Me & My Approach
“The more we try to avoid the basic reality that all human life involves pain, the more we are likely to struggle with that pain when it arises, thereby creating even more suffering.”
-Russ Harris
My name is Kiersten Eberle Medina, PhD (she/her/hers) and I am licensed psychologist in Colorado (LP #5353) specializing in eating disorders, relationship struggles, trauma, and grief.
Also because I know it’s a mouthful:
keer-sten ebb-er-lee meh-deena.
My Approach
Sometimes the first step is the hardest and finding a therapist you connect with can be a vulnerable experience. I hope to use compassion, authenticity, and a little sass to help you navigate that experience.
My goal is to help you find new ways to relate to the world and to enable you to embrace your experiences more fully and bravely. I hope to do this by creating a safe, open, and collaborative environment where you can experiment with new ways of relating to yourself and others. I bring in skills from therapies, such as ACT and DBT, to help you find your strengths and develop your resources. And I recognize that the most growth occurs in an authentic relationship which balances compassion with challenge and emphasizes social justice and intersectionality.
Having recovered from an eating disorder, I approach my work from a HAES® and fat-positive framework (what the heck does this mean?). All bodies are good bodies, all foods are good foods, and all emotions are valid. I also have experience working with interpersonal trauma, grief, relationship struggles, disordered eating and body image concerns, and identity development, as well as anxiety, depression, and other mental health concerns.
When working with couples or other relationships, I use a combination of Emotionally Focused Therapy and Gottman Method Couples Therapy to help my clients find new ways to relate to each other and communicate their needs and wants in the relationship. As a therapist, I also want to create an open and safe environment for everyone across the gender and sexuality spectra.
I believe that social justice advocacy is an inherent part of therapy. Power, both in and out of the room, cannot be ignored. It is a part of my job as a therapist and an advocate for my clients to work toward dismantling systems of oppression in whatever form they take.
I approach my work with clients with cultural humility, an acknowledgement of my own privileges, and a recognition of the intersecting identities that impact our struggles and our strengths. I strive to go beyond acceptance and instead toward celebration of identity.
Education & Training
I received my Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, CO and completed my predoctoral internship at the University of Notre Dame’s Counseling Center.
Licensed Psychologist in Colorado
Postdoctoral Fellowship, Washington State University, Counseling and Psychological Services
Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from University of Northern Colorado, APA Accredited Program
Predoctoral Internship in Health Service Psychology at University of Notre Dame, APA Accredited Program
B.A. in Sociology from Chapman University
Outside the Therapy Room
I grew up primarily in California and Ohio, but I’ve lived in Colorado, Indiana, and Washington since beginning my graduate training. I am extremely happy to be back in Colorado with the mountains that I love.
As an avid traveler, hiker, and rock climber, I understand what joyful movement looks and feels like. And it has taken years to learn to embrace food and movement without judgement! One of my favorite parts of traveling is discovering new food! When I’m not moving, you’ll find me curled in my reading chair with a good book and a mug of tea.
I’ll occasionally be joined in my teletherapy sessions by my unhelpful, but adorable animals: Jobin, Fievel, and Oliver
