On Wednesday, February 6th, the Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce performed a ribbon cutting ceremony for Crissy Webster Counseling Services to celebrate her new office location at 14 Clinton Street, Suite 4 in Springfield, VT. Crissy is a licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor. She has
an undergraduate degree in Early Childhood Education, as well as Psychology from Northern University (formerly Johnson State College). She also has a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Union Institute and University.
Born and raised in Springfield, Crissy started off as a preschool teacher, as she always wanted to work with children. During her time as a preschool teacher she encountered many children with social and emotional needs that she didn’t always feel equipped to manage in the classroom. As she started researching educational programs to help her better understand my students, she became interested in helping them in a different way. That is when she started her journey into the counseling field.
She started her private practice roughly four years ago in order to offer certain areas of her expertise, including Anger Management Groups for adults and adolescents and Juvenile Firesetter Assessments and Interventions. At the time, she was working a separate full-time job, and would rent space at various places to offer services whenever someone inquired. In November 2018, with the support of her family, she decided to launch into private practice full time, providing mental health services for all ages. Crissy Webster Counseling Services is unique in that the business serves populations across the entire age spectrum which is not generally common for private practitioners. Also, due to her specialty in Juvenile Firesetter Assessments and Interventions, she is able to work with various organizations and local fire/police departments to allow children to receive the mental health help they need. She is licensed in both the State of Vermont and the State of New Hampshire. She is currently the only employee, but she does have two interns working with her. One attends Antioch University of New England and the other attends Liberty University.
Crissy has been in Springfield basically all her life. She chose to locate her business in Springfield because she has always had a strong connection with this community. Both of her parents work for the Town of Springfield; her father is the Deputy Chief of the Fire Department and her mother works in the finance department. Both parents have always been very involved in this community, which imbedded a connection for Crissy as well. She has children in this community and is involved with both the PTA and the Booster Club. She previously served on a board of a local preschool and Turning Point Recovery Center. She is heavily involved with the local fire department and offer various trainings to schools and childcare providers in the area. She tries to donate as much as she can to local charities. As the need for mental health services rises in Springfield and surrounding communities, she wants to offer a place where people feel comfortable to come in and discuss what is bothering them; to help them problem solve, develop coping skills, and get them back to their “normal” as quickly as possible. “The best feeling,” she says, “is when a client is able to problem solve with you, take their life by the horns, apply the skills they have learned, and tell me they believe are ready to move on from counseling.”
When asked about the most enjoyable aspects of her work, Crissy explains “I love helping people. When I am with a client and they discover something about themselves that makes them stronger as a person, it’s just a great feeling to have been on that journey with them.” As a new member of the Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce, she talks about what being a member means to her: “It means having a strong connection to our community. Being able to hear stories from other small business of their struggles and ways they were able to overcome those struggles. I am invested in this community and hope my services will allow people to move past their struggles and lead productive and meaningful lives.”
From Left to Right: Springfield Regional Chamber of Commerce President Amanda Moore, Chamber Board members Nicole Picard and Ben Hills, Chamber Director Caitlin Christiana, son of the Owner Logan Webster, Owner Crissy Webster, son Landon Webster, Crissy’s spouse Nate Webster, Counseling Intern Megan Barnes, Chamber Board member Meredith Kelley, and Crissy’s parents Dee and Scott Richardson.