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
To Have a Village, You Have to Be a Villager
To have a village, you need to be a villager. So much of life is shaped by the people we choose to surround ourselves with. I’ve always been drawn to the doers—the people who roll up their sleeves, say yes to being part of things, and get shit done. They are the...
Be A Simple Man
My son got married this weekend. It was a two-day celebration filled with fun, laughter, old friends, family, dancing, and love. So much love. Love for who they were as little ones. Love for their younger days. Love for who they are now. And love for who they are...
Delayed, Rerouted and Reminded
I had a painful day of travel last week. What was supposed to be a simple three-hour trip home from Eugene, Oregon, turned into a seventeen-hour ordeal. Four flights. Two missed connections. An overnight stay in an unexpected airport with three hours of sleep. And one...
4 Things a Parents Can Do to Help Their Child if They are Ending a Relationship
I’ve noticed something lately in my work with younger clients. Ending relationships is harder for young people than it used to be. Not just because relationships are more complicated, but because walking away no longer means truly walking away. It means seeing their...
It Was Never Just a Field
Some places don’t know what they mean to us. This week, I drove past the field where my boys played youth football. It’s on the other side of town, so I rarely make my way over there anymore. But when I do, it brings back more memories than my heart can hold. To...
Available, But Not Intrusive
Ahhhh… the job of parenting adult children. You live somewhere between financial advisor, life consultant, emergency contact, and unpaid sponsor of Uber Eats, pedicures, and late-night Taco Bell runs. One minute you’re helping them process a disappointment. The next...
They Came Home Different
Your college kid just finished their freshman year. Hooray. You moved them out of a dorm it feels like you just moved them into. They said their goodbyes, filmed the empty dorm room TikTok, and you packed up things like the very important medical supplies box that was...
Dear Class of 2026
Dear Graduate, Congratulations. You did it. Whether you’re graduating from high school, college, trade school, grad school, or law school, you’ve reached a milestone worth pausing to honor. This isn’t just something you achieved. It’s something you became through....
The Nudge We Didn’t Know We Needed
Every now and then, you get a moment that stays with you. The kind that feels too special to keep to yourself. The kind that quietly settles into your soul and stays there. A few weeks ago, at a birthday brunch, I casually shared what I called my “Christmas Plan.” I...
Your Voice Becomes Hers
Hey Momma, Watch how you speak about yourself around your daughter. She’s listening. Watch how you talk about other women around your daughter. She’s shaping her lens. Watch how you talk about your body around your daughter. She’s deciding what to love… and what to...
Pickle-Tini’s and Parenting
This past weekend was supposed to be busy. My calendar was full — three birthday dinners, a wedding shower, and a surprise birthday brunch. One of those weekends that looks packed from start to finish. Then, on Wednesday, my phone buzzed. It was my daughter. “Mom… do...
The WTF Chapter
Last week, I was sitting with a client in her twenties. She graduated college. Got the job. Checked the boxes. On paper, her life had officially begun. But internally, she felt lost. I asked her a question I frequently ask during times of transition, “What would you...
The Secret to Empty Nesting Isn’t What You Think
What’s the secret to empty nesting? Find fun girlfriends. Last week, my gal-pals and I went bowling for Galentine’s Day, our silly matching shirts making us look like a team. Which, in a way, we are. We’ve been together since 2021, meeting up every month. Somewhere...
The Conversation You Keep Avoiding
Not long ago, I caught myself avoiding a conversation I knew I needed to have. You know the kind. The one that sits in the back of your mind, quietly tapping you on the shoulder. The conversation you mentally rehearse over and over but never quite begin. So I stayed...
The Quiet Lesson of Peace
Recently I started following the group of Venerable Monks walking from Texas to Washington, D.C. Their journey, documented on social media, is called Walk for Peace. Walking alongside them is Aloka, their gentle rescue pup, a subtle reminder that compassion and unity...
