Hey lovely, I'm Maren.

With a background in education, clinical practice, and lived experience, I bring a deep understanding of the mind-body connection and its impact on well-being.

I truly believe that mental health should be practical, accessible, and empowering. Because you deserve meaningful relationships, a fulfilling career, and unshakable self-worth.

You don’t need to change who you are to feel good about yourself, you just need to..

Get started!

“I help you be the agent in your own healing.”

Maren

My Approach

01.

My holistic approach blends elements of neuroscience, mindfulness, guided visualizations through the approaches of Jungian psychotherapy, acceptance commitment therapy (ACT), cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and Internal Family Systems (IFS).

02.

In this integrative therapy format I utilize a variety of personalized techniques to carefully attend to your thoughts, emotions, and physical sensations, allowing me to understand and address your needs effectively.

03.

I meet all my clients with compassion and engage from a trauma-informed perspective. I don’t see you as problematic or faulty; what I see are survival strategies and protection mechanisms developed in response to your life experiences.

Learn more about my approach

The Formalities.

Educations & Certificates

M.A Clinical & Health Psychology - Psychologist

Eötvös Lorand University (ELTE), Budapest

B.A Psychology - Human Behavior Analyst

Eötvös Lorand University (ELTE), Budapest

Birth doula

Wise Women’s Way of Birth, B.C. Canada

Postpartum doula

Wise Women’s Way of Birth, B.C. Canada

& you can find me in ...

Maren Kristensen

Certified Psykolog

Approved by the Danish Supervisory Board

Let's be friends on the 'gram!
@therapywithmaren

The holiday season can feel extra overwhelming for a lot of people (I am one of them).

I’ve found it helpful if I give myself space, slow down, and remember that it’s okay to take things one step at a time.

Hope this helps!❤️

When you communicate your needs clearly, you stop expecting others to read your mind. You feel less resentful, and they feel less confused.

And slowly, you remember: asking for what you need isn't selfish, it's how make space for support and connection.

If you're already feeling the pressure of the holiday season approaching, this one's for you.

Save this if you need the reminder, and know you're not alone in finding this season complicated.🎄✨️

These reminders help me when I catch myself overthinking. Hope they help you too.🫂

Bottom line is..👇🏻

Breaks, sometimes, are necessary, but the best ones are:
- intentional
- talked through with your therapist
- include a plan for the next steps and potential timing of return

Writing has a way of revealing what you didn’t even realize you were carrying.

Comment ‘SimplySelf’ and I’ll send you your very own digital journal🤍

Who made these rules up anyway?

Here's your reminder to question the beliefs that keep you small, stuck, or exhausted.🧚‍♀️

If you recognize yourself here, know that we use these behaviours as protection.

Be compassionate that your brain is trying to care for you. But with awareness and support of how you want to take care of yourself from a more secure place, you can create shifts over time.

Therapy is meant to be messy and beautiful and painful and chaotic, and it’s all normal.

Try these:

1. Ask yourself: "What actually happened?"
This helps you separate facts from feelings

2. Notice the "should" thoughts
They often reveal unrealistic expectations

3. Practice self-compassion
What would you tell a friend in your situation?

P.S. Healing chronic guilt takes time. Be patient with yourself🫶🏻✨️

There is no right or wrong feeling.

Make space for your emotions, and let them move through at their own pace.🤍

I got married to the love of my life last week!! 🤍
And our baby boy is coming in spring of '26!

Over the moon doesn't even cover it!

Your reminder to pause and appreciate how far you’ve come, even if it doesn’t always feel like it🫂

Everyone’s therapy journey looks different.
But some lessons seem to find all of us, in one way or another.

What’s one that’s stayed with you?

And if you keep ending up in the same kind of relationship, it’s not failure.

It’s actually a pattern asking to be understood.

And the beautiful thing about these kinds of people is that no matter how bad it gets, no matter how hopeless you feel, they’ll find you wherever you are.

Sometimes, we think we’re healing but in reality, avoidance can sneak in.

It feels comfortable, safe even, because it doesn’t ask us to face the hard stuff.

But I want you to know that this is completely normal, and that you can absolutely find your way back with a little more intention and courage.

It gets lonely. It gets tough. And that’s completely normal.

But what comes after it, though, is clarity, alignment, and peace.

Healing isn't linear, and it certainly isn't mandatory on anyone else's timeline. Some people need to sit with their pain a little longer. Some aren't ready to let go. Some are surviving in the only way they know how.
And you know what? That's okay.

Your role isn't to fix anyone or force growth before they're ready.

Sometimes the most loving thing you can do is simply witness someone where they are: without judgment, without pressure, without an agenda….

A new week full of possibilities☀️

What are you looking forward to the most? (’the weekend’ does not count)

Fight, flight, or freeze - your body's just trying to keep you safe. But sometimes you get stuck there and can't find your way back.

These affirmations help remind your nervous system that you're okay, even when everything feels overwhelming.

Save them for whenever you might need them.🤍

Some days we just need someone to ask the simple things.

What’s one question you’d add to the list?

Here are 2 extra reminders for you:

• Surround yourself with people who value you. Sometimes, that means finding support outside your family, people who can help you set and maintain boundaries.

• Remember, you always have the option to step away when someone crosses your boundaries. Removing yourself from the situation is a valid choice.

What was on your to-do list today? Do you write it down, or just keep a mental one?👀🌸

If even one of these resonates with you, that's not nothing.

You're doing better than you think. Give yourself some credit💙

Learning the difference between empathy and absorption changes everything.💜

Being sensitive to other people's emotions isn't a flaw - it's actually a gift. But when you don't know how to protect your own energy, that gift becomes exhausting.

and no, this is not because there are only 3 months left in the year- you can do this any time…

Technique adopted from: Greenberger & Padesky (2016)

Additional resource used: “Why has nobody told me this before?” by Dr. Julie Smith

Oh, and I also knit clothing to feel creative and productive, and sometimes, I sing for when I want to relax and connect with myself.🧶

What about you? What’s in your coping toolbox? Would love to know!

When we're overwhelmed, our brain seeks immediate relief - alcohol, shopping, eating, scrolling.

These are a quick temporary fix, which is why we keep returning to them. But once the relief fades, we're back where we started, often feeling worse.

Here's what helps break the pattern:

• Pause before acting - Even 30 seconds of awareness can change your response

• Get specific - "I'm anxious about work" vs "I feel terrible"

• Ask what you actually need - Rest? Connection? Or just permission to feel uncomfortable for a moment?

• Have alternatives ready - Call someone, take a walk, journal for 5 minutes

The goal isn't eliminating the desire for quick relief - it's choosing responses that support your long-term wellbeing.

Next time you're reaching for that familiar fix, pause and ask: "What do I really need right now?”

Two questions to ask yourself👇🏻

1. Does this person remind me of someone from my past?

2. Do I feel calm and safe or constantly activated?

Think of someone who makes you feel completely safe and believed in.

Could be real, could be someone you wish existed.

Now imagine how they'd talk to you:
• What tone do they use?
• How do they lift you up?
• What do they say when you're struggling?

Here's what I want you to try:
Next time you're facing something scary or feeling not good enough, imagine telling this person what's happening.
Then, actually, write down what they'd say back to you. Their exact words.

That's your new inner voice right there. The one that builds you up instead of breaking you down.

It sounds simple, but it works.

Remember: Self-sabotage developed to protect you.

You can always thank that part, then gently choose a new path.🪽

I've found this trend funny, so here is the list of my favourite guilty pleasures I often find myself turning to...

Intense interests? Completely normal.
When they take over your life? That's hyperfixation.

Swipe to learn the difference and when to get help.🧡

For when you need to remember how far you've come❤️

Here💗

The familiar comfort of your patterns, even the painful ones.

There's something predictable about staying in what we know, even when it hurts. Healing means stepping into uncertainty.

Some relationships that were built around your wounds.

Not everyone in your life will be comfortable with your growth, and some connections were only sustainable when you stayed small.

The identity you built around your struggles.

When pain has been your companion for so long, discovering who you are without it can feel disorienting and sometimes lonely.

The excuse that your past gives you to avoid taking risks.

Healing removes the protective barrier of "I can't because of what happened to me," which means facing the vulnerability of trying.

The secondary benefits that come with staying stuck.

The attention, the lower expectations others have of you, the permission to not show up fully - healing asks you to give these up for something less certain but more authentic.

Decatastrophizing is helping your brain hit the pause button on worst-case scenarios.

When your mind jumps to 'This will ruin everything,' we practice asking: 'What's more likely to actually happen?'.

Most of our catastrophic thoughts never come true, and even when challenges do arise, we're usually more capable of handling them than our anxious brain wants us to believe.

Getting curious about the parts of ourselves we keep in the shadows can be one of the most healing things we do.

These questions might help you start that conversation with yourself💗

We rarely give ourselves enough credit for all the things we do right.

Sometimes, the person who needs our love and compassion most is ourselves.

And most importantly, you can't pour from an empty cup.

Supporting someone can be draining. This is your reminder to maintain your own wellbeing so you can show up consistently for them.

There's something so freeing about finally stopping the constant 'sorry' - sorry for speaking up, sorry for having needs, sorry for simply existing in spaces I belong in.

When you stop apologizing for taking up space, you discover how much room there actually is for you.

Taking this important step toward therapy shows real courage and self-awareness, so here’s what could help you start this journey the right away💗

This process might include:

Self-examination: Asking yourself important questions like:

"What am I clinging to that's no longer serving me?"
"What difficult truths am I trying to avoid?"
"Do I get stuck replaying old wounds in my head?"
"Am I choosing to remain in circumstances that drain me?"

Recognizing cycles: Observing when the same challenges or emotions surface repeatedly in various parts of your life

Pausing before reacting: Creating space between trigger and response, allowing yourself to choose a more intentional path forward rather than operating on autopilot

Approaching with kindness: Examining your inner landscape with gentleness

"What was driving that response?" rather than "Why can't I get this right?"

There's something deeply humbling about being invited into someone's life story as it unfolds.

From that first nervous session to celebrating job promotions, navigating heartbreaks, welcoming new family members, and finding strength through unexpected challenges - I feel lucky to be there with you through it all.

Thank you for your trust💕

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Hey lovely, I'm Maren.

My Approach

The Formalities.

& you can find me in ...

Let's be friends on the 'gram! @therapywithmaren

​

Let's be friends on the 'gram!
@therapywithmaren