Kelly Mayes, LPC

As a teenager, Kelly found she was always the one her friends brought their emotional struggles to; Kelly felt honored to be in that role, and realized she really enjoyed being that person for others. Having been given the advice in college: “find what you love, and figure out how to make a living at it,” Kelly realized her passion for supporting and helping others could reach beyond personal relationships and create a positive impact for people whom particularly need such support. 

Kelly works with clients struggling with a myriad of challenges in life. Kelly believes it is rare for someone to be struggling with only one concern, coming from only one catalyst.  Kelly is of the mind it is more common peoples’ many life experiences and relationships have worked together to contribute to the people they become, and the difficulties they face. Kelly works with individuals struggling with anxiety, difficult life transitions, self-esteem concerns, binge eating, depression, communication issues, parenting concerns, and many other stressors. Kelly particularly enjoys working with couples and families, viewing this as challenging but deeply rewarding work.

Originally from Eugene, Oregon, Kelly has been a therapist in the community for 13 years. She holds a Master of Arts in Counseling from Northwest Christian University (2011) and a Bachelor of Arts from Linfield College (2009). Her major coursework included Ethical and Legal Issues in Counseling, Counseling Diverse Populations, Family Systems, and a thesis focused on the correlation between obesity and depression in America. She has applied knowledge from her thesis in body image groups, diabetes management groups, and individual therapy for those struggling with body image and eating concerns.

Kelly is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with the Oregon Board of Licensed Professional Counselors and Therapists. Kelly’s clinical approach would be best described as integrative, working within a framework of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy, and Interpersonal Therapy. Kelly strives to work collaboratively with her clients and discover how each individual, couple, or family views themselves and their world. Kelly’s aim is to work with clients to help them become more capable of optimizing their interpersonal interactions and achieve balance in their lives and relationships. Often, Kelly integrates the 5 love languages and interventions sourced from the Gottman Method, particularly in couples therapy.

In her free time, Kelly enjoys spending time with her husband, their son, and their dog, Gryff, as well as diving into a good book whenever she can. She enjoys exploring novels, as well as books on personal development and psychology, appreciating how literature expands her perspective and enhances her work as a therapist. Kelly finds that her love of reading helps her stay grounded and inspired as she supports her clients.