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LMSW

Kelly Drake, LMSW

  • Experience25 years
  • LocationMichigan
  • Focus areasStress and Anxiety, Relationship, and Family
  • Therapy approachesInternal Family Systems and Attachment-Based Therapy
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About Kelly

Kelly Drake is an LMSW with 25 years of clinical experience working across community and military settings.

Background and approach

She draws on a broad clinical foundation that includes family systems, psychodynamic ideas, and strength-based perspectives to assess and support people facing stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, relationship and family concerns, grief, addictions, sleep problems, ADHD, and a range of other challenges.

Early in her career she focused on suicide assessment and trauma treatment for children and adolescents, and later provided similar assessment and trauma care for service members and their families while serving on active duty.

Her approach blends practical and relational work: she uses solution-focused strategies and cognitive behavioral techniques for symptom-focused goals such as nightmares and sleep, while also attending to attachment patterns and life narrative through psychodynamic and client-centered approaches.

Kelly describes her style as calm, perceptive, and grounded in accurate empathy; she aims to move at each person’s pace while also addressing the concrete steps needed for change. She frames social work as a vocation and emphasizes the importance of the therapeutic relationship in supporting meaningful progress.

Integrating relational and practical approaches in online care

Kelly blends Internal Family Systems ideas with Attachment-Based Therapy and Client-Centered principles to guide online work. Internal Family Systems emphasizes noticing and dialoguing with inner parts to reduce internal conflict and heal trauma; it can be useful for people facing self-criticism, conflicting urges, or complex emotional patterns. Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on how early relationship experiences shape current bonds and coping, helping clients address intimacy, trust, and family dynamics. Client-Centered Therapy creates a respectful, empathic environment where the client’s perspective guides goals and pace, supporting self-exploration and decision-making.

Choosing the right approach is a collaborative process. Kelly works with clients to identify what fits their needs, goals, and preferences and may combine methods over time so therapy feels both personally meaningful and practically effective.

Online sessions are offered by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to increase flexibility. These options allow people to engage from home or elsewhere, fit sessions around work or family commitments, and maintain continuity of care when schedules change. The range of formats supports different needs from real-time conversation to shorter check-ins between sessions.

Frequently asked questions

What kinds of concerns does Kelly address?
She works with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, relationship and family problems, grief, addictions, sleep issues, ADHD, bipolar concerns, and many related topics including attachment and parenting challenges.
What is Kelly's therapeutic style like?
Her style is calm, collected, and perceptive, combining empathy with clear guidance; she balances paced, relationship-based work with direct attention to what needs to change.
What is her clinical background and experience?
She has 25 years of experience that include suicide assessment and trauma treatment for children, adolescents, service members, and families across community mental health, schools, and active duty settings.
What credentials and location are listed for this therapist?
Kelly holds an LMSW with license number MI LMSW 6801086659 and is based in Michigan.
Which languages and international clients are supported?
Services are offered in English, and she is not currently accepting international clients.
What session formats are available for online work?
Clients can connect via video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging depending on preference and scheduling.
How are fees and subscription handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions are provided through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
How does someone begin working with Kelly?
Begin by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and then scheduling according to the therapist's availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyRelationship issuesFamily conflictsTrauma and abuseDepression

Also works with

AddictionsLGBTGriefIntimacy-related issuesSleeping disordersParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCoping with life changesADHD

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAttachment issuesAutism and Asperger SyndromeAvoidant personalityBlended family issuesCo-morbidityCodependencyCommitment issuesControl issuesDivorce and separationDomestic violenceEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesFirst responder issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameImpulsivityInfidelityIsolation / lonelinessLife purposeVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMood disordersObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPersonality disordersPost-traumatic stressSelf-harmSexual assault and abuseSmoking / vaping cessationSocial anxiety and phobiaWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Psychodynamic TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapyInternal Family Systems

Experience

25+ years

Licensed

Michigan

Languages

English