Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristen Thierolf.
Hi Kristen, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I didn’t come into this work because I had everything figured out. I came into it because I was deeply curious about why capable, thoughtful people can still feel overwhelmed, stuck, or disconnected despite doing “all the right things.”
Throughout my training and clinical work, I kept noticing the same pattern: many of the people I worked with were high-functioning on the outside, but internally carrying a lot of anxiety, pressure, and self-doubt. They weren’t broken. They were tired of holding everything together. That understanding shaped the way I practice therapy today.
Over time, I sought out approaches that go beyond surface-level coping and instead focus on nervous system regulation, attachment, and understanding the deeper patterns that keep repeating in both individual and relationship dynamics. Eventually, I built my private practice to offer a calmer, more intentional space for adults and couples who want meaningful change — not just symptom management.
Today, I provide online therapy to adults and couples across Texas and Montana. I work with people navigating anxiety, burnout, perfectionism, life transitions, and relationship patterns that feel hard to break. My goal is to help clients slow down, understand themselves more clearly, and feel more connected to themselves, to their relationships, and to the lives they’re trying to build.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Building a practice with intention hasn’t always been a smooth road. One of the biggest challenges has been learning to slow down in a culture, and a profession, that often rewards constant output and overextension. Early in my career, I saw how easy it is for therapists to burn out while still trying to show up fully for others.
Navigating the logistical and emotional realities of building a private practice also comes with uncertainty, trusting the process, finding the right clients, and staying aligned with your values rather than chasing quick fixes. Choosing to work online and prioritize depth, quality, and sustainability has required patience, flexibility, and a willingness to do things differently.
Those challenges ultimately shaped the way I work today. They reinforced the importance of nervous system regulation, boundaries, and intentional pacing, not just for clients, but for clinicians as well. That perspective allows me to model the same balance and care I encourage in the people I work with.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Healthy Horizons Counseling, PLLC is a fully virtual private practice offering online therapy to high-functioning adults and couples across Texas and Montana. The practice was built with the intention of creating a calm, thoughtful, and relational space for people who appear capable on the outside, but internally feel overwhelmed, stuck, or disconnected.
I specialize in working with anxiety, burnout, perfectionism, life transitions, and relationship patterns that tend to repeat despite insight or effort. Rather than focusing solely on symptom management, my work emphasizes nervous system regulation, attachment, and understanding the deeper patterns that shape how people relate to themselves and others.
What sets Healthy Horizons Counseling apart is its emphasis on depth, pacing, and sustainability. Therapy here is not rushed or formulaic — it’s collaborative, grounded, and tailored to the individual or couple. I’m most proud of building a practice that values quality over quantity and allows clients to slow down, feel safe, and engage in meaningful change that supports the lives they’re building.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Some of my favorite childhood memories are centered around family time — my dad cooking carne asada, my brother and I playing outside or Guitar Hero, and helping my mom prepare the rest of the meal. Those moments felt simple, connected, and grounding, and they’re still the kinds of experiences I value most today.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hhcounselingtx.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/therapywithkristenlpc/
