We hear a lot from our clients. After all, therapy is YOUR time and YOUR space to explore the issues that matter most to YOU. But we also realize you may at times be curious about us, or wonder what therapy looks like from the other side of the couch. 

In this series, we’ll be hearing from the therapists on staff here at Elevate Counseling + Wellness about what therapy means to them. Today, we hear from Kelly Kenna, a Licensed Professional Counselor with a background in marketing, creative writing, and comedy. Read on to find out how she transformed personal pain into a higher calling, why she asks her clients to think of themselves in terms of parts, and what she would be doing in an alternate universe. 

Tell us a little about your background and why you became a therapist.

My journey to becoming a therapist began when I was fifteen. I suffered a major depressive episode that turned my world upside down. Without proper therapy to teach me coping skills, I turned to disordered eating, substance use, and other self-destructive behaviors to cope with the terror, shame, despair, and anxiety I felt. It took me nearly a decade to find the resources I needed to make sense of what happened and begin to heal. 

During that time, I developed a career as a copywriter and eventually started my own freelance writing business. I found a therapist who “clicked” and helped launch my recovery to new heights. I took courses in comedy, theater, and creative writing that helped me express myself, share my experiences, and connect to others. 

All the while, a part of me – the one that knew I was meant to be in the helping professions – was growing louder, protesting against the constraints of an office job and demanding I pursue my true calling: to reach out a hand into the darkness and help others climb back into the light. 

Listening to that part of me was the best decision I have ever made (tied with saying “yes” when my husband proposed). Three years later, I graduated from DePaul University with my Master’s in Counseling and began my career as a psychotherapist. It is a gift to be able to use my experiences to help others find the wisdom, courage, and compassion within themselves to live the lives they were born to live.

Do you specialize in a particular area or niche? Tell us about that niche and how you help clients experiencing those concerns.  

At this time I consider myself more of a generalist. I work with a wide range of clients on various clinical issues ranging from depression and anxiety disorders to obsessive compulsive disorder, relationship issues, self-esteem, and more. I have specialized training in grief and loss and am particularly passionate about helping clients improve body image and heal from disordered eating.

I work from a client-centered lens, tailoring my interventions to the individual’s specific needs and goals. I help my clients by listening to their stories, identifying strengths and obstacles, supporting healthy lifestyle behaviors, building coping skills, and empowering them to heal internal conflicts and pain through self-compassionate listening. I draw on theories like Internal Family Systems (IFS), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Narrative Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). 

What is your advice for people starting therapy for the first time?

Expect some discomfort, especially in the beginning. Therapy is an act of tremendous bravery, in which we confront head-on the emotions, experiences, thoughts, and behaviors that we normally keep below the surface. That takes major guts, and it’s totally normal to be nervous! But it is 100% worth it, and I promise you it’s not all discomfort – there will be plenty of moments of catharsis, discovery, and laughter along the way. 

I encourage new clients to give it at least six sessions, as it can take some time to gather information, establish goals, and develop the necessary rapport to start doing more transformative work. 

My last piece of advice would be to tell your therapist if something isn’t working. This gives us a chance to better explain and adjust our approach to ensure you’re getting the most out of our time together. After all, you’re the client – we’re here to serve you!

What is your theoretical orientation and how do you use it to help your clients?

I use a lot of Internal Family Systems (IFS) in my work. This theory is based on the idea that each of us contains an internal system of sub-personalities, or parts. A classic example is when we say something like, “Part of me wants to go to the party, but part of me is worried I’ll feel awkward.” 

There is nothing pathological about this; we all contain parts. We also have an inner resource called the Self (or Core Self, or Wise Self, or Higher Self) that is curious, balanced, and compassionate. However, the Self sometimes gets sacrificed when we experience painful, invalidating, or traumatic events. Other parts step in to protect us, taking on extreme (though always well-intentioned) roles to make sure we don’t feel the pain our wounded parts hold. 

In IFS we work with both kinds of parts – wounded and protective – to heal injuries, restore harmony, and re-establish Self-leadership. I use it to help clients:

• Understand why they feel or act certain ways

• Help their extreme parts relax and soften by first offering appreciation for how they have worked to help the client, then helping them find new ways of doing their jobs

• Heal old wounds by bearing compassionate witness to (and re-storying) memories

• Embody Self and act from a place of courage, compassion, creativity, and wisdom 

If you weren't a therapist, what would you be doing? 

Honestly: I would still be a freelance copywriter, which would make part of me feel very comfortable and safe and really tick off the part of me that knows challenge equals growth and connection equals meaning.

Idealistically: I would be a wildly successful comedian, but somehow retain relative anonymity and never have to tour. Or I would tour, but my husband and cat would join me and we would only visit very glamourous places, at a very leisurely pace. I would probably get a book deal, and get invited on all my favorite podcasts and be friends with my favorite comedians. I would also still be a therapist.