Kelly Castillo

LMFT, 15 years of experience
Authentic
Warm
Solution oriented
VirtualAvailable

Hi, I’m Kelly Castillo, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT). With 15 years of experience, I’ve had the privilege of helping individuals navigate some of life’s most painful and transformative moments. Many of the people I work with come to therapy carrying the weight of childhood trauma, grief and loss, low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, or major life transitions. Others feel stuck—uncertain about what’s next or how to move forward. Wherever you find yourself, you deserve a space where your experiences are validated and your healing is supported. My mission is to help you reconnect with your strengths, rediscover your voice, and move toward the best version of yourself. Therapy can be a powerful pathway to insight, relief, and growth—a place where you don’t need to have everything figured out. Instead, it offers room to explore, question, heal, and gradually build the life you want with guidance and support. I offer an honest, compassionate, and relatable approach to therapy. My goal is to create a safe, grounded environment where you feel genuinely heard, understood, and empowered. I tailor each session to your individual needs and goals, drawing from evidence-based modalities such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) along with integrative, client-centered approaches. This flexibility allows me to meet you where you are and support you as you move toward where you want to be. Through my work in diverse clinical settings, I’ve learned that no two healing journeys are alike. Your story is uniquely your own—and your therapy should reflect that. I’m committed to walking alongside you, at your pace, using strategies that align with your values, strengths, and lived experience. Starting therapy can feel overwhelming, but together, we’ll navigate challenges, uncover your resilience, and build tools that foster clarity, confidence, and peace. I’m honored to support you in whatever comes next.

Get to know me

In our first session together, here's what you can expect

In our first session, we’ll take some time to orient you to the structure of therapy and what you can expect moving forward. I’ll explain how our sessions typically work, what my role will be, and how we can work together in a way that feels comfortable and meaningful for you. You’ll have space to share what brings you here—whether it’s specific concerns, recent challenges, or goals you’re hoping to explore. There’s no pressure to have everything figured out; this session is simply an opportunity for us to start understanding what you need and how I can best support you. By the end of this first meeting, my aim is for you to have a clearer sense of what therapy with me will look like and to feel grounded in the process we’re starting together.

The biggest strengths that I bring into our sessions

I have worked with individuals from diverse ages, backgrounds, religions, and cultures. Through this experience, I’ve guided many clients in developing assertiveness, practicing daily self-care, and identifying their strengths to enhance their relationships—with themselves and others. These experiences have helped me cultivate the flexibility and cultural sensitivity needed to meet each client's unique needs and support them in achieving their personal goals.

The clients I'm best positioned to serve

I truly enjoy working with individuals who are navigating life changes. Together, we focus on developing new coping skills to help you adjust to the transitions we all encounter at different points in our journey. My therapeutic style incorporates mindfulness and collaborative exploration of core beliefs and relationship patterns. I believe that being both compassionate and direct with my clients fosters trust and supports meaningful growth. My goal is to help you relate to yourself and others in healthier, more fulfilling ways.

SpecialtiesTop specialties
Other specialties
I identify as
Serves ages
Licensed in
Accepts
Location
Virtual
My treatment methods

Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)

I am trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and have been utilizing it for over a decade to support clients with a wide range of mental health concerns. Together, we will apply evidence-based CBT techniques to improve your overall mental health and mood by identifying and modifying unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors.

Integrative

I use an integrative approach to treatment, tailoring it to your unique needs by drawing from evidence-based practices. These include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Trauma-Focused CBT, and Seeking Safety—a model designed to address both trauma and substance use. I also incorporate Managing and Adapting Practices (MAP), which allows for flexible use of interventions based on your specific symptoms and treatment goals.

, 32 ratings

3 ratings with written reviews

April 25, 2025

Kelly has been a breath of fresh air! She pays attention. She challenges me with what my next steps may need to be. She encourages me as I make progress and reminds me of the positive steps forward that I've taken. She holds me accountable to my words but does so gently. She reminds me that I'm her client so her primary interest is me so while I may care about how certain actions will affect others, she reminds me to care about how actions affect me. She helps me to stay goal-oriented.

Verified client, age 45-54
Review shared after session 12 with Kelly

February 25, 2025

Kelly is patient with me and she allows me to get where I'm going in my own way. She provides guidance, encouragement, and truth. She explains things in a way that makes sense and doesn't make me feel low but empowered. The steps I need to take to make change are manageable even if they are a bit scary at the moment. I feel like I can trust her and I feel like she cares about me and my success. At the end of our first session she said I think I can help you and that meant so much to me. I really appreciate these sessions with her.

Verified client, age 45-54
Review shared after session 5 with Kelly

January 30, 2025

Kelly was very easy to talk to and share with. I'm looking forward to this health journey.

Verified client, age 45-54
Review shared after session 1 with Kelly