Kristen Buongiorno

Kristen Buongiorno is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) based in New Jersey. She brings 14 years of clinical experience to sessions and focuses on practical steps people can use to feel better. Kristen uses clear, direct conversation and aims to build a working relationship that helps clients make real changes.

She emphasizes the link between thoughts and behavior, drawing on cognitive behavioral approaches to help people recognize unhelpful patterns. Mindfulness and simple meditation practices are used to help with grounding and stress management. Kristen also values collaboration and asks clients to help set goals that match their priorities.

Kristen has worked with people facing depression, anxiety, relationship strain, major life changes, and issues related to trauma and military service. She also addresses concerns such as eating and body image, addiction, grief, caregiver stress, and career shifts. Sessions include direct talk about safety when needed, and developing practical safety plans for those who require them.

Her style blends compassion with straightforward feedback. She encourages motivated clients who want to try new coping tools and make changes. Kristen supports people through both short-term problem solving and longer-term work to build coping skills and emotional resilience.

People who choose Kristen can expect to set clear goals together and practice skills between sessions. She approaches each case as a collaboration and treats clients as experts on their own lives.

How Kristen blends evidence-based methods with online care

Kristen draws on cognitive behavioral therapy to help people see how thoughts influence actions. She helps clients identify unhelpful thinking patterns and practice new, more useful ways of responding to stress and mood problems.

She also uses mindfulness techniques to build grounding skills and reduce reactivity. Short breathing exercises and simple meditations are offered as tools people can use between sessions to manage anxiety and stay present.

Finding the right approach is a collaborative process. Kristen will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what feels doable, and then tailor techniques from CBT and mindfulness to fit those needs. The therapist treats clients as partners in shaping the work.

The biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm available options before booking. Online work can make it easier to fit therapy into a busy week, shorten check-in time, or avoid travel. Licensed professionals can adapt exercises for a video call or brief phone check-ins depending on what a client needs and what the therapist offers.