Emily Kelly,
MS, PhD Candidate
Doctoral Trainee

Emily Kelly is a doctoral student under the supervision of Dr. Tejal Jakatdar. Emily earned her Master of Science degree in clinical psychology from Palo Alto University in June 2023, and she is currently working towards a doctorate in clinical psychology at Palo Alto University.

Emily uses a client-centered, strengths-based, trauma-informed, and culturally humble approach to better understand and honor clients’ lived experiences and support them in living a values-based life. Before graduate school, she provided play-based, applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy to children on the autism spectrum as well as volunteering as a crisis hotline counselor. Since starting graduate school, Emily has been providing evidence-based therapies in community mental health settings working with adults who identify as Latine and women with substance use and mental health concerns. As such, she has worked with clients with many different cultural identities and a variety of focuses in treatment such as acculturation, immigration, housing, financial, and legal difficulties and managing and alleviating symptoms of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, psychosis, and substance use. Emily is so looking forward to getting to know and support her clients at Willow Anxiety and OCD, both in continuing to work with individuals with anxiety and to having the opportunity to work with individuals with OCD. Although she has primarily used cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and motivational interviewing in her work with clients, Emily also has experience in cognitive processing therapy, seeking safety, dialectical behavior therapy, and mindfulness. She is particularly excited to gain experience in exposure and response prevention at Willow. In her free time, Emily enjoys spending time with friends, family, and her dog, hiking, cooking, going to the beach, and exploring San Francisco and the greater Bay Area.