We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kelsey D’Amore. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kelsey below.
Kelsey, we are so happy that our community is going to have a chance to learn more about you, your story and hopefully even take in some of the lessons you’ve learned along the way. Let’s start with self-care – what do you do for self-care and has it had any impact on your effectiveness?
Self-care is one of the best things a therapist can do to improve their effectiveness with clients. My main forms of self-care are working out, reading, getting massages/facials, having appropriate work boundaries, and spending time outside. I like to make sure I have things on my calendar each month so I have things to look forward to as well – it helps me get through stressful days!
I like to joke therapists aren’t born, they are made. I know what it’s like to neglect yourself and have zero self-care practices (thank you grad school!). Once I began working with clients, I realized the best thing I could do to be effective for them was to actually take care of myself. It has to be intentional, and it has to be routine. It took some time and a lot of intentionality, but self-care is so integral to my daily life now, I’m not sure how I got through things previously without it.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor and Registered Play Therapist. I co-own a private practice in Plano called Connect to Thrive. We just celebrated our 5 year anniversary in June and I can’t believe how time flies. Our practice has experienced some tough moments, such as a flood in February 2021 and the loss of a beloved therapy dog. We continue to flourish and grow, which is a testament to the resilience of our office and the awesome people that work here.
I love being a therapist for many reasons, but one of the greatest aspects of my job is getting to incorporate things I love with clients, such as Harry Potter, Taylor Swift, art, and dogs. We have Harry Potter camps and groups we run, using themes and metaphors from the Harry Potter universe to help clients process feelings and understand their experiences. I use two dogs as therapy dogs in the office, Bowser and Noodle, and they bring so much excitement and compassion to sessions.
We are now excited to offer supervision to newly licensed therapists seeking hours to practice independently (in Texas, LPC’s have to accrue 3,000 of supervision before they can operate independently). I am excited to see what the next 5 years bring!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I could answer this question a lot of different ways, but I think the most impactful part of my journey was taking leaps of faith, continuing education and training, and setting boundaries.
I wouldn’t be where I am today without taking multiple leaps of faith – whether it was opening an office with my best friend, training my dogs, getting EMDR trained, or providing newer/unconventional-like groups. I didn’t let myself second guess, and just let myself jump.
In this industry, you don’t just graduate with your masters and know everything there is to know about therapy. It is a continuing process of research, learning, and education. Investing in trainings/certifications can be expensive, but are so worth it in the long run. I feel it’s been one of the most impactful things for me to do.
Learning how to set boundaries is *hard*. It isn’t easy, especially as a recovering people pleaser. I had to learn how to say no, learn to set boundaries at work, learn how to unplug, or learn my own capacity. The best thing to set yourself up for success is to honor your nervous system and capacity (aka say no to things you don’t want or can’t do).
Before we go, any advice you can share with people who are feeling overwhelmed?
I lie down on the floor. I know it may sound crazy, but that’s my go-to when I am stressed and can’t think straight. Research shows us that this helps with grounding and regulating our nervous system. If lying down isn’t available (or appropriate), I use mindfulness based techniques like deep breathing, stretching, or some kind of intentional movement to move the stress through my body.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thriveplano.com
- Instagram: connecttothrive
- Linkedin: Kelsey D’Amore
Image Credits
Shelbie Monkres Photography
