Meet Kelsey Wood | Licensed Therapist and Private Practice Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kelsey Wood and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kelsey, how does your business help the community?
I think therapy and all therapists, psychologists, social workers and in general helpers impact the community greatly. The stigma around receiving help for mental health has been greatly changing and more and more people are getting support and services that they need. I believe with ongoing awareness and mental health outreach we can foster a greater supportive environment. Creating safe spaces for children and adults to learn how to manage and process their emotions will only benefit the larger community as a whole. Less aggression, less psychiatric crisis, less emotional disregulation in schools would all benefit the larger sum of us.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I got into psychology right into my undergraduate degree and continued straight into graduate school to become a therapist. I admittedly was one of the lucky ones who knew what I wanted to do, or at least what field I wanted to be in very early on. I believe that helped me jumpstart my career as I had a very specific path and goal that I ran for. Working full time and going to graduate school is not an uncommon story by any means, but those years of my life were some of the most beneficial and grueling. Working from 6am-2pm, then having class from 3pm-9pm multiple days a week highlighted my organization skills, multitasking skills and grit. Being a college athlete previously I was used to being tired and having to just keep going, and that is one of the things I believe sets myself apart even now. When you are an athlete you have a certain level of expectations on you, physically, mentally and emotionally. The skills I learned playing softball are ones I use to this day now to push through on hard days, to continue to have empathy and compassion for clients when I am tired, and to keep my eye on the goals I have set. In my practice I strive to be authentic and modern. The outdated views of a therapist who sits there, nods her head and asks “How does that make you feel?” Does not work for me, so I doubt it would work for any of my clients. I take an evidence based approach with a modern twist, and incorporate my personality. At then end of the day people want a therapist who just gets it, and I get that.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
First things first, the Taco Stand. I love their tacos and you can’t go wrong at any of their locations. I would absolutely go walk Torrey Pines in the morning get some exercise in and then wander around on the beach with some coffee or tea. If you like breweries and good food, then you can’t go wrong with North Park. My favorite salad is at En Contro in Northpark, add the cardiff crack, just trust me its amazing. The San Diego Zoo is a whole experience of its own, you can walk around for hours and its good for the whole family. One of my favorite parts of San Diego are the sunsets. So go grab a burrito and get a spot on mission beach or somewhere in Mission Bay to watch the beautiful cotton candy skies we get. If you are a fan of hiking, then heading out to Cowell’s Mountain is a good way to get some exercise in then head over to Fernside in Southpark for some great food! If you love to get out of the city, then head out to Julian to go apple picking, eat some great pizza or bbq at the Julian Brewing Company. Whilst out east you can go check out the San Diego Animal Sanctuary in Japatul, they do amazing work. Last but not least, go check out a padres game downtown!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
The greatest part of my success has to be the support of my family. My parents and my sisters have been huge supports and all do their own part to help out in their own fields. My mother supported the arts and our creativity, my father supported and resourced our competitive softball career, my older sister was the best role model and proofread way too many of my papers for an older sister. My twin has been my best friend and rock my whole life. She is also in the helping field and teaches mod/severe special education in high school. Without all of them there is no doubt in my mind I would not be as successful as I am today.

Website: * I can email this to you, currently under construction should be done in a week or two

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teatimetherapist/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelsey-wood-lmft-6669b230/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100074043590737