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, three kids, and a black lab named Sunshine. 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 to my active, sport-loving kids- two boys in college (Go Aggies! and Go Hornets!) and one girl in high school (Go Bulldogs!). 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
Parenting 2.0: Our College Roommates
Last week my daughter got strep throat. It’s bound to happen when you live in a petri dish called a dorm. It was no fun but she survived. Thank you Door Dash for the $18 smoothie. The student health center called the prescription for antibiotics over to a pharmacy...
The Other Side of Sports
Recently my dear friend lost her husband to ALS. He was an amazing man- a true gentleman- with a kind spirit and who left an indelible mark on those who crossed paths with him. He left behind a beautiful wife he adored and three grown adult children. Growing up all...
Entangled Roots Create Lifelong Bonds
💛💛💛 Last night my daughter said goodbye to her childhood best friend. They are leaving this week-two days apart—both off on new adventures and both ready to fly. There is something special about your childhood best friend. They have been...
When Life Calls for The Boogie Dance
One of the best things about my job is when I get to be part of unexpected, but very profound, moments in peoples lives. On occasion, I’ve been known to do “the boogie dance” in a session, where I stand up and do a little jitter bug to express my joy in whatever...
Sometimes our kids surprise us… in the most beautiful of ways.
The day after my daughters grad party, we sat down to open her presents. People were so thoughtful, giving generous gifts with touching messages and good wishes for the next chapter that awaits her. One gift though brought me to tears. It was from her brothers....
Dear Class of 2022, You Made Lemonade
Dear Class of 2022, Congratulations, you made it and the finish line is right there. You are breaking the tape that crosses from childhood to adulthood. Your first marathon—from elementary school to high school- is over and you are all winners for making it to the...
Small Moment, Big Impact
(Before I begin, I did ask this young man’s permission to share the story and his picture and his response was “Absolutely”). Last weekend at Senior Ball I was waiting to clean up as the dance winded down when a young man approached me and caught me off guard. Then...
I Blinked
“Don’t blink” they told me. Not possible I learned. I blinked. Today marks the one month countdown before graduation. A journey that began when MySpace was popular. It’s the last hurrah of high school. Our last dance. The final chapter in Book 1. The end of a...
Be a Traveler, Not a Tourist
Last weekend my husband and I went to San Diego for a quick weekend getaway. We decided to just chill and eat at the hotel bar Friday night and, by luck, sitting next to us was a lady named Michele. A conversation struck and two and a half hours later, we felt like...
Why Does My Teenager Do Dumb Things? Maybe Because I Did Too
Once on a middle school field trip my good friend decided to moon a random car on the freeway from his spot in the back of the big yellow bus. Only that “random” car wasn’t so random, it was the car of chaperones. He got busted big time. In high school my friends...
It’s time!!
2022 is here and it’s time to pick another word going forward. I stopped making resolutions and started picking a “word of the year” a few years back. Most people make New Years resolutions and have failed them by January 31. Often, the resolutions simply get...
Please Don’t Judge Me for Having An “Ugly” Christmas Tree
When I was fresh out of college in my first real job, I was invited to a Christmas lunch at the home of one of my co-workers. Her house was lovely, out of a magazine with boughs of holly and wreathes perfectly placed everywhere. The tree was like nothing I had ever...
Just Because Their Path is Different Doesn’t Mean They are Lost
It’s a moment I’ll never forget. I was a senior in high school and working on writing my college applications. Back in the day, everything was done on a typewriter or hand written. It was a long process and my parents' dining room table became a makeshift office....
Hey Parents… Here is what NOT to say when talking to your kids about college
Learning to talk kindly to yourself is such an important reminder. This book suggestion addresses the value of practicing self compassion and learning to quiet your inner critic.
He Was Ready, But Was I? A Mom’s Story of What Not to Do for College Drop Off
It’s a story I’m embarrassed to tell. But we moms need to shed our shame-coats and share these moments because mom-love is a universal language. The day we dropped my oldest son off to begin his freshman year of college feels like yesterday. It was one of my...
