16
Years of Therapy
and Counseling Experience
Sandra Kelly, LICSW
Contact me today for your free phone consultation
Feeling overwhelmed, stressed out, unbalanced, unmotivated, or hopeless that life is never going to get better? No matter how you are feeling in this moment, hope and change are possible! Let me teach you the skills to help you live a more balanced life.
About
Hi, I am
Sandra Kelly
With over 16 years of experience, I’m dedicated to helping individuals, families, and groups move past what’s keeping them stuck and move toward more balanced, fulfilling lives. My approach is warm, collaborative, and action-focused, rooted in a genuine desire to support people in their healing and growth.
I draw from EMDR, EFT, CBT, DBT, mindfulness, and psychodynamic techniques, tailoring each session to your unique needs. Whether you’re navigating anxiety, depression, stress, trauma, relationship challenges, or life transitions, I offer a safe, supportive Telehealth space where you can explore your thoughts and feelings comfortably.
If you’re ready to gain clarity, build resilience, and experience meaningful change, I’m here to help. And when I’m not working with clients, you can often find me on the pickleball courts, out on the water sailing or paddleboarding, baking, traveling, relaxing at the beach with a good book, or spending time with family, friends, and my adorable Goldendoodle, Pepper Mae. Together, we can create space for healing, growth, and positive change.
Testimonials
Resources
Anxiety Disorders
Depression
Eating Disorders
Anxiety
Is it Stress or Anxiety?
There’s a fine line between stress and anxiety. Both are emotional responses, but stress is typically caused by an external trigger. Triggers can be short term such as such starting a new job, deadlines for work or school, a fight with a loved one or long-term such as chronic illness, or discrimination. People under stress can experience physical and mental symptoms, such as fatigue, muscle pain, irritability, anger, digestive troubles, and/or difficulty sleeping.
Anxiety, on the other hand, is defined by persistent, excessive worries that don’t go away even in the absence of a stressor. Anxiety leads to a nearly identical set of symptoms as stress: irritability, fatigue, muscle tension, insomnia, and difficulty concentrating. This anxiety can impact every aspect of our lives – school, work, home, and/or social relationships.
Should I Consider Therapy For Anxiety?
More and more people these days seem to be struggling with anxiety. Unfortunately, the fact that anxiety is common leads many people to think they shouldn’t need therapy to work through this struggle. Even though anxiety is common, it doesn’t mean that it has to be your “normal and it doesn’t mean that you have to struggle through it alone.
Anxiety is the body’s way of alerting us to possible dangers. Our ancient ancestors needed anxiety to warn them about a possible attack from a wild animal and other life-threatening danger. Today, anxiety doesn’t necessarily stem from need to protect yourself from a man-eating wild animal, but our minds and bodies are not always able to tell the difference.
The thing about our body’s healthy anxiety response is that it’s not supposed to be on all the time; we’re meant to recognize and process a source of danger, and go back to a restful state. However, in today’s busy world, more and more people find themselves always on high alert.
Many people try to ignore, avoid, or just deal with their anxiety, these tactics work but typically not in the long run. Unfortunately, without really dealing with the sources of your anxiety, you will continue to experience all the same negative effects. The goal of therapy for anxiety is to help people recognize when the body is experiencing elevated levels of anxiety and learn how to cope with the anxious feelings to experience greater joy in your day to day life.
Eating Disorders
Eating Disorders are a unique and challenging set of thoughts and behaviors that can make it difficult to be present and fully engaged in life. In America, it is estimated that 20 million women and 10 million men will have an eating disorder at some point in their lives. Eating Disorders are serious yet treatable and can affect people of any gender, sex, age, race, ethnicity, or socio-economic status. Eating disorders are insidious and often impact people’s every day lives by making it difficult to engage in work, school, or socializing. The three most common types of eating disorders are:
Anorexia Nervosa is defined by the following criteria:
- – Restriction of energy intake (calories/food) that can lead to low body weight
- – Intense fear of gaining weight or of becoming fat
- – Disturbance in the way in which one’s body weight or shape is experienced and possibly lack of recognition of the seriousness of current low body weight.
- – Eating In a discrete period of time, larger amounts of food than what most individuals would eat in a similar time period
- – Feel a lack of control during the binge episode
- – Engaging in compensatory behaviors to prevent weight gain such as:
- – Vomiting
- – Laxative Abuse
- – Excessive Exercise
- – Binge eating and compensatory behaviors both occur on average at least once a week for 3 months
- – Eating In a discrete period of time, larger amounts of food than what most individuals would eat in a similar time period
- – Feel a lack of control during the binge episode e.g. feeling like you cannot stop
- – People who experience binge eating might also notice:
- – Eating until uncomfortably full
- – Eating large amounts of food when not hungry
- – Feeling disgusted, depressed, shame, or guilt
- – Eating along or in secret due to feeling embarrassed by eating
- – Feeling distressed that binge eating is present
- – Shortness Of Breath
- – Hair Loss
- – Enlarged parotid glands
- – Amenorrhea (loss of menses)
- – Cold Intolerance
- – Lack of Energy
- – Dizziness
- – Difficulty concentrating
- – Tachycardia (high resting heart rate)
- – Bradycardia (low resting heart rate)
- – Abnormal blood work
How Does Therapy Work For Eating Disorders?
Often people seek a therapist (outpatient provider) after they have been in a higher level of care for eating disorders such as partial hospitalization or intensive outpatient levels of care. However, for many people seeking help, I am the first person they have talked to about these issues. If I am the first person you have reached out to, I will ask you questions about the frequency and severity of behaviors so that I can assess how I can best support you. If you have other outpatient providers such as a registered dietitian, I will often work collaboratively with them on your behalf.
Many people delay seeking support for eating disorders for several reasons that might include: feelings of guilt, shame, embarrassment or perhaps you don’t think you are sick enough because you’re not underweight or you only throw up sometimes – whatever the reason is that you ended up here on my page, you are in the right place and the time is now to seek support and guidance. Call or send me an email so that we can chat about how I can best serve you.
Question & Answer
Common Questions
Therapy provides support, clarity, and tools to manage challenges like stress, anxiety, depression, and relationship issues. It helps you understand yourself, improve communication, build healthier habits, and boost confidence.
Everyone goes through challenging situations in life, and while you may have successfully navigated through other difficulties you've faced, there's nothing wrong with seeking out extra support when you need it. In fact, therapy is for people who have enough self-awareness to realize they need a helping hand, and that is something to be admired. You are taking responsibility by accepting where you're at in life and making a commitment to change the situation by seeking therapy. Therapy provides long-lasting benefits and support, giving you the tools you need to avoid triggers, re-direct damaging patterns, and overcome whatever challenges you face.
People seek therapy for many reasons—major life changes, overwhelming stress, or challenges like low self-esteem, anxiety, depression, addictions, or relationship struggles. Therapy offers support, encouragement, and practical skills to navigate these moments. Some people come simply to understand themselves better or pursue personal growth. Ultimately, therapy is for anyone ready to face challenges and make meaningful changes in their life.
Therapy looks different for everyone because each person’s goals and challenges are unique. Generally, you’ll talk about what’s happening in your life, explore relevant past experiences, and reflect on any progress or insights. Sessions may be short-term for specific concerns or longer-term for deeper patterns or personal growth, and most people meet with their therapist weekly.
Therapy works best when you’re actively involved. What you learn in session is meant to be applied in your daily life, so your therapist may suggest activities like journaling, reading, or practicing new habits. People who benefit most from therapy are open to new perspectives and ready to take positive steps toward change.
Medication can help with symptoms, but lasting change often requires addressing the deeper causes of emotional or mental distress. Therapy helps you understand patterns, build healthier coping skills, and create long-term growth. Many people benefit from an integrative approach, and your medical doctor can help you decide whether therapy alone or a combination of therapy and medication is best for you.
To find out if your insurance covers mental health services, contact your insurance provider and review your benefits carefully. You can ask:
What mental health services are covered?
How much is covered per therapy session?
How many sessions are included in my plan?
What are the out-of-network reimbursement rates?
Do I need prior approval from my primary care doctor?
Confidentiality is a core part of therapy. You need a safe, private space to discuss sensitive topics, and therapists are required to protect your information. You’ll receive a written “Informed Consent” outlining how your privacy is protected. Your therapist can only share information with others if you give written permission.
News & Updates
Recent story & articles
in our community
Therapy Options
Pathways to Healing
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