Kelsey Malmstedt, MS, LPCC
kelsey.malmstedt@affinitypsych.com
Welcome! My name is Kelsey (she/her), and I am a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor. I have my Master’s degree in Counseling and Student Personnel (with an emphasis on mental health counseling) from Minnesota State University, Mankato. I have a background in working with college-aged students, adults in outpatient and private practice settings, and preschool-aged children in an Autism day treatment program. After working with a variety of clients, I found that my true passion is working with individual adults by helping to empower them to identify and live as their true selves!
Taking the first steps towards seeking support is not easy-and deserves to be acknowledged! Your courage and resiliency in investing in yourself is something to be celebrated. Your concerns are valid, and you deserve a safe space to be able to speak your truth. I’m grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with you to help navigate through your current concerns, and support you in living as your authentic self.
How I Work
I strive to help you feel truly heard and validated when we meet together. My goal is to provide a warm, safe space for you to show up as you are. It’s essential for me to meet you where you are at to support you in navigating your concerns as a team. Collaboration in therapy is key-we will sit in the tough spots together, and celebrate your progress and accomplishments! I’m here to help you increase your awareness of your thoughts, emotions, behaviors, strengths, and values while empowering you to make positive changes to work towards your ideal future self.
I find it incredibly important to individualize therapy to meet your goals and needs. We all come from different backgrounds, experiences, etc., so different approaches work differently for everyone! I welcome feedback so we can continue to determine what works best for you. I primarily use person-centered and strengths-based approaches, and pull from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and distress tolerance skills. This means looking for patterns in how our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors interact, and becoming aware of the patterns that no longer work for us so we can challenge and change them!
What Sets Me Apart As a Therapist?
I knew from a young age that I had a passion for people. I remembered listening to other people’s stories, and wanting to know more. There’s a difference between listening to someone and truly hearing them-and I knew I wanted to help people feel heard and validated. I feel honored to have a career where I can support others and help them make the changes they want to make to live as authentically as possible.
I want you to feel comfortable in-session. Some people find that through having animals with them, fidgets, coloring in-session, etc. I fully encourage you to do what’s best for you-this is your time, in our space together. I always have my basket of fidgets ready-along with several fluffy “co-workers” that will likely join our sessions (fair warning-they are camera hogs)!
I’ve received kind feedback from previous clients that I am easy to talk to, non-judgmental, give off a warm and empathic presence, and show great compassion. I often incorporate metaphors into our work together to help us connect your past, present, and future. I find it important for us to be able to dive in the deep end together, but also balance that with some lightness and laughter. Overall-I want you to feel you can be vulnerable as the real you. I am proud of you for showing up for yourself, and look forward to meeting with you!
