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
Living With Monks
A good book full of little life lessons about what happens when we slow down long enough to simplify it. Many important reminders and takeaways.
Be Your Own Michelangelo
When I was a little girl I was certain I wanted to be Tinkerbell at Disneyland. I wanted to wear that cute little green costume, fly over the parade down Main Street and sprinkle pixie dust... for the rest of my life. As I got older, that dream changed. I went...
Where You Lead, I’ll Follow
Recently my daughter and I did a much needed impromptu escape. Turns out sometimes escaping can actually be reconnecting. We were supposed to go look at colleges, do some exploring of potential places she might want to spend 4 years of her life. Check out new...
JOMO… a Whole New Lens!
I saw this recently and I loved seeing JOMO!! Why had I never heard that term??!! I’m so late to the party. FOMO... the arch enemy of all of us. The joy robber, the anxiety creater, the social media trap. The fear that we are missing out, unincluded, unimportant,...
How To Rethink The College Decision Process
If you have a high school senior waiting for a college decision, this Tuesday Truth is for you. Sometimes we all need a reminder that the way we view disappointments and letdowns can completely change our perspective and when we reframe it, we realize that many our...
Quieting the Inner Critic
Sometimes we need a reminder to quiet that inner critic that feeds you lies about yourself. People with a strong inner critic tend to have one thing in common: However great their success, they don't feel it's genuine or enough. So they may push themselves more,...
He Called Her “My Person”
This week I helped a grown man process the death of his mom. She died when he was 12 years old and he now has a full beard and a chiseled jawline. He is not the same little boy... but his heart is the same little heart. For so many years he had held his sadness and...
51 Shades of Gray… I’m in!
Last week I had a terrible day. Absolutely awful. My phone froze and I lost everything- all my text messages, contacts, calendar and all my apps. It felt disastrous. I did not handle it well. I found myself thinking in absolutes. Technology things always happen to...
Book Buzz: The Other Wes Moore
A great book teenagers should read they reminds them that one or two life choices can alter the direction of their lives.
Different Roads Lead To the Same Castle
George S. Patton once said “If everyone is thinking alike, then somebody isn't thinking.” In the “therapy world” I have a reputation for being a more direct therapist. For a lot of people seeking counseling, this doesn’t work for them. They are looking for someone...
He Always Gets the Last Hug
He always gets the last hug. There are some things in life we just concede too. Some defeats we are willing to accept. Some losses that we cannot change. This is one. Every night, without failure, for umpteen years, my husband has gotten the last hug from our...
HERSTORY is Made!
I can’t help but feel today represents all the strong and determined women that came before us. The women who fought for equal rights and equal pay, the women who fought to be given the same opportunities to achieve their dreams and do more than just type memos for...
What is a Warm Line & Why Should Every Teenager Have This Number In Their Phone?
It’s so important that our teenagers know where to turn if they need to talk to someone if they aren’t in crisis but need somewhere to turn. Today’s Tuesday Truth offers important information for parents, teachers and anyone who is around teenagers.
Self Compassion…Something We Could All Use More Of
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.
Simple Tips to Help Your Mental Health
Now more than ever we need to put our mental health FIRST. So many things are weighing on us- our/other people’s health, our jobs, politics, finances, boredom, and isolation, to name a few. When our world feels chaotic, we feel chaotic internally. Taking care of...
