About Kirsten Leitner, MFT

I’m a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with a private practice in Nevada City, California. I see clients in person here and online throughout California. I work with adults navigating a range of experiences, including trauma and complex trauma, anxiety, depression, life transitions, self-esteem challenges, and relationship concerns.

My approach is humanistic, affirming, healing-centered, and non-pathologizing. I start by getting to know you and building a trusting, authentic relationship.

I’m a patient and enthusiastic catalyst — a heart-centered pathfinder — and I love helping you connect with what makes you feel alive. My style is intuitive, relational, and caring. My role is to support you in opening your mind and loving more fully. One of my gifts is seeing and drawing out your unique light and truths, so you can express yourself more authentically and honestly. Together, we create a safe, open, and nonjudgmental space to explore and grow. I work in a way that is both gentle and challenging, and I am fully engaged in our time together.

Because each person’s worldview, preferences, and readiness are different, I tailor the therapy to you. I draw from a variety of modalities, including EMDR, Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP), Jungian dream work, symbolism and archetypes, mindfulness-based cognitive therapies, existential therapy, and ecotherapy or nature-based approaches.

Credentials & Education

● Certified Psychedelic-Assisted Therapist — California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS) Center for Psychedelic Therapy & Research (CPTR) and Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS)
● Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology (specialization in Transpersonal Counseling) — John F. Kennedy University
● EMDR Certification — EMDR Institute
● Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (#92421)