easy to talk to.
What is your favorite thing about being a therapist?
While I love many aspects of being a therapist, two major things stand out. The first is that I find people very interesting. If you are listening closely to someone, then even something mundane can be fascinating. This is the more “cognitive” aspect of what I love about this job.
The second thing that I love is having the ability to watch people overcome difficulties. I don’t necessarily see myself as someone who helps people, but rather I guide people to help themselves. This can occur in both large and small ways. To me, this is the most rewarding part of the job.
What makes you unique as a therapist?
One thing that makes me unique is my ability to connect with many people. In my personal life, I’ve been told I’m good at talking with people and I find myself to be a conversationalist. This takes practice, of course, and that certainly isn’t what the majority of my job consists of, but it’s something that aids me in my ability to be a therapist. I feel I’m very good at being present with my clients. When clients are in session with me, I aim to give them undivided attention.
How would you describe your therapeutic approach?
My approach is very individualized. It all depends on my client. I work hard to do the best job I can and that means meeting you where you’re at. So, although I do offer structure and education, I also keep things open to allow my client to take the lead wherever appropriate.
Everyone needs self-care. How do you practice self-care?
I feel like self-care is often overly talked about and it’s talked about poorly. I think self-care is a very important topic and we should talk about it, but I think we need to expand our idea of what self-care is.
For me, exercise is a part of self-care. But that is such a broad category. Exercise for me is sometimes a full workout, sometimes it’s just a walk, or sometimes it’s taking 20 minutes of my day to do bodyweight exercises. I also think a big part of my self-care is socializing with close friends and family and being able to fully disconnect from my role as a therapist. After all, therapists are people too, we like to laugh and have fun doing the things we love, with the people we love.
These are the “big picture” aspects of self-care for me. When I approach self-care, I always try to turn inward and ask myself what I need at this moment in time and do my best to honor that. Sometimes that’s just doing nothing, which is perfectly fine!
What is one thing that is important for anyone to know as they travel through life?
It’s important for people to remember they are capable of change, and it doesn’t matter if they want it or not, life asks us to think and act differently at times. This can be very difficult, but human beings are extremely adaptable and no matter what life circumstance comes your way, you can adapt. It may not be pleasant, but life isn’t supposed to be pleasant all the time.
I think back to advice I received from an old wrestling coach. This coach gave me two pieces of advice that I remind myself of every day — practice gratitude and control what you can control.
What’s most important to you?
The most important things in my life are my close friends and family. I also find my career very important. Having close social support and knowing who is important to me is something I think about every day.
You can learn more about Robbie here.
Ready to begin counseling in Pennsylvania?
Counselors and associate-level clinicians at CW Psychological Services are professionally trained. We have openings for online or telehealth therapy appointments. Email us at [email protected] or call (610) 308-7575. We want to help.