Sarai "Christi" Webb-Vanderpoorten, LMFT

Sarai "Christi" Webb-Vanderpoorten is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with three decades of clinical experience. She combines attention to physical health, emotional needs, and spiritual beliefs when helping people make changes in their lives. Christi is direct and honest while remaining warm and caring in sessions.

She began practice in 1993 after completing a Master of Science degree from the University of Southern Mississippi. Her work has included time in treatment centers, mental hospitals, and outpatient private practice in Mississippi and Alabama. That mix gives her experience with both short-term crisis work and longer-term therapy.

Christi uses a blend of approaches to address concerns like anxiety, depression, addiction, and trauma. She often draws on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people notice unhelpful thoughts and try new behaviors. Mindfulness and Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills are used when emotion regulation and stress management are priorities.

Sessions also emphasize relationships and family patterns. Emotionally-Focused Therapy and client-centered methods help people talk through attachment wounds, communication problems, and blended family challenges. Practical steps for self-care and physical well-being are part of the plan when relevant.

Many clients come looking for help with grief, eating and body image problems, codependency, or parenting strain. Christi frames goals in everyday terms and helps people take small, doable steps toward clearer purpose and better daily functioning.

Practical therapy approaches adapted for online sessions

Christi commonly uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help people identify thoughts that keep them stuck and to try new behaviors that produce different results. CBT is useful for anxiety, depression, and many stress-related problems.

She also integrates Client-Centered Therapy to keep sessions focused on the person's goals and values. That approach emphasizes being heard and building a collaborative plan. Dialectical Behavior Therapy skills are added when someone needs tools for emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and improving relationships.

Finding the right approach is part of the work together. Christi will talk with you about your concerns, goals, and preferences and then tailor methods that feel practical and manageable. The plan can change as needs shift over time.

Online sessions are offered as video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different schedules and day-to-day realities. Video is useful for longer therapy work and visual connection. Phone sessions can be easier when bandwidth is limited or a session needs to fit a short break. Live chat and text messaging work well for brief check-ins, skill coaching, or when writing helps you process. These options make it easier to keep therapy consistent around work, family, and travel.