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. My oldest son plays in the Canadian Football League and my other two are in college (Go Hornets and Go Wolf Pack!!). 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
No Goodbye Is An Easy Goodbye
They prepare you for the first goodbye. You know what to expect and you feel armed with tools to get you through. Lunches with friends, traveling, remodeling a room or two, finding new interests. It helps salve the parent-heart that suddenly feels so lost and...
GREENLIGHT
Matthew McConaughey would call it a GREENLIGHT. In his book (highly recommend!!), he describes a yellow light or red light as something that slows us down– perhaps an interruption, a hardship, a failure, or a disappointment. A GREENLIGHT, though, is a sign to “go,...
2023… My Word for the Year
New year, new word. Last year my word for 2022 was ADVENTURE, and I made sure I lived that word to the fullest. I embraced an empty nest, new experiences, more spontaneity and explored new places with curiosity and wonder. I said yes to scary things and tried to be...
Master being Smart: Lessons Learned in an Uber
Sometimes we are the teacher and sometimes we are the student. Last weekend on my way home from Calgary I took a very early morning Uber to the airport. By coincidence or by fate, I got Hafiz as my driver. Twenty five minutes later, I was dropped off and felt like...
A Business Trip To Remember
It’s a business trip I told my husband. I was leaving for the beach but not to go relax or rejuvenate. I had a job to do. In July, my mom asked me to chaperone her to her 60th high school class reunion. She’s a proud member of the Class of 1962, Laguna Beach High...
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...
