Carissa Streich, LICSW

Carissa Streich is a licensed clinical social worker (LICSW) in Washington who uses cognitive behavioral therapy alongside other approaches. She focuses on practical steps people can use to address stress, anxiety, depression, and life transitions. Her tone is direct but warm, with attention to each person’s strengths and goals.

She brings nine years of experience working with a wide range of concerns. These include trauma and abuse, bipolar challenges, addiction, grief, anger, and self-harm. She also supports people dealing with workplace strain, career decisions, relationship and family problems, and parenting stresses like blended family issues and divorce.

Her sessions blend short-term, goal-focused techniques with a person-centered stance. That means she helps set concrete goals, then uses questions and reflections to explore patterns that keep problems going. Motivational interviewing is used when people want help finding motivation to make changes.

Carissa pays attention to trauma history and how past events affect present feelings and behavior. She can work with concerns linked to first responder and veteran experiences, sexual assault and abuse, and the effects of compassion fatigue. She also addresses sexuality and issues related to non-monogamous relationships when relevant.

Sessions are offered by video calls, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging. Appointments follow a subscription model that can be canceled at any time, and session cost varies based on location and scheduling. People who speak English and live in Washington can begin by completing a short matching questionnaire and scheduling a time that fits them.

How therapeutic approaches translate to online care

Carissa often uses cognitive behavioral therapy, which focuses on recognizing unhelpful thoughts and testing them with practical experiments. CBT helps when anxiety, low mood, or disrupted routines are getting in the way of daily life.

She also uses client-centered therapy, where the therapist follows the person's lead, listens closely, and helps them clarify what matters most. Motivational interviewing appears when someone wants help finding reasons and momentum to change behaviors like substance use or unhealthy habits.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. She will talk with each person about goals, preferences, and what has or hasn’t helped in the past, then adapt methods so sessions feel useful and manageable. That collaboration helps shape a plan that fits the individual's needs.

Online formats include video calls, phone appointments, live chat, and text-based messaging. Video is useful for deeper conversation and visual cues, phone calls can be easier when bandwidth is limited, and brief check-ins or ongoing support can work well through chat or messaging. These options allow flexibility for scheduling, shorter follow-ups, and fitting therapy around work or caregiving commitments.