- Warm and direct
- Strengths based
- Goal oriented
About Carissa
Carissa Streich is a licensed independent clinical social worker (LICSW) practicing in Washington. She offers a straightforward and respectful approach that helps people facing stress, anxiety, depression, grief, and relationship concerns. Her tone is warm and strengths-based while remaining direct when needed. Carissa aims to make starting therapy feel manageable for a worried parent or an overwhelmed individual.
Carissa draws on client-centered work and cognitive-behavioral ideas to create practical plans for daily life. She also uses psychodynamic ideas to notice long-standing patterns and Solution-Focused methods to set clear, short-term goals. Motivational Interviewing helps when someone is unsure about change or needs a boost finding motivation.
She has nine years of experience in the field and has supported people who have faced trauma, physical or emotional abuse, and complex life transitions. Her background includes work with concerns such as bipolar disorder, addiction, compassion fatigue, eating issues, and sexual assault and abuse. She also helps with blended family issues, divorce and separation, and workplace stress.
In sessions Carissa adapts pace and tone to the person in the room. She listens for strengths and practical next steps, and she adjusts plans as needs shift. Her goal is to help people build skills they can use between sessions and to support steady, realistic progress.
If someone is ready to begin, Carissa guides them through a short intake and a tailored plan. She focuses on clear next steps so therapy feels like a sequence of small, doable changes rather than an overwhelming task.
How her approaches translate to online therapy
Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening, empathy, and meeting each person where they are. Online sessions that use this approach prioritize what the person most needs to talk about and follow their pace. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at the link between thoughts, feelings, and actions and teaches concrete skills to change unhelpful patterns; it can work well for anxiety, depression, and stress-related problems in a remote format. Motivational Interviewing is a collaborative way to explore readiness for change and to build confidence; it often helps with addictions, behavior change, and moving through ambivalence.Finding the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will talk with the person about goals, preferences, and what feels helpful, then try strategies and adjust them over time. That collaborative process helps match methods to real-life needs instead of sticking to a single plan.
The biography does not list specific session formats, so confirm current options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit appointments into a busy week, reduce travel time, and let people connect from different locations. It also allows for flexibility in session length or check-in style, which can help when someone needs a shorter conversation during a break or prefers not to be on camera. Licensed professionals can adapt the approaches above to work in remote sessions and help people move toward steady, manageable change.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
9+ years
Listed in
Washington
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does this therapist help with?
Carissa addresses stress, anxiety, depression, grief, relationship and family concerns along with trauma and abuse related issues. She also works with challenges like addiction, bipolar disorder, eating problems, workplace stress, and compassion fatigue.
What is her therapeutic style?
Her style is warm and strengths-based but can be direct when needed. She focuses on practical steps, goal setting, and helping people notice patterns that affect day-to-day life.
How much experience does she have?
She has nine years of experience working in the field, including work with people who have experienced physical trauma or emotional abuse and those facing major life transitions.
What credentials and location are listed?
She holds a LICSW, which is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker, and she practices in Washington.
Which languages are sessions offered in?
Sessions are offered in English. She is not accepting international clients at this time.
What session formats are available?
The biography does not specify session formats. Please confirm current session options before scheduling so you know whether phone, video, or in-person sessions are offered.
How does payment and cost work?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability. Sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time, and pricing depends on that subscription model.
How do I get started if I want to work together?
Select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to the therapist's availability to begin the process.