LCSW, 30 years of experience
Frequently rebooked
As a clinical social worker with over 30 years of experience, I can serve as your guide whether you are facing chronic painful feelings such as anxiety or depression, a major life transition, or a recent or past life altering trauma. Working with me, you will learn new perspectives and skills to build a firm foundation for mental health and wellbeing. I have broad experience in mental health and addictions. I believe psychotherapy is a great deal more than "just talking." I earned my BA in Asian Languages and Civilizations at Amherst College in Massachusetts and my Master of Social Work (MSW) at Boston University. I lived in Japan for about 10 years.
From the first session we will focus on what matters most to you, your goals, and how we will help you make positive changes in your life. Doing that requires understanding your current life, your history, and what else you have tried. After that, my approach balances listening with teaching, processing with skill building, and support with manageable challenges. You will do a lot more than talk as you grow and change.
Building a safe welcoming space for you to explore your experiences is a core of my work. Teaching skills and techniques for mental health and wellbeing is an essential component of growth. I strive to strengthen self-compassion while you integrate new patterns of thought and behavior to live a meaningful and authentic life. I promote active self-care to manage the stresses that come along with change.
Clients who are willing to do the work between sessions achieve their goals more quickly. I only offer evening and Saturday appointments, for adults 18+ for individual therapy who are in the state of Pennsylvania.
CBT is extremely effective for many symptoms including anxiety, insomnia, depression, and chronic pain. I use CBT to help clients understand the connections between their thoughts feelings and behaviors- which leads to powerful changes.
With a focus on acceptance, compassion, mindfulness, DBT is designed to help people manage intense emotions, cope with challenging situations, and improve relationships. Clients can expect to see improvements in affect regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness.
Mastering mindfulness skills helps reduce stress, depression, and anxiety while improving self-control, affect tolerance, concentration, and focus.
Psychodynamic therapy delves into the unconscious mind to understand how past experiences and internal conflicts influence current behavior and relationships. It fosters self-awareness, emotional growth and improved relationships bu exploring the underlying thoughts feelings and behaviors.
So many people experience traumatic events that I use a trauma-informed approach with everyone. This means empowering clients by, for example, asking your permission to explore topics and openly giving the decision about whether and when to share details or answer questions to you. I strive to create a safe and supportive environment that prioritizes choice, empowerment, collaboration, and trustworthiness. A trauma informed approach aims to prevent retraumatization and promote healing by acknowledging the impacts of trauma on the physical emotional and mental health of survivors.
2 ratings with written reviews
April 29, 2025
Meeting Kelly has made such a difference in my life. I feel like I am on a path I can continue and grow on over time. I feel like Kelly really listens to me, knows what I mean when I say things and offers suggestions that have been practical and helpful. Thank you so much!
February 18, 2025
I feel so comfortable with Kelly. She helps me to deal with issues I'm not willing to share with other people.