Kay Beard

I began my mental health career working in social justice focused health care. I worked for many years doing street outreach with folks living on the streets and with sex workers. A therapist I knew suggested I go to grad school to become a therapist. I was a bit hesitant at first since I was planning on getting an MFA in painting. I decided to take an intro to therapy class to see if I liked it. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the class, and decided to enroll in the Community Mental Health and Guidance program with an additional focus on Rehabilitation Counseling. I am fascinated by people, I love their stories, I love learning about how strong most people are.

My early focus was working with children who had experienced violence in their life. My thesis focused on the use of the clinical application of Equine Assisted Psychotherapy. That led to an interest in Animal Assisted Therapy with people who had experienced trauma and that was when I began training therapy dogs that I have incorporated into much of my career.

I am a firm believer that the majority of people have the ability to create changes in their life, find meaning and purpose, and self acceptance. Sometimes life can leave a person feeling like their world is "Upside down and inside out." I love working with people on creating the lives they want and feel it's a lot like making art. Messy and beautiful at the same time.

In my spare time, I continue to create art, train therapy dogs, and travel as often as possible.

I would say my approach to therapy is eclectic with my main focus being based in a combo mix of existentialism, mindfulness, and action based interventions.

My past and current clients would describe me as a bit quirky and someone who thinks outside of the box. If I can't find my way out of a problem, I'll discover a way around the problem. A lot of life contains obstacles that can leave a person feeling fatigued.

Despite that I don't think therapy should be all about the doom and gloom. I love a good laugh, view the counseling experience as a kind of ongoing conversation between the client and myself. It's a partnership.

I'm not a therapist for people who prefer to look at the lint in their belly button and think that's therapy. I'm the therapist that believes after we look at the belly button lint, we're going to work together and find a way to make the lint into art. That translate into my belief that the best therapy occurs outside of the therapy session. Therapy should be a verb. Our sessions are the classroom and the client's life is the lab to take what is learned in session and apply into their daily life.

Hopefully clients will leave sessions feeling a bit of hope, having some new tools and perspectives on how to manage life, and maybe even a few laughs.