Kayla Olmedo

LCMHC

I have an expressive and engaging personality, which has been of great benefit to many of my current and former clients. Many people have been met with a colder or more clinical style of treatment, which certainly has its place; however, I have found many people report being able to connect, feel safe, and feel more deeply understood because of my engaging and expressive nature. I am also not only neurodivergent affirming but also live a neurodivergent life, meaning I fidget and swivel throughout sessions and provide tools and resources for all of my clients to do the same if they find it beneficial. Many clients have reported for the first time feeling safe to open stim, fidget, and move around during sessions, and it has benefited care and treatment for a lot of my clients.

I practice from an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy approach, blending somatic work, CBT, and Exposure and Response Prevention based on client needs. I am highly relational and deeply value the client therapist relatiionship recognizing that rapport matters more than modality in terms of successful treatment. Through an ACT lens, I lean into value-based living, developing what is called an "Observing Self" in order to understand ourselves without intense judgment or shame and teaching practical defusion skills to help with overall regulation. Many of the skills are somatic-based practices, helping clients reconnect their mind and body in order to provide true holistic care for each client. For my OCD clients, we lean into ERP and blend ACT to compassionately treat the challenges that come with obsessions and compulsions.

Before the first session, I schedule a free 15-minute phone consult where we will discuss what you're looking for in therapy, I will answer any questions you might have, and we will address billing, insurance, and scheduling questions. During our first session, we will go over your intake documents, and we will dive deeper into what brings you in, what potential goals would look like, and possibly begin addressing friendships, family, and other relational dynamics that are impactful in your life. There are more direct questions asked during the first session than in any other subsequent session in order to better understand you, and this helps avoid multiple clarification questions during later sessions.