Kristen El Yaouti

I am a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor specializing in treating individual, communal and generational trauma. As a Filipino and Moroccan American myself, I have particular insight and experience working with first- and second-generation immigrant women from MENA and Asian countries.

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I also have extensive experience working with neurodivergence, queer identity, and the mental health impacts of chronic illness and disability all with an eye for how structural margainalization reaches the most personal corners of our lives.

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My approach often focuses on honoring the ways our bodies and minds have learned to manage our trauma and keep us alive and going; while examining the cost of maintaining these habits and strategies as we move toward a safer present and future.

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I am a Registered Drama Therapist with the NADTA. I received my MA in Counseling Psychology with a concentration in Drama Therapy from CIIS. My thesis was on the utility of online trauma-informed drama therapy influenced by polyvagal theory and somatic experiencing, acknowledging the implications, challenges, and benefits of Telehealth.

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My goal has always been to work collaboratively with clients to support the development of their confidence in gauging and creating safety for themselves rather than deferring to authority, including my own.