Meet Kristina

Kristina M. Hash, PhD, LICSW

Kristina M. Hash, PhD, LICSW

Full-Time Professor at WVU School of Social Work

My clinical practice is built upon a holistic, integrative, and lifespan-informed approach, utilizing a process-based model of therapy. The core foundation of this work is Mindfulness-Based Therapy (MBT), which emphasizes cultivating present-moment awareness, non-judgmental acceptance, and intentional presence as the primary mechanisms for therapeutic change.

Integrated Modalities: A Strategic, Tailored Approach

To ensure a comprehensive and flexible therapeutic experience, the foundational MBT approach is strategically and intentionally woven together with elements from several evidence-based modalities. This integration allows for a dynamic and tailored response to each client's unique needs and goals:

  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): ACT components are incorporated to help clients develop psychological flexibility. This involves teaching skills to observe difficult thoughts and feelings without being controlled by them (acceptance and defusion) and clarifying personal values to guide committed action toward a meaningful life. This modality complements the present-focused nature of MBT by introducing a strong focus on personal values.
  • Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT): SFBT techniques shift the focus away from problem analysis toward constructing tangible, realistic solutions. We utilize SFBT to identify and leverage existing client strengths, resources, and past successes (exceptions). This promotes a future-oriented perspective, encouraging clients to define their preferred future and take incremental steps toward it.
  • Nonviolent Communication (NVC): NVC principles are employed to enhance interpersonal effectiveness and emotional literacy. This involves teaching a structured method for articulating observations, feelings, needs, and requests clearly and compassionately. NVC improves self-empathy and facilitates deeper, more constructive relationships by focusing on underlying universal needs.
  • Reminiscence Therapy: This modality involves a structured, purposeful review of past life events, focusing on memory and narrative. It is used to facilitate life review, identify recurring themes, process unresolved issues, and reaffirm a sense of continuity and self-worth. This is particularly valuable for identity work and processing life transitions across the lifespan.

Theoretical Framework and Core Objectives for Healing and Growth

This rich, integrated framework is designed to facilitate profound and lasting change by systematically addressing the client's past, present, and future:

  • Cultivating Present-Focused Awareness and Psychological Flexibility (Mindfulness/ACT): The immediate objective is to anchor the client in the here-and-now. By strengthening present-moment awareness, clients gain perspective on habitual thought patterns and emotional reactions. ACT's principles further this by fostering the ability to accept inner experiences while moving toward valued life directions.
  • Facilitating Future-Oriented Strategic Change (SFBT): Therapy is not solely reflective; it is action-oriented. SFBT provides the scaffolding for setting clear, attainable goals. We collaboratively construct a vision for the future, define "miracle questions," and amplify small changes, empowering the client with agency and practical tools for moving forward.
  • Structured Reflection and Meaning-Making upon Past Experiences (Reminiscence Therapy): The past is not viewed as a source of blame, but as a rich context for understanding the self. Structured reflection helps clients to synthesize life experiences, process old narratives, and integrate disparate aspects of the self into a cohesive and resilient identity. This process is crucial for achieving identity integration and generating new personal meaning.

Ultimately, the overarching therapeutic goals of this integrative model are to support clients in achieving adaptive functioning, developing a robust capacity for meaning-making in the face of life's inevitable challenges, and solidifying a sense of identity integration that spans their entire life experience.