Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelly Schindler.
Hi Kelly, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Like many therapists, my career didn’t begin the day I graduated. After earning my master’s degree, I spent the next several years working toward my 3,000 supervised clinical hours as an Associate Marriage and Family Therapist. During that time, I worked at a therapeutic preschool nonprofit funded through grants while also seeing clients in a small private practice under the supervision of a licensed therapist.
Those early years shaped the therapist I am today. Working with young children and their families is where I fell in love with play therapy and discovered my passion for helping kids make sense of their worlds through play. At the same time, I realized I wanted the flexibility and independence to support children and families in ways that larger systems often can’t—not because nonprofits or county agencies aren’t doing incredible work, but because they naturally have funding requirements, liability considerations, and program limitations that influence the services they can provide.
After completing my supervised hours, I became a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and immediately opened Express Yourself Marriage and Family Therapy. Building the practice has been one of the most rewarding experiences of my career because it has allowed me to create a space centered around relationships, creativity, and individualized care.
Teaching and mentoring have always been goals of mine, so when I became eligible to supervise associate therapists this year, I didn’t hesitate. My own supervisors—both the exceptional ones and the ones who challenged me in different ways—taught me what kind of supervisor I want to be. Shortly afterward, I transitioned the practice into a C-corporation and began hiring associates.
Today, one of the parts of my work I’m most proud of is helping new therapists develop confidence working with children and families, an area that is greatly underserved in our community. Supervision is never a one-way street, though. While I have the privilege of mentoring my associates, I learn from them every day as well. Watching each of them develop their own clinical strengths while sharing ideas and perspectives has made our practice stronger, and I truly have an incredible team.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Definitely not! If anything, owning a private practice has taught me to become comfortable with constantly learning.
Graduate school did a great job preparing me to become a therapist, but like most clinical programs, it wasn’t designed to teach me how to build and run a business. Once I decided to open my own practice—and later transition it into a C-corp and begin hiring employees—it felt like there was a new learning curve almost every day.
Whether it was navigating insurance credentialing, payroll, taxes, employment law, marketing, business finances, or simply making decisions I had never faced before, there were countless moments where I found myself thinking, “Well…that’s new.” Running a business requires an entirely different skill set than being a therapist, and I’ve had to learn much of it through experience, mentorship, continuing education, and a lot of trial and error.
I’ve also learned that growth isn’t just about expanding a business—it’s about becoming a better leader. As my practice has grown, I’ve had to develop confidence in making difficult decisions, supporting my team, and accepting that I won’t always have every answer. Looking back, those challenges have been some of my greatest teachers, and I think they’ve made both me and my practice stronger.
(Photos of my team shown below. Dallas has long dark hair with red tips and is wearing a black sleeveless top. Aoife has long wavy blonde hair and is wearing a black-and-white patterned blouse. Jessica has long brown hair and is wearing a black blazer over a tan top)
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Express Yourself Marriage and Family Therapy?
At Express Yourself Marriage and Family Therapy, we believe therapy isn’t one-size-fits-all—and neither are therapists. One of the things I’m most proud of is building a team with different personalities, specialties, and therapeutic approaches so clients have a better chance of finding someone who truly feels like the right fit. The relationship between a client and therapist is one of the strongest predictors of success, so we intentionally embrace those differences rather than expecting everyone to practice the same way.
As a practice, we provide therapy for children, teens, adults, couples, and families. Play therapy is a huge part of who we are (myself and Dallas specialize in this), and we’re passionate about helping children express themselves in developmentally appropriate ways when they don’t yet have the words to explain what they’re feel. At the same time, our practice offers a wide range of services because each therapist brings unique strengths. One therapist has become our unofficial “teen whisperer” (Jess) because of the incredible connections she builds with adolescents, while another specializes in EMDR (Aoife) for clients processing trauma. Those individual strengths allow us to serve our community in ways that a one-size-fits-all practice simply can’t.
I’m also incredibly proud that we’re able to support the next generation of therapists. As a clinical supervisor, I have the privilege of mentoring associate therapists as they discover their own clinical voice and build confidence in working with children, teens, adults, couples, and families. One of my favorite parts of supervision is encouraging each clinician to become the therapist they’re meant to be rather than trying to become a copy of someone else.
At the end of the day, I want people to know that finding the right therapist matters. If one therapist isn’t the best fit, that doesn’t mean therapy isn’t for you—it simply means you haven’t found your person yet. My hope is that anyone who walks through our doors feels welcomed, respected, and connected with someone who truly understands their needs.
How do you think about happiness?
I think what makes me happiest is helping people feel truly seen and understood. Whether it’s a client realizing their experiences make sense, a child expressing themselves through play for the first time, or someone finally feeling validated after carrying something alone for years, those moments are incredibly meaningful to me. I think everyone deserves to feel like their story matters.
Outside of work, I have a deep appreciation for fun and whimsy. I love reading and writing, whether that’s creating therapeutic workbooks that make mental health more approachable or getting lost in writing fantasy and historical fiction. I also love spending time with my family on our ranch and finding joy in the little things—whether that’s drinking coffee from a fun mug, planning an over-the-top birthday party for my son, or becoming completely immersed in a great story. I don’t think being an adult means we have to stop being playful or curious.
If there’s one thing I’d want people to know about me, it’s that I believe healing and joy can exist together. We can hold space for grief, trauma, and life’s hardest moments while still making room for laughter, creativity, imagination, and hope. I think that’s one of the most beautiful parts of being human.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://expressyourselfmarriageandfamilytherapy.org/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/expressyourselftherapy/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Express-Yourself-Marriage-and-Family-Therapy-61554778663824/
