Hello! My name is Kelly Richardson
I am a Licensed Psychotherapist as well as a Mom, hence the name “Thera-Mom”.
I live in Northern California with my husband, and our two dogs Sunshine and Fergie. I love being a therapist and offering a safe place for people to take their mask off for one hour and just be themselves. As simple as it sounds, it can be life-changing. I have the privilege every day of watching people’s lives transform as they let go of trying to be who they aren’t and start embracing all that they are. More importantly, I love being a MOM. Each of my kids is so amazingly different, it’s hard to believe they share the same gene pool.
Like most moms, I wear a lot of hats– sister, daughter, wife, friend, mother, cousin, worker. Our roles and jobs are varied and in one day we can wear five or ten different hats. As women, we represent so much within us because each hat matters and each hat allows another side of ourselves to shine.
Let’s be honest- being a Mom is a full-time job no matter how old your kids are and finding time to just do you feels impossible. It’s nice to have a place where we can do life together–unapologetically and authentically–like in my therapy office. Walk this crazy journey called life with me, as hectic and stressful as it may seem at times.
Read my blogs, comment with your thoughts, challenge my thinking, share your ideas, and help me, help you. Thank you Jerry Maguire.
Kelly
Kelly’s Latest Blog Posts
Proud to Say I’ve Had Multiple Marriages
I’m coming clean: I’ve had multiple marriages. When I first met my husband, we were young—naive about love but passionate about our future. Life was full of hope, and everything felt possible. Our relationship was easy because life was simple. Then came the...
A 21st Birthday, A Mother’s Heart, and the Power of Adventure
The invitation to join my daughter in Italy for her 21st birthday brought so much more than I ever imagined. It brought the joy of checking things off my bucket list—like seeing the Eiffel Tower sparkle at night, attending mass at Notre Dame, or cruising down the...
Preach It Troy and Gabriella
I put my daughter on a plane to Italy yesterday. She’s off on an amazing adventure to study abroad over the summer. I never did anything like this at her age so I’m intensely proud of her courage and bravery. When I got home, I ran to the grocery store and bumped...
Decisions are More Important Than Directions
My daughter, almost a senior in college, asked my advice on something this weekend. My answer was simple. “I trust you to make the right decision for yourself and support whatever you do”. Of course I had an opinion, but when our kids get older it’s important to...
Shout out Senior Moms
Shout out to all the moms of seniors right now. Seniors in high school or seniors in college. Either way, it’s the end of an era. As a momma, you have guided, nurtured, supported, sacrificed, and prayed for your child over and over. You have watched them soar and...
Full Stop or Pay The Price
I got a traffic ticket this week. Ugh!! It’s my first one in over 20 years and it stings. Apparently I came to a rolling stop about two hundred yards from my home on a street I drive everyday. The nice officer who pulled me over told me I needed to come to a stop...
There is Power In a Pen
Thirty years ago I was at Macys picking out towels to add to my wedding registry when I mentioned that our once soft and plush towels were no longer so great. The employee, a “helper” (but grouchy from the beginning), curtly asked me if I used dryer sheets? I...
Buckle Up- Carpool is an Adventure
I was driving around the other day when it hit me. I miss carpool. Ten years ago I would have laughed if you told me I would miss it. The constant dashing around, rushing to get out the door because we didn’t want to make others late. Some days being dressed in...
The Misunderstood Love Language
Every Christmas my husband writes me a poem. It’s cheesy and sentimental—a combination of humor and love. There’s no monetary value but it’s a priceless gift. It makes me feel loved. Almost everyone knows the 5 Love Languages theory. This idea that we express and...
How You Doin?
How you doin? My husband and I watch F.R.I.E.N.D.S every night before bed. We’ve seen every episode but continue to belly laugh. It’s the comfort food of television. Smelly cat, smelly cat… what are they feeding you. Why do we love that show? Why does my husband...
The Unadorned Moments Are The Big Moments
“Life is amazing. And then it's awful. And then it's amazing again. And in between the amazing and awful it's ordinary and mundane and routine. Breathe in the amazing, hold on through the awful, and relax and exhale during the ordinary.” ~LR Knost I feel like I...
I’m Raising Someone’s Husband
My oldest son sent me this. His fiancé was moving states to join him at his new job so he made this welcome basket and had it on the counter when she arrived after the 8-hour drive. It was a proud mom-moment, but I take no-credit for what he did. It was all him....
Flat is the New Pink
We define beauty. Society does not. This past weekend I went to the Making Strides for Breast Cancer Walk put on by the American Cancer Society. It was inspiring to see survivors and those currently fighting breast cancer joined by their families and friends in...
Lessons Learned Around a Dining Room Table
I grew up in a small home but with big love. We didn’t have a formal dining room, rather a spot between the kitchen and family room where a space was created. My parents had a round oak table, barely big enough for the four of us, but because of the leaf we could...
Parenting Mom and Dad in the Sunset Years
Last Sunday I did my mom’s grocery shopping. We usually run her errands on Fridays but I was gone and had not seen her in a few days. I went to Safeway and then asked if she wanted me to grab her lunch too. We decided on sandwiches and she asked if I planned to...
