- Whole-person focus
- Practical steps
- Faith-informed care
About Sarai
Sarai "Christi" Webb-Vanderpoorten is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) with thirty years of clinical experience. She trained at the University of Southern Mississippi and has worked in both inpatient treatment settings and outpatient private practice. Christi combines practical life experience with long-term clinical work to support people facing addiction, trauma, depression, anxiety, and relationship struggles.
She approaches care by looking at the whole person - physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual. Christi is warm and compassionate, yet direct when needed. In sessions she helps people name what matters to them, sort out next steps, and set realistic goals to move forward.
Her work often focuses on common life stresses such as parenting challenges, grief, body image, and codependency. Christi draws from several clinical approaches, including client-centered therapy, cognitive behavioral techniques, and mindfulness practices to match the work to each person's needs.
Christi values practical change. She encourages simple daily steps people can use to feel more in control and build confidence. She also discusses how faith and purpose can be part of a healing plan when clients want that included.
Outside the therapy room she has personal experience as a spouse and parent of five, and she brings those life perspectives into her clinical thinking. Christi is based in Alabama and carries three decades of work helping people navigate major life changes and recover from addictive and compulsive patterns.
How therapy approaches translate to online work
Client-centered therapy focuses on listening, empathy, and helping people lead the conversation. It helps when someone needs emotional support and wants to explore values, relationships, or life purpose. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, looks at the link between thoughts, feelings, and actions and teaches concrete skills to change unhelpful patterns; it is often used for anxiety, depression, and behavior change. Dialectical Behavior Therapy, or DBT, combines acceptance and skill-building to manage strong emotions and impulsive behaviors and can be useful for intense stress or self-destructive urges.Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. The therapist will work with each person to match techniques to their goals, preferences, and day-to-day needs. That means trying concrete strategies, checking how they feel, and adjusting the plan together.
Session formats are not specified in the biography, so confirm current options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit work into a busy life by reducing travel time, allowing shorter check-ins between obligations, or offering sessions when leaving the house is difficult. Licensed professionals can use a mix of talk-based work, skill practice, and mindful exercises that translate well to remote sessions, and the therapist will guide what approaches work best for each person's situation.
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
30+ years
Credentials
Mississippi, Alabama
Languages
English
Frequently asked questions
What concerns does this therapist commonly address?
She helps with addictions, relationship and family difficulties, trauma and abuse, intimacy-related issues, stress, anxiety, grief, eating and body-image concerns, parenting struggles, low self-esteem, and depression.
What is her general therapeutic style?
Her style is warm and understanding but also direct. She focuses on identifying goals and taking practical steps toward change while honoring a client's spiritual perspective if they want that included.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has been practicing since 1993, bringing about 30 years of experience across inpatient treatment centers and outpatient settings.
What are her credentials and where does she practice?
She holds a Master of Science and is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) licensed in Alabama and Mississippi, and she practices from Alabama.
Which languages are supported for sessions?
Sessions are offered in English.
Does she work with international clients?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
How are costs and payment handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
To get started, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule according to therapist availability.
Profile details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. Credential and registration rules differ between the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.