(she/her)
New to Grow
Hi! I'm Kelsey, a Licensed Psychologist with 6 years of therapy experience. I have a passion for working with people, particularly those who are experiencing life transitions, those in helping/health professions, and working with people who want to change their relationship with food/beliefs around food or body image. I am motivated to help them reach their goals through a warm, collaborative, and flexible approach. In addition to my professional interests, I also am an avid Philly sports fan, foodie, and lover of dogs!
You are the expert; I need to hear your story straight from the author, you! Our first session will be somewhat structured by me asking questions to help guide the way. I know first meetings with anyone can be intimidating, and I love to meet new people and put conscious effort into creating connection to improve your feelings of comfort. I ask about many different areas of life- maybe even areas you did not think we would discuss. My actions as a psychologist have a purpose, in a first session my questions are to help get a full scope of your life in an effort to hone in on what is most important to you. I believe the more I know, the better I can understand you and help support you!
I believe clients are the leaders in the therapy room, it is my job through listening and catching details of your life to help weave your direction toward growth and healing. I love to learn, and will continue to learn and be curious about what makes you, you! While I follow different therapy modalities that may seem structured on the surface, I am very flexible in my approach. I want you to get what you need out of this experience, and therefore I will use your experience and my knowledge to find the approach that best fits you. This typically comes with gentle challenging or questioning that can be uncomfortable. If we lean into that discomfort, together in a brave space, that’s where growth lives! And while doing all of this- I am funny (or at least I try to be) and will use humor to balance the emotional experience because like you, I am human too!
I am well suited to serve people that are navigating life/work transitions or managing their work-life balance, I also like to work with those who are also in helping professions, such as a therapist themselves, and navigating the difficulty that can come with being in a helping role. Additionally, as I noted above, I enjoy working with people that are struggling with their eating attitudes/behaviors and body image concerns. I understand the stress of navigating a world consumed with diet culture and societal expectations, and like helping people explore how these factors may be impacting them, and do so from a Health at Every Size and anti-diet approach.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
Within my range of modalities that I like to tap into, I find myself coming back to a CBT approach. Particularly for those who are exploring some of the internal beliefs that they have about themselves and how to best address them. Additionally, I think challenging and reframing our thoughts can be helpful in better understanding the way we view the world.
Acceptance and commitment (ACT)
We deserve to live by what we value, and each person's values can be different! With this in mind, I like to encourage my clients to tap into what they value most, and use that as motivation to make changes or find peace with their given situation. If you are not living in line with your values, let's explore why and how we can start!
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
DBT has always been ol' faithful for me. I believe no matter what is going on, a DBT skill can really help you to address many of life's stressors, and help you tap into areas you may not want to. While there is nothing "ground breaking" about the strategies, I think they can really be eye opening for clients who struggle with understanding themselves, the "highs and lows" of emotions, and how to best serve in their relationships.
Relational
A lot can be said about how we understand and respond with our relationships, which is newer territory for me as a therapist that I have been exploring. With this, I want to learn who is in your social circle, how do you communicate with them, and where did you learn these communication strategies? What aspects of your upbringing caused you to view relationships in the way you do? Once we understand that, let's use our relationship to help you understand, rework, and thrive!