Kelsey Callahan

I've always loved being the person who could provide a safe space for people to process scary stuff. I was the kid in high school who just came over and talked with you. Back then, I felt like I could help people feel comfortable. I don't think anyone I knew had OCD, but that time of life is so hard. I initially became a therapist to work with teens, but I then branched out into the adult population.

I wasn't looking for it. OCD found me. I was lucky enough to have a class in grad school that discussed OCD and anxiety. In a previous job, I was trained in ERP. I've stuck with it because I see concrete change in people's lives. One person I worked with hadn't been to a beloved relative's house in a year because they were worried about the house. Some stopped going to school. Others found their jobs had become incredibly difficult because they were constantly checking things. Therapy resolved those symptoms. It's so rewarding to see someone's world grow as they're able to resume their passions and goals.

Beyond OCD, I’ve worked primarily with anxiety spectrum disorders, depression, and body dysmorphic disorder. My focus in those areas arose from the people I was working with. Helping people change their perspective on life is really cool.

Trust the process. Be open to your world shifting pretty drastically. Therapy can be hard work, and it can get worse before it gets better, but that 'better' is worth it. Know that there is light at the end of the tunnel, and when you come here, you're going to be heard and seen. In those things you're dealing with, you are not alone.

No thoughts are off limits. Know that I can't help you unless I know what's going on. If you're having some of those really scary thoughts—like self-harm, other harm thoughts, or POCD types of thoughts—you might be afraid we're going to report you or tell someone about it. No matter what those thoughts are, I'm always going to talk to you about next steps. Most of the time, the next step is going to be me saying, 'Those thoughts aren't about you, and I'm here to help you be OK with that.'