Colleen M Kelly
licensed marriage family therapist specializing in couples and families
BBS License number 49827
Welcome to my site. I’m a licensed marriage and family therapist in the state of California. I see individuals, couples and families ages 17 and above. I specialize in working with couples and families and maintain a private practice where I see people remotely and in-person at my office in Irvine California.
In addition to my private practice, I am Co-Director of the Family Program at PCH Treatment Center in Los Angeles, a residential and outpatient program for clients struggling with primary mental health issues. In working at PCH for the past 10 years, I’ve learned a lot about couple and family struggles; especially those where mental health challenges and addiction are at play. Over the years, I’ve developed and utilized many methods and means for educating and supporting couples and families. In my private practice, and at PCH, I help clients and their family members to deepen their understanding of each other, learn better communication skills and heal past hurts to find a way toward a more meaningful, healthy and loving connection.
A little bit about me…
How I Work
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Tailored To You
While each couple and family is certainly unique, there are also clear recurring themes and dynamics that I see over and over again. I’ve had the privilege of working with hundreds of couples and families over the past decade. This rich first hand experience, along with advanced ongoing training, helps me to tailor our sessions to your needs and situation.
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Collaborative
Your goals and values provide an essential anchor in our work together. I will check in regularly to be sure we are moving in a direction and at a pace that serves you best. I have deep respect for all my clients and the work we do together.
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Understanding, Not Judging
I believe everyone has reasons for their behavior. It’s always important to keep in mind your upbringing, culture, faith, family history, and life experience in terms of ongoing impact on who you are, how you make sense of the world, and how you best learn and grow.
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Approaches
I have in-depth training in Emotionally Focused Therapy for couples and families and Mentalization-Based Treatment for individuals couples and families. I use an attachment lens, and my work is grounded in family systems. Incorporating Eugine Gendlin’s body-based method, called Focusing, in addition to mindfulness techniques helps to deepen the work we accomplish together.
My Part
I am deeply committed to being inclusive, flexible, humble, transparent, curious, and honoring of your unique gifts and strengths. I am likewise committed to my own, continuing self-development and growth. I find it enriches our journey together if we incorporate some humor, play and creativity along the way.
The Family program at PCH Treatment Center provides monthly family intensives for clients ages 18-80. Over the past 10 years I’ve been fortunate to work with a talented team of clinicians in providing innovative, leading-edge relationship support to clients and their families. PCH understands that mental health challenges impact not only the client but also their closest relationships. It can be hard to know how best to support one’s loved one. We address this and more through eight modules of relationship support in addition to individualized family therapy sessions.
Our program utilizes interactive learning and therapeutic support such as multi-family groups, movie clips, role plays, demonstrations and exercises in addition to individualized family therapy. All provided in a safe, supportive environment that fosters vulnerability, growth and community.