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
Reflections on Aging, Love and Letting Go
There I was, quietly sobbing on a plane. Exit row. No one beside me. Just a pile of damp Kleenex and the blur of tears clouding my view out the window. I had just finished “When Cranes Fly South” on my flight home from visiting my son and his fiancée. It’s a...
Choose Wisely
Last week I injured my neck- the kind of pain that takes your breath away. My husband sat with me while I cried. He massaged my shoulders, ran to the pharmacy, set up supplies next to the couch, bought a heating pad, asked the trainers at work how to help, and...
Love In Motion
The older I get, and the more I watch my kids navigate their own friendships, the more I realize how smart their generation is. They see things we sometimes forget. Recently, while at dinner for Family Weekend, one of my daughter’s besties said something that...
The Secret Sauce To Talking With Your Teenager
One minute your teenager might be talking about something random, and the next they’re declaring they want to quit cheerleading—or that they have no friends. And before we even realize it, we’ve blurted out, “What?!!” (double exclamation points and all). But here’s...
The Homesick Month
It’s October, and that means pumpkin candles, leaves turning color, and Halloween decorations on the porch. But if you’re a parent who just launched a kid to college, October also means something else — the homesick month. After the excitement of move-in day fades...
Why Does My Teenager Hate Me?
Recently, a woman approached me and asked a question I think so many moms quietly carry: “Why does it sometimes feel like my daughter hates me? She’s 16 and we used to be so close. Now, she’s mean and doesn’t like me.” I looked at her face; her eyes were holding...
Sister, I See You
Sister, I see you. I see all that you are doing. I see all those you are caring for. I see all you are juggling. I see all you manage. I see the ways you show up. I see the moments you make special. I see it all. Whether you’re a mother, daughter, wife, sister, or...
Where Is Our Humanity?
Lately it feels as if every day brings another disturbing headline. I find myself concerned, worried, baffled — and, most of all, deeply sad. We are no longer who we used to be. Just last week, I spoke on the news about the violent images our young people are...
Bleacher Sisters
We met under stadium night lights, often sitting on cold metal bleachers and wearing team colors. We shared rides, warm blankets, and pregame nerves. We shared tears when the scoreboard didn’t go our way, and when it did, we cheered like it was the Super...
Holding On to Where They Started
There’s a trend that’s been around for a while involving high school seniors. I love it and hope it never goes away. It always makes my mom-heart swell. Seeing seniors rock backpacks that throw it all the way back to kindergarten or first grade? Pure joy. It’s fun....
The Corner We Never Really Leave
I drove by my kids’ elementary school yesterday. We haven’t been part of that school community in over 11 years, but I still think of it as “my kids’ school.” I think I always will. There was a time—not so long ago—when that school was at the center of our world....
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...
