About Kelly Sestero, LPC, LMHC

• Oregon Licensed Professional Counselor, C6634
• Washington State Licensed Mental Health Counselor, LH00008871
• Idaho Mental Behavioral Teletherapy Counselor, MBTCOU-10286
• NBCC Nationally Certified Counselor
• OBLPCT Approved Clinical Supervisor
• Member, American Counseling Association

Does This Sound Familiar?

You may be someone others see as capable, successful, and dependable, yet inside you feel anxious, overwhelmed, and increasingly unsure of yourself. You second-guess decisions, replay conversations, or worry about making a mistake or being “found out.” Perhaps you’re experiencing panic, avoiding situations that trigger anxiety, staying constantly busy or distracted, or trying harder to control your surroundings—only to find that the anxiety keeps returning.

For some people, anxiety is tied to experiences that never fully settled: trauma, loss, or years of having to stay on guard. You may have learned to cope by becoming highly competent and self-reliant, and you may not think of what you went through as “trauma” at all. But your body and mind may still be responding as if you need to be ready for anything.

My Approach

With more than 20 years of counseling experience and expertise in anxiety and trauma, I help high-functioning adults understand what is keeping them stuck and develop a different relationship with anxiety and with their past. My approach is compassionate, collaborative, trauma-informed, and practical. I integrate evidence-based therapies, including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), with mindfulness and principles from Buddhist psychology. For PTSD, I provide Prolonged Exposure (PE) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), both first-line, evidence-based treatments for trauma.

Our work is not simply about trying harder to control or eliminate anxiety. Together, we can address patterns of avoidance, self-doubt, hypervigilance, and overcontrol; build greater flexibility in responding to difficult thoughts, emotions, and memories; and help you make choices guided by your values rather than fear. We move at a pace that feels safe for you.

Therapy can be a place where you don’t have to perform or have the right answer.

If you’re tired of appearing fine while struggling inside, I can help you reconnect with your confidence, your values, and a greater sense of yourself.

Also find me on Psychology Today and TherapyDen.