Kelly J Gehlhaar LCSW
LCSW 102083
Counseling | Expressive Arts | Grief
LCSW 102083
Counseling | Expressive Arts | Grief
Life brings an array of obstacles, and navigating them can often feel overwhelming. Kelly specializes in helping individuals of all ages—children, teens, and adults—find their footing during life’s most challenging moments. Her practice focuses heavily on supporting those walking through grief and loss, chronic illness, caregiver fatigue, trauma, stress, and major life transitions, with a particular focus on women's issues.
Kelly believes that therapy is not one-size-fits-all. Because healing requires a personalized approach, she blends traditional talk therapies with creative, evidence-based modalities. Her clinical toolkit includes Family Systems, Narrative Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Polyvagal (trauma-informed) theory. To help clients express what words sometimes cannot, she also integrates her extensive training in play therapy, sand play, and expressive arts into her work.
Whether she is partnering with a child or adolescent processing big emotions or an adult navigating a profound transition, Kelly’s goal is to design a specialized treatment plan tailored entirely to each client's unique needs and goals. Together, she works with her clients toward healing, resilience, and renewed balance.
With over a decade of clinical experience, Kelly blends clinical rigor with creativity to help clients foster resilience and growth. She holds a BA in Psychology from UCSD and a Master of Social Work (MSW) from SDSU. Driven by her own personal journey with grief, Kelly is deeply passionate about bereavement care. She specializes in using expressive arts and sand play therapy to facilitate deep healing when words fall short.
Throughout her career, Kelly has supported children, teens, and adults navigating complex emotional landscapes and profound loss. In addition to her private practice, she serves as the Clinical Counseling Program Supervisor at The Elizabeth Hospice, where she mentors and trains the next generation of therapists. Whether in the therapy room or the community, Kelly is dedicated to walking alongside individuals on their path to healing.
Counseling Services: In Person or Telehealth
New Office Location in Rancho Bernardo:
11650 Iberia Place, Suite 135 San Diego, CA 92128
(Located @ Hope for Healers)
Phone: 858-367-3491
Email: info@kellygcounseling.com
Many insurance plans are accepted, private pay, sliding scale