“The most rewarding part of my practice is celebrating client successes,” said Kelly. “There are moments when you’re in the trenches and you see people in their darkest moments. But then, you see their turning points.”
Psychology is a second career for Kelly, who graduated Coronado High School in 2003 and lives on the island with her husband and two children. She previously worked in digital marketing but decided to go back to school and become a therapist while pregnant with her second child.
“Motherhood changed me, and I felt like I had gone through so much personal growth in my own therapy,” said Kelly. “I decided that this was what I wanted to do with my time here on earth.”
She says starting from scratch was intimidating at first, but with the support of her husband and family, she got her masters at San Diego State University.
She knew right away she was on the right path.
“I think the cool thing about the mental health graduate programs is they require so much in-person practice,” said Kelly. “And when you’re doing that practicum work and you’re actually getting to help people, it keeps you going because you see the results.”
It was during this time that Kelly met Dr. Palmiotto, who owns the Family Guidance and Therapy Center in Point Loma. She worked with Dr. Palmiotto at her center in Point Loma and helped her open a new trauma-focused practice in Petaluma, California.
But Kelly’s heart was in Coronado.
“There are a number of therapy providers that offer in-person therapy in Coronado, but not a lot,” said Kelly. “I grew up here, and this is where I want to focus my time and energy.”
The first order of business was finding a discrete location where Coronado residents could feel comfortable visiting. Kelly found a diamond-in-the-rough and she and Dr. Palmiotto opened the doors in January.
“Our primary focus is individuals,” said Kelly. “Many people will come in and say they have anxiety or depression, and a lot of people do. Some say they have anger management issues, or maybe they’re not getting along with their spouse, or parenting the way they want to parent.”
She also helps people undergoing big life transitions. This includes divorce, death, retirement, and career changes.
She said she believes she’s effective at treating these challenges. But sometimes the problem stems from something else.
“A lot of times these other issues are the entry point, but then we find that people have a lot of trauma that they haven’t worked through,” said Kelly. “So my primary interest is trauma.”
Kelly says that Coronado, as a demographic, sees its own unique mental health needs. She says that military personnel face a lot of mental health stigma given the nature of their work.
“Some folks don’t want to go through Tricare and choose to seek private care instead, which is completely separate from the government system,” said Kelly. “We also have military spouses who are seeking care for their teen or themselves.”
Because of its high cost of living, Kelly also finds that many Coronado residents are high-performers.
“This comes with added stress and people who are taking care of everyone but themselves,” said Kelly.
Kelly says there are several new and emerging trends that are playing out in the field of psychology. Take, for example, social media.
“It’s really interesting because people have access to mental health concepts in a way they never have before,” said Kelly. “They will come in and already have their own self-diagnoses.”
But she says there’s a big grey area when it comes to a diagnosis, much more than people realize.
“A lot of people don’t fit discretely into these simple categories,” she said. “Sometimes it’s accurate and sometimes its something to unpack.”
Then there is Artificial Intelligence. Kelly says some people use AI for therapy. While it can be helpful in supporting vulnerable people who don’t have access to healthcare, it has its drawbacks.
“I think the real agent of change in therapy is the relationship, and it’s hard to have an authentic relationship with a non-sentient being,” said Kelly.
When it comes to practical mental health advice, Kelly advises others to engage with “psych pillars” to support positive mental health outcomes. They include basic but often ignored cliches like sleep, diet, and exercise. But Kelly also underscores the need for human connection and spirituality. She says it doesn’t have to be religion, and could be something like nature, or even a dedication to a value-driven life.
She also recommends the practice of mastery, which is the pursuit of something that challenges you.
“It could be Sudoku or learning to crochet, or just picking up a new hobby,” she said. “It can be very powerful.”
Kelly says taking care of her own mental health can be a challenge, but she has a supportive family and career network that bolsters her ability to forge ahead. She also spends a lot of time in “animal therapy” with her own Newfoundland dog, who she credits as her emotional support pet. Kelly also spends time creating watercolor paintings and connects with other moms in town and through community involvement like the Coronado Flower Show.
But for now, she’s excited to work with patients in her hometown, sharing that the greatest thing she’s learned through her own life challenges is that love always holds the door open for transformation.
“You won’t be judged or labeled,” said Kelly. “Good therapy is rooted in humility.”
True North is a private practice with therapy sessions priced at $150 for a 50-minute session. As a private-pay practice, they also provide detailed receipts (superbills) for clients pursuing out-of-network reimbursement through insurance.
True North also offers a free 15 minute consultation, and is available via TeleHealth to patients anywhere in California.
“It shouldn’t be stressful to come see a therapist,” said Kelly. “You don’t have to leave the island. You can come here, and it’s private and it’s discreet.”
To learn more, visit truenorthclinicalcounseling.com.
