Meet the Team

Image of blonde woman sitting on green couch | New York City therapy practice for women with chronic illness, anxiety, infertility and trauma. Gain CBT and mindfulness skills in Washington DC and New York City.

Kelsey Bates, LMHC

Founder & Clinical Director

Welcome! I specialize in working in with high achieving women navigating complex chronic illness, anxiety, grief, infertility and pregnancy after loss all while juggling their career and relationships. I absolutely love what I do and I am a firm believer that day to day life can get so much better with a support team behind you. When I’m not working, you can probably find me hiking with my pup, re-watching Friends for the hundredth time, searching for the best tacos in town or planning my next visit to a national park.

You may be wondering why I niched in women’s health. Simply put, I get it. After more than a decade of struggling to find a correct diagnosis, surgeries and countless treatments, I understand first hand the impact of women’s health issues on your mental health. I empathize with the toll it takes on your body and your most important relationships. I get the grief that comes with the loss of dreams you had for your future, struggling with your identity as a woman and feeling betrayed by your body. My hope is to use my therapeutic skills and real life experience to help you get to the other side.

My goal in working together is to help you manage women’s health issues in a healthy, realistic way that works for you. You can create a work/life balance that fits your values system, strengthen relationships and create healthy boundaries. Above all, I want to walk together through pain and grief you are feeling, help you cope with anxiety and feel the fog of depression lifted. Complex chronic illness and health issues are a part of your story-they do not have to be all of your story.

I am a licensed therapist for residents of New York, Washington D.C. Virginia and Maryland.

  • Kelsey Bates attended The George Washington University located in Washington, D.C. earning her master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling with a concentration in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. This expertise and niche degree allows Kelsey to meet clients where they are in their chronic illness and disability journey with therapeutic warmth & practical tools.

    Kelsey completed her residency of supervised counseling work in New York City, working in both non-profit settings and private practice. She highly values continued education and has obtained specialized training from advanced institutes including Postpartum Support International and the Albert Ellis Training Institute in Manhattan.

    Kelsey’s therapeutic approach blends an integrative use of evidenced based practices of Third Wave Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, including CBT, Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy as well as psychodynamic psychotherapy. Kelsey utilizes an individual and holistic lens when working with clients.

  • M.A. Ed, Rehabilitation Counseling, Concentration in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, The George Washington University, Washington, DC

    BS, Special Education, Minor: Child and Family Development, University of Georgia, Athens, GA

    Licensed Mental Health Counselor, State of New York #010694

    Licensed Professional Counselor, Virginia # 0701010492

    Licensed Professional Counselor, District of Columbia #PRC15475

    Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, State of Maryland #LC11257

    Member of the American Counseling Association

    Member of International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health (ISSWSH)

    Member of National Vulvodynia Association

    Member of Postpartum Support International

    Certified Rehabilitation Counselor

    National Certified Counselor

  • Advanced Perinatal Mental Health Psychotherapy (Postpartum Support International)

    Perinatal Mood Disorders: Components of Care (Postpartum Support International)

    Primary Certificate Practicum in Rational-Emotive and Cognitive Behavior Therapy (Albert Ellis Training Institute)

    Cognitive Processing Therapy: An Evidence-Based Approach to Treat PTSD and Related Conditions (PESI)

    Certified Clinical Trauma Professional: Trauma Competency Conference (PESI)

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