Kelly Williams, LMSW

Hello! I’m Kelly, and I’m a social worker. I believe that we all deserve the opportunity to live healthy, fulfilling, authentic lives, and I’d be honored to help you create a path to that life.

I’m a Licensed Master Social Worker pursuing clinical licensure in Maryland. This is my second career, coming after I spent many years as a writer/editor in the animal welfare field. I have an undergraduate degree in English from Carleton College and a master of social work from Boston University. As part of my graduate education, I spent time as a therapist in community mental health and offered oncology social work services at a cancer center.

I am particularly passionate about supporting folks dealing with anxiety, depression, tricky life transitions, grief, and serious and/or chronic illnesses (including cancer), as well as those in the LGBTQIA+ community exploring their sexuality or gender identity. One of my proudest accomplishments during my training was co-developing and co-running a pet loss support group. If you feel grief or anxiety over something that other people don’t quite “get,” I can provide an affirming, supportive environment to process and sit with those complicated feelings.

In our time together, we will work collaboratively to identify goals and come up with a path to help you reach them. We can use a mix of techniques, including cognitive behavioral therapy, narrative therapy, and more. And because we are all influenced by our cultural, social, and political environments, we can explore how those contexts shape us and the way we see ourselves. I believe fully in the importance of removing stigma and shame around mental health concerns, and I believe it’s important to acknowledge that the systems that shape our lives also shape our mental health.

I practice from a strengths-based, trauma-informed approach, where collaboration is key. We are partners in this work, and I am happy to adjust my approach to make you feel comfortable and supported.

I look forward to meeting you and offering a safe, supportive environment for you to grow and flourish!