About

Personal experience with counselors as a child and young adult, inspired Kelly to follow that path. Their compassion and care made her realize she wanted to be there for people in the same way. She sees people as more than just what they are going through and helps them to see their worth. One of Kelly’s favorite quotes is, “Every storm runs out of rain” by Maya Angelou. It reminds her that feelings, thoughts, and circumstances are temporary. There are always storms throughout life. You can learn how to weather them but may need help along the way. This can mean many things. Healing from trauma and grief, learning to organize your thinking and feel your feelings. It can also be finding the tools and strategies that allow you to reach your goals. Kelly believes her role is to help you discover who you want to be. Everyone continues to grow and learn all through life. Kelly works with ages 4 and up. Her extensive experience helps people dealing with mental illness, a history of trauma, grief and loss, childhood abuse and neglect, and self-image. She also specializes in working with people experiencing compassion fatigue and/or secondary trauma due to their profession—social workers, nurses, and therapists. With extensive education, Kelly has a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Mary Washington College and a Master of Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University. She also has training in the forensic interviewing of children, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and is a Certified Compassion Fatigue Professional. As a trained presenter of ACE Interface, Kelly is passionate about educating others about the adverse childhood effects of childhood trauma on brain development. She says it is important to ask what happened instead of what is wrong, and care enough to find the answers.