Therapist profile
Caryn Kelley, LCSW
Licensed Clinical Social Worker - Family and Parenting focus
Continue with CarynAbout
- CBT techniques
- Motivational interviewing
- Mindfulness methods
About Caryn
Caryn Kelley is an Illinois Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with ten years of experience. She works with adults facing stress, anxiety, depression, grief, addiction, parenting pressures, relationship strains, sleep problems, and changes in life circumstances.
She offers straightforward listening and practical approaches. Sessions focus on identifying what’s stuck, learning skills to manage strong emotions, and testing out small changes that fit daily life. She uses client-centered conversation along with Cognitive Behavioral approaches and motivational interviewing to help people weigh options and try new steps.
In practice Caryn spends time learning about someone’s strengths and struggles. She asks about routines, family background, and the things that trigger distress. From there she may introduce skill-based strategies from CBT or DBT and encouragers for clearer communication. Her style includes reflective listening and direct feedback when it will help move things forward.
Clients who come with long-term health issues, caregiver stress, or complicated family-of-origin wounds can expect attention to how those pressures affect mood and choices. She also works with people dealing with bipolar disorder, ADHD, and substance use concerns, addressing both practical day-to-day needs and longer-term coping plans.
Caryn draws on Mindfulness and Emotionally-Focused ideas to help people notice patterns and shift how they respond. The goal is clearer thinking and more workable routines, not abstract theory. She describes therapy as a collaborative effort to build skills and confidence for life at home and work.
How sessions work
How her approaches translate to online work
Client-Centered Therapy focuses on listening and understanding a person’s experience. It’s about making time to hear strengths, struggles, and what matters most, and then building from that. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at thoughts and habits that keep problems going and teaches specific tools to change them, which can help with anxiety, sleep, and low mood. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) offers concrete skills for managing intense emotions and improving coping in stressful moments, useful for anger, strong mood swings, and addiction-related urges.Choosing the best approach is part of the work. The therapist will help the client decide together which methods to try based on goals and what feels most useful. That decision can change as progress is made, and techniques from more than one approach are often combined.
If you plan to work online, confirm current session options before booking so you know what formats are offered. Online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time. It also lets therapists use worksheets, behavioral experiments, and mindfulness practices between sessions to support change in everyday life.
Areas of focus
Areas of expertise
Primary focus
Also works with
Additional focus areas
Therapeutic approaches
Experience
10+ years
Listed in
Illinois
Languages
English
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What kinds of problems does she help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, grief, addiction, parenting pressures, relationship strain, sleep problems, and life changes.
What is her general therapy style?
She uses client-centered listening with skill-based methods. Sessions mix reflective conversation with practical techniques from CBT and motivational interviewing.
How much clinical experience does she have?
She has ten years of practice experience as a clinician working in different settings.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She is an Illinois Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) practicing from Illinois.
Does she see people in languages other than English?
Sessions are offered in English.
Can people outside the United States work with her?
She does not accept international clients at this time.
How much do sessions cost?
Cost varies with location and sessions use a subscription that can be canceled at any time.
How do I begin working with her?
Select the See online therapy options button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule your first session.
Details come from information the therapist supplied to BetterHelp. A license can be checked with the state board.
Online talk therapy is not emergency care. If anyone is in danger, use the crisis numbers.