Kelly Kellogg, Counseling Intern
Specializing in anxiety, depression & life transitions in Tampa
Tampa-based clinician passionate about helping young adults and teens struggling with anxiety, self-doubt, grief, and difficult life transitions
Specialized training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
About Kelly
Kelly is a Graduate Counseling Intern at It Begins Within Healing Center in Tampa, working with older kids, teens, young adults, and adults experiencing anxiety, depression, grief, low self-esteem, and the stress of major life transitions. Before joining IBWHC she spent nearly two years counseling high school students through anxiety, low confidence, and difficult changes including family shifts and loss. Her core approach is cognitive behavioral therapy — helping you identify the beliefs driving unwanted feelings and behaviors — supported by Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, solution-focused therapy, and motivational interviewing, so the work can be as practical or as reflective as you need it to be. She has also completed Gottman Method training, which shapes how she helps clients with communication and relationship patterns. Kelly builds from a strengths-based perspective and emphasizes psychoeducation so you understand both what you feel and why. She is currently completing her Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Liberty University and practices under the supervision of Dr. Alex Castañeda, PhD, LMHC.
Credentials & Education
Master of Arts (M.A.) in Clinical Mental Health Counseling — Liberty University (in progress, anticipated May 2027)
Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Counseling Psychology — Trinity College of Florida (Dean's List)
Trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Who Kelly Supports
Kids and teens battling anxiety, big feelings, and adjusting to changes at home or school
Teens struggling with anxiety, depression, self-esteem, identity, and the pressure to hold it together
Young adults who are experiencing the transition into college, career, independence, and adult relationships
Adults dealing with career shifts, relationship changes, new life seasons, and anxiety or depression that has followed them through them
Children, teens and adults grieving the loss of a loved one, a relationship, a role, or a version of life you expected
Clients who want faith or spirituality included in their care, offered only upon request
Clients value Kelly's warmth, her plain explanations, and her ability to make hard seasons feel workable.
Kelly’s Approach to Therapy
Kelly's foundational belief is simple. When you understand what is driving your feelings and behaviors, you can change them. She uses CBT as the foundation of her approach, and pulls from ACT, solution-focused therapy, and motivational interviewing depending in order meet clients where they are and help them achieve their goals in therapy.
She focuses on:
Identifying core beliefs (the assumptions underneath anxiety, low mood, and self-doubt)
Establishing and acting on your values
Finding what already works for her clients and building upon that
Meeting you where you are
Psychoeducation (explaining the why so the progress belongs to you)
Grounding clients through change and loss
What Kelly Helps Clients With
Kelly supports Tampa-area kids, teens, young adults, and adults experiencing:
Anxiety
Depression
Grief and loss
Life transitions
Identity development
Stress and overwhelm
Relationship and communication challenges
Kelly’s Background & Training
Kelly's path into counseling ran through a high school counseling office, where she learned early that a strong relationship is what makes a student willing to ask for help when it matters most.
Her professional experience includes:
Graduate Counseling Intern at It Begins Within Healing Center, Tampa, under the supervision of Dr. Alex Castañeda, PhD, LMHC
Counseling Trainee at The Way Christian Academy in Tampa, providing weekly individual and group counseling to high school students under licensed supervision
Facilitating co-ed high school groups on self-esteem, anger management, communication skills, coping skills, substance abuse awareness, and career readiness
Private practice working with teens and adults
Her training and expertise include:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for anxiety, depression, and self-esteem
Strengths-based counseling
Faith-integrated counseling for clients who want their spirituality to be part of the work
A Message From Kelly
"I want every client I work with to feel heard and understood. From there, we figure out together which beliefs are driving the anxiety, the low mood, or the self-doubt you want to change, and we build on the strengths and people already in your life. I think you deserve to understand what is happening in your own mind, so I will always explain the why. Change is hard, whether it is a transition you chose or one that happened to you, you do not have to figure it out alone."
Ready to work with Kelly?
We invite you to schedule a FREE CONSULTATION with us to begin your healing journey.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of anxiety does Kelly work with?
Kelly often works with anxiety that appears as nonstop worry, self‑doubt, perfectionism and a hard time feeling confident about who you are. In Kellys school counseling job these were the clients Kelly saw most. Teens who seemed to keep it together but were tired from the pressure they put on themselves. Kelly also works with adults whose anxiety rises around change: a job, a relationship ending or beginning a move or a life season that looks nothing like the last one. Kelly helps you find the core beliefs behind the anxiety.
How is Kelly's approach to depression different from her approach to anxiety?
Anxiety and depression often appear together. Both respond well to CBT but the work looks a bit different. With anxiety Kelly focuses on the predictions the mind makes and helps you test them. With depression Kelly shifts focus to the beliefs that keep you stuck. "Nothing will change " "I am a burden " "why bother”.. To rebuilding the routines, activity and connection that low mood tends to erase. Because Kelly uses a strengths‑based method a large part of depression work is noticing what is still working in your life and building outward from there. In both cases Kelly relies on psychoeducation: when you understand why you feel the way you do the feeling becomes something you can influence than something that just happens to you.
Why does Kelly emphasize psychoeducation?
Kelly believes clients should understand what is happening in their minds. Of only guiding you through techniques Kelly explains the reasoning behind them. How anxiety works in the body how core beliefs form why depression makes everything feel heavier. That understanding is empowering. It means the progress you make in session belongs to you not to the therapist and you can keep using what you have learned long after counseling ends. This is especially valuable for teens, who often feel that their emotions happen to them of something they can influence. Paired with Kellys strengths‑based approach psychoeducation helps clients see that they already have resources and capability than they realized.
What ages and populations does Kelly see?
Kelly works with teens and adults. Kellys deepest experience is with high school students, teen girls who deal with anxiety, low self‑esteem and identity development and with students who move through difficult life transitions. Kelly also works with adults who navigate change. Careers, relationship shifts, new life seasons. And with adults who experience depression or anxiety that starts to affect relationships and daily functioning. Beyond work Kelly has led groups for high schoolers on self‑esteem, anger management, communication, coping skills and career readiness. Kelly offers sessions at the Tampa office and by telehealth to clients anywhere in Florida.
What is Kelly's style in session?
Warm, grounded and practical. Kelly builds rapport by listening validating what you share and reflecting it back so you know Kelly understands before anything else happens. Kelly is not a therapist who only nods. Kelly teaches, offers tools and helps you connect the dots between your beliefs, feelings and actions. Kellys approach is strengths‑based so you will spend much time noticing what is already working in your life as you will on what is hard. Clients, teens often describe Kelly as easy to talk to and someone who takes them seriously. If your faith or spirituality matters Kelly is comfortable including it in the work; if not it stays out. Kelly practices under the supervision of Dr. Alex Castañeda, PhD LMHC so your care benefits from two clinicians perspectives.
What can I expect in my first session with Kelly?
Your first session is about getting to know each other. Kelly will ask what brought you in what you hope will change and what has and has not helped before. Kelly will also ask about the people and resources in your life because those become part of the plan. Together you will set a few goals for your work and Kelly will explain how Kelly plans to approach them so nothing feels like a mystery. If you are coming in the middle of a transition expect to spend some time simply sorting out what is actually in front of you. That alone often brings relief. Parents of teen clients can expect a conversation, about what stays confidential and when Kelly would need to involve them for safety.
Locations Served
Kelly provides: