Kristopher Arman Bakhtiar, LSW, A.M.
Associate PsychoTherapist
Pronouns: However you experience me. I am comfortable with any pronouns.
Contact Info:
kris@empoweredconnectionscounseling.com
312-767-2057 x28
Education:
Master of Arts (A.M.) in Clinical Social Work, University of Chicago
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Cognitive Science, UCLA
I work with:
Individual adults
Adolescents
Relationships
Specialties:
I specialize in working with all kinds of individuals who have histories of being invalidated—who have had to fight to be seen. The impact of those kinds of environments can show up in many ways, and I am best prepared to help the following individuals:
Perfectionists, especially those within creative fields
Children of immigrants (first-gen Americans)
College students and recent graduates
Men who have their walls up, struggling with intimacy, vulnerability, and communication
Non-conformists who occupy life’s gray areas and feel misunderstood under societal pressures
Partners struggling to balance individual needs with their commitments to each other.
Modalities:
When we fix a problem by focusing on the problem, another one is bound to pop up in its place. Instead of playing Whac-A-Mole with your emotions, our work together will reclaim the freedom to live a meaningful life, even in the presence of those “moles.” Painful emotions, difficult thoughts, and powerful urges will always be a part of our human experience—but they don’t always have to dictate our actions.
Our practice will be in putting the mallet down, and watching the moles as they pop in, then dip out. The urge to smash each one will inevitably show up, but we know that doing so won’t stop the next one from coming. By taking a step back from the machine and noticing how it’s been designed for frenzy, we are taking one step toward our freedom.
The game was rigged from the start, in an effort to keep you trapped and struggling. Our approach will be focused on one goal: your personal liberation. Let’s walk out of the arcade, and back into a life that is truly meaningful to you.
Relational Frame Theory
Contextual Behaviorism
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Motivational Interviewing (MI)
Liberation-based Psychoanalytic theories
Alfred Adler's Individual Psychology
Personal bio:
“It takes two to speak truth—One to speak, and another to hear.” — Henry David Thoreau (1849)
I am no expert on the human condition—just another example of it. When we enter the therapy room together, my role is to be a witness to the pain, the struggles, and the histories that show up. I have lived only one life, my own, so advice-giving is pretty much out of the question. Instead, you will guide me by sharing what isn’t working for you, what you’ve tried in the past, and what your ideal life would look like. And I will guide you with gentle curiosity and a willingness to point out when your actions contradict your goals.
My approach to psychotherapy creates a space that is dedicated to getting comfortable living with inevitable discomfort. To turn toward painful emotions, rather than move past them. To sit with difficult thoughts, rather than “replace” them or “prove them wrong.” It’s time to tell your mind, “Enough.”
The goal of treatment is not to help you “feel good.” Rather, it is to help you get good at feeling—in the service of reclaiming your agency.
About Me: I grew up in Los Angeles, the oldest child of two immigrants, in a split household. I moved to the Chi a few years ago and have no plans of leaving any time soon. I love basketball, video games, reading and writing non-fiction, music of all kinds, and my field of psychotherapy. In the real world, you’d catch me riding around town in my ‘03 9-5 Aero, windows down, bumping J. Cole with my Chihuahua Lux riding passenger.
During our initial sessions, you can expect: Our first few sessions are about building a real, authentic connection. My only task is listening—to understand your story, your struggle. To see the world through your eyes, your pain. And to build a long-term vision with you for the life you want to live, the life worth living.
This is a space where you’re not supposed to have it all figured out yet. This is simply where the work begins.