Crystal Guiterrez
Serving ages 6+ for individual therapy
M.A. Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern
Crystal works with children, teens, and adults navigating anxiety, OCD, trauma, overthinking, panic, social anxiety, phobias, school refusal, and family accommodation. She has a particular interest in supporting military service members, veterans, and military families, including clients who are adjusting to change, carrying high expectations, or feeling frustrated that they “should be able to handle” what they are experiencing.
Crystal’s approach combines her clinical training with lived experience as both an Army brat and Army veteran. She uses evidence-based approaches including Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (iCBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). Her work with children also incorporates SPACE-informed family accommodation strategies and sandtray techniques. For clients who want spirituality included in treatment, Crystal can thoughtfully integrate a Christian perspective while continuing to use clinically sound approaches.
My Style
My style is steady, compassionate, collaborative, and grounded. I want therapy to feel like a place where you can slow down, feel heard, and begin making sense of the thoughts or experiences that have been keeping you stuck.
I believe meaningful change involves more than getting through the next difficult moment. Together, we’ll work toward understanding the patterns underneath anxiety, trauma, or overthinking and developing practical ways to respond differently.
Therapy is tailored to your needs and goals, and we’ll move at a pace that feels safe and manageable. My goal is to create a supportive relationship where you feel understood while also building the confidence and skills to create lasting change.
Fort Walton Beach + Virtual Throughout Florida
Affirming list
Faith-Informed Available
BIPOC — Korean
Trauma-Informed
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Military & Veteran-Informed
My Focus Areas
Anxiety & Overthinking
Support for worry, racing thoughts, and mental overwhelm.
School Refusal
Support for anxiety that makes school attendance difficult.
Childhood Anxiety
Helping children manage anxiety and difficult emotions.
OCD & Intrusive Thoughts
Support for intrusive thoughts and anxiety-driven patterns.
Panic & Phobias
Helping clients manage panic, fears, and avoidance.
Family Accommodation
Helping families reduce patterns that reinforce anxiety or OCD.
Trauma
Support for processing difficult experiences and reducing distress.
Military & Veteran Support
Care informed by lived experience with military life and transition.
Therapeutic Approaches
Accelerated Resolution Therapy
ART
A trauma-focused approach used to help clients process distressing experiences and reduce the emotional intensity associated with them.
Exposure & Response Prevention
ERP
An evidence-based approach for anxiety and OCD that helps clients gradually face fears while reducing avoidance and responses that reinforce anxiety.
Inference-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
iCBT
Helping clients better understand the reasoning processes that can contribute to obsessive doubt and anxiety.
My Why
My connection to this work comes from experiences that taught me a great deal about transition, resilience, sacrifice, and identity. As both an Army brat and Army veteran, I know what it can feel like to constantly adapt to new environments and expectations.
Later, becoming a stay-at-home mom gave me another perspective on identity shifts and the quiet strength it takes to hold many responsibilities at once. Those experiences continue to influence how I show up for clients today.
I often work with people who feel frustrated or ashamed because they believe they should be able to handle everything on their own. I want therapy to challenge that idea. My goal is to help you move beyond simply surviving and create a space where you can better understand yourself, heal from difficult experiences, and feel more confident moving forward.
A Little More About me
Baking
Crystal enjoys spending time in the kitchen baking.
Crocheting
Crocheting gives her a creative way to slow down and make something by hand.
