Frequently Asked Questions

Krista has worked in the field for 11 years. She started as an addictions counselor in 2014 at Harbor House, Inc. She worked in men's residential for 5 years and obtained her Alcohol and Drug Counselor Certification in 2016. She worked at Gateway Recovery Center for women for about 6 months and then moved to Outpatient at Harbor House, Inc. in 2019. Krista went back to school to obtain her Master's degree in Social Work in 2017. She obtained this in 2020 and immediately received her Licensed Masters Social Work (LMSW) credential. In 2022 she left Harbor House, Inc. and moved to Western Arkansas Counseling and Guidance Center. Shortly after that in 2023 she obtained her Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) status. In 2025, Krista opened Embodied Renewal Counseling and moved to private practice. In 2018 Krista was trained in Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and immediately fell in love with the model of therapy. It changed everything for her. In 2024 Krista became certified through the EMDR International Association and then became a Consultant-in-Training so she could assist others in becoming certified. Krista now consults with other EMDR therapists and assists in EMDR trainings on the weekends and finds it to be some of the most fulfilling work and therapy she's ever done.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is an evidence-based therapy designed to help the brain "reprocess" and heal from traumatic or distressing life experiences. When we go through something overwhelming, the memory can sometimes get "stuck" in our nervous system in its raw, emotional form. This is why a memory from years ago can still feel like it's happening right now. EMDR uses Bilateral Stimulation (BLS)—usually through guided eye movements, gentle taps, or tones—to help the brain move these memories into long-term storage. Think of it as helping your brain’s internal filing system move a memory from the "Current Threat" folder to the "Past History" folder. While it doesn't make you forget what happened, it significantly reduces the emotional "sting," allowing you to feel more grounded and at peace in the present.

If you feel like you’re "doing the work" in weekly therapy but still find yourself stuck in the same loops, an EMDR Intensive may be the catalyst you need. Traditional 50-minute sessions are often interrupted just as the "deep work" begins. In an intensive format, we remove the constraints of the clock, allowing your brain and nervous system the time they need to fully process traumatic memories, rewire old narratives, and find a state of true resolution. Why Choose an Intensive? 1. Efficiency: Accomplish months of traditional therapy in a fraction of the time. 2. Momentum: Eliminate the "startup and wind-down" time of weekly sessions, staying in the flow of processing. 3. Symptom Relief: Ideal for those seeking rapid relief from PTSD, anxiety, or performance blocks. 4. Safety-First: My intensives are deeply informed by Polyvagal Theory and dissociation-informed care. We move at the speed of your nervous system, ensuring you feel grounded and supported throughout the entire process. Flexible Scheduling to Meet Your Needs I offer several tiers of intensives tailored to your specific goals and history: 1. Targeted Sessions: 2 to 6-hour blocks for processing specific events or "stuck points." 2. Deep-Dive Retreats: Comprehensive 1-3-day intensives for complex trauma and long-standing attachment wounds. Investment Rate: $200 per hour Intensives are a concentrated investment in your well-being, often reducing the total duration of treatment and providing a more rapid return to a life of peace and presence.

1. Medicaid 2. Medicare 3. Wellcare 4. BCBS 5. Federal BCBS 6. Health Advantage 7. Ambetter 8. Qual Choice 9. Optum/UMR/UHC 10. Municipal Health 11. Private Pay 12. Sliding Scale

I am licensed in Arkansas and Oklahoma and can do telehealth with clients in both states. I also do in person sessions at my office at 3740 Rogers Ave. Fort Smith, AR 72903.

We have a 24 hour cancellation policy. You will need to cancel your session 24 hours in advance. There is a $100 late cancel/no show fee. If you late cancel/no show two times in a row, we will take you off of the schedule (if you are on a recurrence) and you will have to contact us to be put back on the schedule. Emergencies, illness, and other unexpected challenges will be given grace.

I am very laid back and have been described as "chill." I will let you come to your own conclusions and realize your own mistakes, unless it is urgent and something will cause you harm. I believe that you are in control of the process and I follow your lead. If you don't want to talk about your trauma, we don't have to. If you don't want to go "there," we won't go "there." It's very important that you are in the drivers seat and when you say "no" we honor that and respect the "no." Sometimes an "I don't know" or a "maybe" is a "no" and we listen to your body to tell us the answer.

The first session is us getting to know one another. I explain the limits of confidentiality, informed consent, remind you of our cancellation policy, and then ask a million questions to get to know you so I can form a proper treatment plan to give you the best care possible. Be prepared to answer a lot of questions, take a break if you need to, and enjoy a cup of coffee, tea, or some water while we chat.

If you start to feel floaty, spaced out, disconnected, numb, or unreal, that’s a good sign that you’re dissociating. I have several ways that I can assist you in grounding and orienting you to the present moment. These things are good tells to me to begin a deeper dive into any dissociative tendencies you may have, and helpful information for me to know. Please let me know if you begin feeling this way, and if you don’t or can’t find the words, sometimes just saying the word, "stuck," or we can come up with a hand gesture, will let me know what’s going on. Often, I can pick up your dissociation by the way I start to feel. You are in a gentle, grace-filled place with me.