Kelly Austin (she/her)

I work from a collaborative point of view because clients know their own stories better than I do.  We work together to form a plan to help you achieve your goals in a way that makes sense to you where you are  in your life. Some might say it is Solution Focused. It probably comes down to being Eclectic because I go where the client needs to be rather than the approach I want to use. I provide a safe space for any one to bring up the issues concerning them.  I am body positive and LGBTQ+  friendly. I believe we all live in a glass house so we had better not throw rocks around!    I tend to tell stories of things from my own life so that people can tell I relate to them or to help make a point. LOL Much to the chagrin of some of my family members or my dogs if they understood everything I was saying. Visit our website https://brooksidefamilytherapy.com to meet our other therapists. You will see we are a very diverse group!

Throughout my life I have been different things religiously speaking. I grew up Roman Catholic and even taught in a Catholic school for a few years. I drifted from the church when I moved south ( from upstate NY to VA). I still maintain Christian beliefs but I thin my spiritual beliefs are a lot like my therapy approach. I think I take pieces form many beliefs and create something that feels right to me. I encourage all of my clients to think about their values and beliefs to do the same thing. It is difficult to work on yourself if you don't know where your values stand even if some are nebulous. In my free time I enjoy hiking with my husband, and of course Murray and Finley ( my animal assistant therapists).  I also love to sew and knit. Chainsawing trees on our property has been very empowering.  The free mulch helps out my gardening too.