Kristin James, LMFT

Therapeutic Philosophy

Kristin James believes all people have the innate ability to heal and grow. She sees therapy as a process of helping clients access their untapped inner resources to navigate challenges, heal past wounds, and build resilience. Kristin emphasizes the mind-body connection, teaching tools to support emotional regulation, self-awareness, and personal growth.

Clinical Focus

Kristin works with individuals and couples, supporting:

• Trauma, including complex trauma
• Individual challenges, such as anxiety, depression, grief, and life transitions
• Relationship and couple dynamics

Her approach is non-judgmental, collaborative, and caring, guiding clients toward transformation and empowerment.

Couples Therapy

Kristin holds the belief that our relationship with our partner should be the most important and fulfilling relationship that we have. However, she knows that it can also be incredibly challenging and take hard work. Sometimes our deepest relationships experience unintended wounding and recurring issues that feel stuck and unresolvable.

She sees couples wanting to improve communication, deepen connection, and strengthen intimacy. In her work, Kristin provides a deep level of attunement to locate tender spots and underlying issues, designing reparative experiences in sessions. She guides partners toward understanding each other’s histories that shaped their ways of being in relationship, teaches them to tend to triggers and body cues, and helps them find effective ways to connect and communicate. Kristin primarily integrates PACT (Psychobiological Approach to Couples Therapy) and IFIO (Intimacy From the Inside Out), as well as draws on her extensive training in Attachment Therapy, Family Systems Therapy, Gottman’s Couples Therapy, and Emotion-Focused Couples Therapy.

Therapeutic Approach

Kristin integrates EMDR, attachment therapy, somatic processing, and Internal Family Systems in individual therapy. She fosters a safe, compassionate environment where clients can explore, process, and grow, honoring the transformative process alongside them.

Education & Experience

Kristin holds a degree from the University of Oregon’s Couple and Family Therapy Program. She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and provides clinical supervision for therapists pursuing licensure. Prior to founding Bend Family Therapy, Kristin worked with Deschutes County Behavioral Health, Seneca Center, and Looking Glass Adolescent Recovery Program.

Personal Life

In her free time Kristin enjoys spending time with her partner and their two daughters. She loves engaging with the outdoors and recognizes the importance of nature to support mental and physical health. Kristin consistently spends time engaging in her own self-growth work, including running on the beautiful trails in Bend, practicing mindfulness and meditation outdoors, reading, and engaging in her own therapy work.