Crystal Anderson-Shrieves

Working with me means working with someone who genuinely believes that the most powerful thing you can do is decide you're worth showing up for. I'm Crystal Anderson-Shrieves, an LCSW with 18 years of clinical experience and a master's from Columbia University's School of Social Work. I specialize in anxiety, depression, trauma, ADHD, relationship challenges, and the deeply personal experience of navigating cultural identity in a world that doesn't always make space for it.

I work with adults, couples, and families, and I bring the same directness and warmth to all of it. My clients often describe sessions with me as both challenging and relieving: I'll help you see patterns you hadn't noticed and give you real tools to work with them. I identify as a Black woman, and I know firsthand how much it matters to feel truly seen by your therapist. Whether you've been in therapy before or you've never quite found the right fit, I'd love for this to be the place where that changes.

My approach is grounded in evidence-based practice (primarily Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and somatic work) but I tailor how we work together to what actually helps you.

In practice, that might look like slowing down to notice what your body is telling you (somatic awareness), examining the stories you've been telling yourself and where they came from (CBT), or building toward specific, meaningful goals with concrete tools (solution-focused techniques). For couples and families, I draw on Emotion-Focused Therapy and Structural Family approaches, helping you communicate in ways that repair instead of escalate.

My style is direct and warm. I won't just nod and reflect your words back at you - I'll actually engage with you, challenge you gently when it serves you, and celebrate your wins. I believe deeply in your capacity to change. My job is to help you access it.

Our first session is a conversation. We'll spend time getting to know each other - I'll ask about what brought you here, what you've tried before, and what you're hoping life looks and feels like on the other side of this work.

You can share as much or as little as you want to. There's no pressure to dive into the hardest things right away - we'll build trust first and let the depth follow. By the end of our first session, you'll have a clearer sense of how I work, whether we're a good fit, and what a path forward might look like.

My goal is simple: I want you to leave that first session feeling like someone finally listened, and that there's actually a way through.