Kelly Paynter

Who I am as a Therapist

My approach to counseling is rooted in the belief that past events, relationships, and life circumstances can sometimes prevent us from becoming the best version of ourselves. I firmly believe that everyone possesses unique strengths, and my goal is to help you identify (or rediscover) those strengths so that we can build on them together, guiding you back toward the life you envision. I would describe my engagement style as non-judgmental, humorous, and creative. With over 17 years of experience working with youth, families, and individuals, I’ve had the opportunity to work in various mental health settings, including non-profit organizations, inpatient hospital and sub-acute psychiatric care, long-term residential treatment, day treatment, therapeutic schools, and intensive home and community-based wraparound care. I am passionate about people leading empowered, authentic, and purposeful lives. I provide counseling to diverse humans across the lifespan and enjoy working collaboratively to address issues with life satisfaction, balanced mood, coping with stress, healing past traumas, parenting/family dynamics, intimate relationships, attachment issues, navigating consensual non-monogamy, and healthy identity development.

I’m a Licensed Professional Counselor, Licensed Certified Art Therapist, and Board-Certified Art Therapist. These qualifications allow me to utilize both traditional talk therapy and art-making in the healing process. Art therapy combines self-expression through various art media, like drawing and painting, with the creative process, applied psychological theory, and the therapeutic relationship. Will I make you create art or draw your feelings? No—only if we agree together that art-making is something you’d like to explore in your healing process. Do you need to be “a good artist” to do art therapy? Definitely not. We’ll discover together what form of self-expression feels right for you, whether it’s verbal or nonverbal. In my office, you’ll find materials like colored pencils, markers, collage supplies, beads, oil pastels, watercolor and acrylic paints, model magic clay, origami paper, sewing and embroidery materials, and found objects for building. I rotate which mediums I consider to be my “favorites” but I would say analog photography has a permanent place in my heart for sure.

Lastly, and most importantly, I am deeply committed to being a safe and affirming healthcare provider for all. I have professional experience working with individuals who have faced systemic oppression, including BIPOC individuals, LGBTQIA2S+ individuals, those with religious trauma, and people practicing polyamory/consensual/ethical non-monogamy in a monogamy-centered society. I am body positive, sex positive, and BDSM/kink-aware and friendly. If you’ve ever felt excluded or marginalized by healthcare systems due to your identity, income, gender, race, sexuality, disability, trauma, or anything else—I see you, and I am here for you.

Specialty Areas

Therapeutic Approaches 

• Art Therapy
• Attachment Based Therapy
• Child Parent Psychotherapy (CPP)
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
• Cognitive Therapy
• Collaborative Problem Solving (CPS)
• Compassionate Communication (NVC)
• Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
• Feminist Therapy
• Holistic/Integrative Therapy
• Mindfulness
• Narrative Therapy
• Play Therapy
• Psychodynamic
• Solution-Focused Therapy

Training & Experience  

• I have many years of crisis training with focus on verbal de-escalation skills and non-violent physical intervention. The majority of my experience has been with marginalized youth who are suffering acutely and engaging in unsafe or high-risk behavior.
• I have a passion for serving CSEC (Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children) identified youth and have served on committees with others who share this passion.
• I have extensive experience and highly value working within a team approach to address the needs of the youth and family as a whole.
• I have worked as a sailing instructor, camp director, and activities coordinator for a summer at a Swiss Boarding School.
• I have previously been able to partner with an Equine Therapy (horse therapy) provider and feel a kinship with animals and their power to heal.