How I work: I’m a licensed clinical social worker with over a decade of experience in supporting individuals of all ages who are navigating illness, grief, death and bereavement. I work with individuals ages 13 and up with life-limiting medical conditions, including cancer, cystic fibrosis, kidney or liver disease, cardiac conditions, muscular dystrophy, genetic disorders and more.

My focus areas include:

• Adjustment to illness/ related changes in physical abilities

• Grief & Loss

• End-of-Life

• Palliative & Hospice Care

• Coping with prolonged hospitalization and/or changes in treatment

With training in pediatric and adult palliative care, I support clients through all stages of illness—diagnosis, treatment, chronic coping, and/or end-of-life—as well as their caregivers and families. In bereavement, I work with children, adults, and families facing loss from illness, accident, suicide, or homicide, with a special focus on parents grieving a young child and youth mourning a sibling.

My approach to therapy is strengths-based and trauma-informed. I consider it a privilege to be invited into your story and seek to approach our work together with humility, gentle curiosity, and recognition of our shared humanity. I am trained in and pull from a range of modalities, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT), motivational interviewing (MI), play therapy, bibliotherapy, narrative therapy, and dignity therapy, to provide care that is both holistic and individualized. As a clinician-scholar with expertise in thanatology (the study of death, dying and bereavement), I seek to translate theory and current research into practical applications that allow you to better conceptualize your experience with illness, end-of-life and grief, and inform how you navigate it. I can be reached directly at kristin@nchpsych.com.

About Me: I completed my Master of Social Work (MSW) at the University of Michigan, where I interned with the adult palliative care team for the University of Michigan Health System. As an Integrated Health Scholar within the School of Social Work, my studies and training were grounded in the understanding that our mental and physical health are deeply entwined and should be addressed holistically. Following graduation, I worked in hospice before pursuing additional training in pediatric palliative care through Harvard Medical School’s Interprofessional Palliative Care Fellowship, a clinical experience in which I learned and worked directly alongside my physician and nurse colleagues at Boston Children’s Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Over the past decade, I have served as the clinical social worker for hospital-based pediatric palliative care, pediatric oncology and pediatric cardiology teams; as the director of a hospital-wide bereavement program, and as a grief and trauma psychotherapist for a community-based non-profit. I am a lifelong learner and proud member of the National Alliance for Grieving Children (NAGC) and the Association for Death Education and Counseling (ADEC). Outside of work, I can be found cheering loudly for the University of Michigan Wolverines (Go Blue!), spending time with my cat, Joy, and continuing my ongoing search for the best cup of coffee in the DMV and beyond.

Certifications

Advanced Palliative Hospice Social Worker - Certified (APHSW-C), Hospice & Palliative Credentialing Center

Fellow in Thanatology (FT) - Association for Death Education & Counseling

Compassionate Bereavement Care Certification (CBC) , The MISS Foundation, Elisabeth Kubler-Ross Family Trust and The Center for Loss and Trauma

Licenses

Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker (LICSW) ; DC & Massachusetts

Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) ; Virginia

Pending License in Maryland

Education & Training

Post-MSW Fellowship : Center for Palliative Care, Harvard Medical School

Master of Social Work, University of Michigan

Bachelor of Arts, George Washington University

Selected Peer-Reviewed Publications

Drouin, K., Hayes, A., Archer, E., Miller, E., & Hildenbrand, A. (2024). Virtual support for bereaved parents: Acceptability, feasibility and preliminary efficacy of HOPE Group. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 10.1089/jpm.2024.0378. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1089/jpm.2024.0378

Drouin, K., Purol, N., Tarquini, S., Burger, D., & Uhl, K. (2023). An overview of psychosocial considerations and assessment of patients with hematological malignancies and serious blood disorders. In Eric Roeland and Christina Ullrich (Eds), Palliative care for hematologic malignancies and serious blood disorders: A clinical guide.

Levy, C., Drouin, K., Dorsett, A., & Sood, E. (2021). Supporting transition to the bereaved community following the death of a child. Pediatrics, 148(5).

Jonas, D., Drouin, K., Greenman, J., Klein, V., Scanlon, C., Frechette, E.,...Purol, N. (2021). Collateral impact and finding resilience amidst a global pandemic: Pediatric palliative care social work during COVID-19. Journal of Social Work in End-of-Life & Palliative Care, 15(1), 1-19.

Bronzo, M., Drouin, K., Broschak, L., Curran, D. & Bolte, S. (2020). Intimacy and sexuality needs of children and adolescents at end of life. In Kenneth Doka and Amy Tucci (Eds), Intimacy and sexuality during illness and loss. Washington, D.C.: Hospice Foundation of America.