Kirsten Crosby Blose
Outpatient Therapist
What problem do you strive to overcome?
Problem: Often, parents, especially those of young children, aren’t sure where to turn when life at home is challenging. Many times, it is the behavior of the child that gets our attention. After all, when a child or teen is having tantrums, having difficulty separating, and/or worrying about anything and everything, it impacts everyone. Other times, parents can identify that they are struggling (or did struggle) with complicated feelings about their pregnancy, the adjustment to parenthood or to a new stage of parenting. Some parents realize that they have “ghosts in the nursery” from their own experiences as a child or teenager. Whatever the reason, it can be hard to find support for very young children and their parents.
Solution: I love to sit and wonder with parents and watch as a child explores. Play is a child’s work and through their play, we can learn a lot. When working with adults, you can expect to spend time exploring attachment styles, wondering about patterns, and creating a brave space to consider the impact that your life experiences have on who you are now.
Result: My goal is to create a non-judgemental space in which you and/or your child can show up as you/they are. There’s no need to sugar coat things. Vulnerability is the key to authenticity and together we will reflect on how to move forward.
Experience:
Kirsten earned her Master’s of Social Work (MSW) with a specialization in Infant & Early Childhood Mental Health from the Erikson Institute in 2024. She spent the first 20 years of her career working as a Special Instructor in Lancaster County’s Infant Toddler Early Intervention program, where she was welcomed into countless families' homes to provide developmental guidance and assessment services. This professional experience, as well as her own lived experience, spurred her curiosity and passion for supporting and investing in parent-child relationships.
Client Focus:
Infants, toddlers, preschoolers, school-age, adolescents, parents, and those experiencing transitions, regardless of age.
Types of therapy:
Play-based and child-led play therapy for children, attachment-focused, psychodynamic, and family systems
Issues:
Anxiety, challenging behavior, adjustment difficulties, parenting challenges, attachment concerns, perinatal mental health
Fav Quote:
“When someone asks me why I cry so often, I say, 'For the same reason I laugh so often--because I'm paying attention.' I tell them that we can choose to be perfect and admired or to be real and loved. We must decide.” -Glennon Doyle
More than just my work:
1. “Instructions for living a life:
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.” -Mary Oliver, from her poem Sometimes
2. What brings me life? My family (most of the time because we are all human), going for walks, meeting friends for coffee, hiking, big trees, bodies of water, kayaking, live music, a good dance party, and reading/listening to books.
3. I love traveling with my family. We recently completed our family goal of visiting all 50 states together!