Kris was born in Seattle and grew up camping and hiking on the Olympic Peninsula. After raising her son, she started imagining herself living in this outdoor wonderland and began exploring career opportunities. She moved to Port Angeles in 2016, and now has settled in Sequim in a lovely farmhouse with her two dogs and two cats. She has been a mental health therapist for four decades and has worked in community mental health, primary care clinics, and in private practice. She works with people of all ages specializing in the treatment of trauma, eating disorders, grief and loss, and is also a child mental health specialist.