Hi! I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker licensed in the states of Pennsylvania and Delaware. I received my Master's in Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania in 2015 and have been practicing for 9 years. I love using my skills as a therapist to help guide adults through difficult life experiences include grief, major transitions, anxiety, and trauma.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
Our first session is an opportunity to establish a safe and nonjudgmental space. I prioritize creating a supportive environment where you can express yourself freely. You can expect me to approach you with a stable framework for use during our work together. We will go through an intake process to gather relevant information about your background, concerns, and goals. We will engage in open and compassionate conversation to understand your experiences, strengths, and challenges. Together, we will identify your therapeutic goals and create a roadmap for our work.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
In each session, I embody values of unconditional acceptance, curiosity, nonjudgment, and playfulness. Throughout the therapeutic process, we will regularly review your progress and adjust goals as needed. Therapy is dynamic, and we will adapt our approach to best support your growth and healing. You will also be given a tool to communicate feedback with your therapist after your first few sessions to ensure that I meet you where you need me most.
About Kelly Kowalchuk
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VirtualMy treatment methods
Mindfulness-Based Therapy
One of the tools I utilize with many of my clients is the concept of Mindfulness, simply defined as paying attention without passing judgment. If clients chose to add this to their routine in small steps, gradually, overtime, benefits include higher self-esteem (even self-compassion/self-love), improved sleep, reduced anxiety & depression, and even possible physiological effects like reduced blood pressure and greater ability to cope with pain and stress
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
CBT is a widely recognized therapeutic approach that focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful patterns of thoughts and behaviors to promote emotional well-being and healthier coping mechanisms. This means we will explore the connection between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors, and learn a set of cognitive (unraveling unhelpful thoughts, thought reframing, coping ahead with worst case scenarios, etc.) and behavioral (journaling, problem-solving, goal setting, mindfulness) coping tools.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
CBT with a heavy mindfulness training at the beginning, DBT will allow us to focus on building a tool kit within 4 categories: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.
Narrative
Tell me your story. Narrative can help us make sense of our experiences, especially through grief, as we focus on the stories you have developed and carried with you. In this process, clients often gain clarity, a wider view, and ultimately challenge and reframe any limiting assumptions that have been made.
Eclectic
We will draw on the most relevant techniques from the other evidence-based modalities to create an individualized treatment plan just for you.