Kellie Modugno

Associate Registered Marriage and Family Therapist 164230

Supervised by: Brooklynn Kendall, LMFT 103221

Approach to Therapy: I maintain a client centered focus. I've found that each client needs something different, so I tailor my sessions to the needs of whoever is in front of me. I make space for every part of a person to be allowed to exist and be heard without judgement. I work with my clients towards integrating all parts of themselves with compassion and understanding. I encourage my clients to come as they are; this is a space where they can unmask and be themselves. I remind my client's that healing or growth is almost never linear, so much of healing and learning is unlearning the stories we've been told thus far about ourselves and the world around us.

Therapeutic Focus: Some of my areas of clinical interest are: adoption, LGBTQIA+, trauma, addiction, religious trauma, anxiety, perfectionism, and people who feel misunderstood. I approach these and all areas of focus by utilizing humanistic, person centered therapy, psychodynamic therapy, parts work, inner child work, somatic therapy, family systems, solution focused, attachment work, and cognitive behavioral therapy tools.

My own personal background and life experiences allow me to see into the communities I am or have been a part of, in a unique way. I offer empathy and understanding more than anything else; while maintaining that just because I've been through something my client has, does not mean we've had the same experience by any means.

Schooling and Training: I am an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist as well as an Associate Professional Clinical Counselor. I obtained my Master of Science degree in Clinical Psychology from Vanguard University and I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from California State University, Fullerton. I was clinically trained for a little over one year at the Orange County LGBTQ Center. I worked with a variety of client's who were dealing with various complex issues. During my time there, I was under the supervision of multiple licensed professionals so I was able to receive input and guidance from diverse clinical perspectives and expertise.

Fun Facts About Me: I've seen in my own life what it has meant to me to have a space where I am allowed to show up and get curious about myself without judgment or old narratives from my childhood; to get to see myself with fresh eyes. Getting to sit with people while they do that, and be a witness to someone's sacred journey is such an honor and a privilege that I do not take lightly. Not only do I notice the verbal content that my clients bring into sessions, but I also reflect back everything I notice in what they are not saying or in what their body language and tone are communicating to me as well. I am a firm believer that people's behavior is an adaptation to the world around them, so I show up with curiosity and do my best to understand why someone is the way they are rather than bring in any of my own ideas. I believe that the client is the expert of their own life, I am just here to witness their journey and help them to see what is already in front of them. Instead of focusing on diagnosing and "what's wrong" with someone, I like to piece together an image of someone by asking, what happened to them that brought them to be who they are in this moment. I've seen what this approach and understanding has done for me in my own life. I've watched my brain rewire itself and learn to live from a place of safety and abundance rather than fear and scarcity. Being a therapist, from a more holistic stance, felt like the most meaningful and fulfilling thing I could do with my life. Passing that on to others who are seeking it and bearing witness to others' vulnerabilities with compassion and understanding is one of the things that makes me feel most alive and something I truly relish about this human experience.

Fees: $150/hr individual (not seeing couples at this time)