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Krista Brittain, Psy.D.
“Start by doing what is necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”
“Start by doing what is necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”
-Francis of Assisi
-Francis of Assisi
Hello & Welcome!
My name is Krista Brittain, and I am a licensed psychologist in West Des Moines, IA. Thanks so much for visiting! As a clinical psychologist, I currently provide consultation and assessment services (non-forensic only). I am not offering therapy services at this time. You can find some more information about the assessment I offer and about therapy in general on the Services page.
We are delighted to welcome Nan Zhao, M.S. to our team again as a practicum therapist during the 2026-2027 academic year. Nan will be working with adults, providing individual therapy and collaborative/therapeutic assessment. For more information, please see the About page.
Scheduling
Current clients can contact Dr. Brittain (drkrista@kristabrittainpsyd.com) or our office manager, Julie (julie@resiliencedsm.com) for scheduling needs. You can also reach Julie by phone at 515-267-1996 (office staff line). Please leave a voicemail, as staff is often assisting other callers. Fax number: 844-400-6505.
Waitlist Information
Beginning in July 2026, the waitlist will open from 9-11am on the first Tuesday of each month. In the event that there are remaining openings, requests may be accepted after 11am. If the first Tuesday of the month is a holiday, an alternate date may be provided and will be published here. When the waitlist opens, requests can be submitted by completing our webform, which can be found here: https://hushforms.com/resilience.request. Be sure to indicate who referred you for the assessment on the form. All assessment waitlist requests will be reviewed, and staff will contact you within one week's time to let you know if you will be placed on the waitlist. If you are not placed on the waitlist, you will be provided with referrals and/or you can request to get on the list the next month. Because the assessment process can be enhanced by collaboration with an individual or couple therapist, please consider engaging in therapy prior to requesting assessment.
If you are in search of a therapist, contact your primary care provider or insurance company for referrals.
Appointments in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic
Testing/Assessment: Testing appointments are being addressed on a case-by-case basis. Please contact Dr. Brittain regarding your assessment appointment. In general, the testing/assessment process will use a combination of telehealth and in-person appointments, at the discretion of the clinician.
Consultation: A majority of consultation appointments are being conducted virtually at this time, with limited in-office appointments at this time at clinician discretion. If you have questions, please contact Dr. Brittain (drkrista@kristabrittainpsyd.com) or the office manager (julie@resiliencedsm.com).
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No Surprises Act Information
You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical care will cost Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services. You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency items or services. This includes related costs like medical tests, prescription drugs, equipment, and hospital fees. Make sure your health care provider gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing at least 1 business day before your medical service or item. You can also ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule an item or service. If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill. Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate. For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises.
A note from Dr. Brittain:
I am very happy to continue practicing in the Des Moines area, where I have been since 2011. Prior to that I practiced at Trinity Hospital in Minot, North Dakota. I went to school at the University of Denver and interned at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. My practice has included both therapy and assessment over the years, both of which I enjoy very much, and I work with children, adults, couples, and families for a variety of concerns. Currently, I am offering assessment and consultation services.
In the assessment process, we will use a process called Therapeutic Assessment (TA) and truly work as a team to answer your questions about yourself or your child. Through TA, individuals and families work to understand themselves better and make change through formal and informal tests and assessment measures. This is an exciting process for me, because it is a delight to get to know people so profoundly and to help people be curious about themselves and why they work in the ways they do. Assessment tends to be a shorter-term process, usually lasting 2-4 months. It's also important to know that my approach to assessment is both neurodiversity affirming and LGBTQIA+ affirming. I typically offer assessment in English but can also do some assessments in Spanish.
Although I'm not currently accepting new therapy clients, it can be helpful to know a bit about my approach. Therapy can be relatively brief, but for many people tends to involve a longer-term relationship. In therapy, we work on the concerns you bring to each session and themes that emerge through the therapy process. You may be coming in with a specific concern, support need, or a prior diagnosis (such as depression, anxiety, ADHD, low self-esteem, relationship difficulties) or something more general (such as feeling unhappy or wanting to grow in some way). We can work on whatever brings you in, and often as we work together, we find more specific ways to work well together. I do not believe that there is a "one size fits all" approach to therapy, so we will give a lot of effort to begin our work together by building a solid relationship and then being flexible enough to find and address what you need from the therapy process. I may resume more therapy services in the future; however, my therapy practice is closed indefinitely at this time.
We celebrate the wide variety of human diversity. All are welcome.
Disclaimer: Dr. Brittain's office is located at the same address as Resilience Therapy + Assessment Service. Dr. Brittain is not affiliated with the other clinicians at this location.
Header Photo Credit: Mark Harper via Unsplash.com
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