Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelcie Silva.
Hi Kelcie, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
One of the greatest gifts and challenges my childhood experiences gave me was being attuned to others and their emotions/needs. I heard on a podcast once someone call themselves a “human reader,” describing their experience of being hyper-vigilant towards their surroundings and other people’s emotional states. While my younger self learned to do this out of a need for safety, my adult self has learned to use this to create safe spaces for people as a mental health therapist.
I’m one of the lucky ones who knew from a young age what I wanted to do as an adult. I studied Psychology in undergrad and then Marriage and Family Therapy in graduate school. While I originally wanted to work with children who experienced trauma, throughout my 10 years of working in this field, I have found that my passion is working with adult individuals and couples.
My passions and therapeutic processes have shifted and evolved over the past decade. My desire as a therapist is for my clients to learn that holding space for difficult emotions and experiences can bring about healing, that they can have deep connection to self and others, and that having secure relationships is possible. I am grateful to be a therapist, to witness people doing the hard work to find healing, and to hold space for the messiness and beauty of being a human.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
One of my favorite parts about being a therapist is that I chose a field where I will always be learning. Learning about new ways of helping people, about the nuances of humanity, and about the depths of myself. I would love to say the road has been easy, and while in some ways it has, there have been several growing pains throughout this process. And honestly, I wouldn’t change them at all!
Throughout my career, there have been moments of feeling inadequate, fear of messing up, and intense anxiety. To someone who finds safety in control and struggles with perfection, taking risks has never been my favorite thing. However, I have learned that life is all about taking risks and trusting in yourself.
When I took the leap to start my private practice, my fear was met with a deep feeling of settledness in my gut. There was a trusting of self and knowing that I would be okay no matter what happened. I would figure it out. Over the past four years of owning my own business, I have learned that it is important to create space for myself, to set boundaries, and to pivot when needed. I have learned that I cannot rely on plans or goals being met every year, but what I can rely on is me. There are still difficult moments along with the settledness. I am learning to allow the two to coexist.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I provide therapy to adult individuals and couples who live in Tennessee (in-person or telehealth) and Texas (telehealth only). I specialize in working with people experiencing the effects of trauma, relationship struggles, grief, and a disconnection from self and others.
I use a trauma-informed and holistic lens. I believe that most people struggle with feeling disconnected to themselves and therefore with other people. We have a physical self, an emotional self, a logical self, and a spiritual self. All these parts are impacted by our experiences in life. In my experience, I have seen that most people are disconnected to at least one of these parts. My hope is to help clients find deeper connection to self and others by connecting to all parts of themselves–feeling embodied and integrated.
I combine traditional talk-therapy with experiential and somatic elements to help clients process their emotions and experiences fully. I offer individual sessions, couple sessions, one day intensives, and three-day intensives.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
If you are looking for a safe space to feel seen, heard, and to grow in connection to self, I would love to be a part of your healing journey. Feel free to contact me through my website to see if we could be a good fit.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.kelciesilvacounseling.com
- Instagram: @kelciesilvacounseling
