It’s Time To Lighten & Brighten Your Heart Again
Warm-Compassionate-Direct
Hello! I'm Kelcy Eckels, a Licensed Professional Counselor based in Oklahoma (#5487). I'm dedicated to empowering compassionate achievers, especially helping professionals on their journey toward inner peace.
Clients often describe me as someone with a grounding and caring personality, with endless patience, providing a genuine connection, and always giving 100%.
I've worked in the mental health field since 2008 and in private practice since 2014. I'd love to tell you more about my journey and how I work.
A Lifelong Learner
From a young age, I discovered the captivating science of psychology, a discipline dedicated to directly enhancing our experience of life. It was love at first psychology book.
This fascination ignited a lifelong passion for understanding how our minds shape our interactions with the world. I hold a Bachelor's degree in Psychology with a minor in Sociology from the University of Central Oklahoma (UCO), complemented by a Master's degree in Counseling Psychology.
My commitment to continuous learning drives me to stay at the forefront of the field, keeping up with the latest research and treatment methods.
Rediscover Security
Practical Experience
During my practicum at UCO, closely guided by professors, I gained valuable hands-on experience. I completed a clinical internship in an outpatient counseling setting and underwent a two-year supervision period akin to a doctoral residency.
In addition to this foundational training, I bring over 11 years of experience as a licensed therapist to my practice. This includes nine years of successful private practice, where I've had the privilege of working with a diverse range of clients.
Furthermore, I have a unique pre-degree psychology background that includes roles such as Suicide Prevention Hotline Volunteer, Behavioral Health Rehab Therapist (Teaching Psychological Skills), Behavioral Case Management, Behavioral Coach for Kids with Autism, and Survivors Advocate for Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence.
These experiences have broadened my perspective and deepened my understanding of individuals' complex challenges.
It has been an incredible experience to help people in these ways. They all inspire me, and I want you to know that people do get better with the right help and can-do attitude. My commitment to continual learning and growth means I stay updated with the latest research and treatment methods in the field, so I can provide the most effective support to my clients.
Maybe You Had Therapy Before…
But you are ready for something more substantial beyond regular talk therapy & a couple of skills.
I intend to guide my clients step-by-step, building the skills to lower high anxiety levels.
Skills that support "in the storm."
And skills that alleviate the tension baseline (where you hang out most of the week).
We can sort through thoughts and where the extra anxiety originates.
We can dissolve the experiences that linger with them and make you feel unsettled.
My Approach to Therapy
I aim to provide you with more than just a listening ear. Yes, we'll explore your thoughts, emotions, and dynamics, but we'll also apply practical strategies to guide you toward becoming the best version of yourself.
My ultimate goal is to help you become your own productive and caring therapist. I provide a lot of empathy, validation, and information about what is and isn’t healthy.
I tune into each person's unique needs while also challenging you to help you have a loving relationship with yourself and others.
I believe it is the provider’s role to make the information make sense to the client. I condense complex psychological info easy to understand through simple metaphors and analogies.
My goal is to provide substance. Although I am genuinely warm and nurturing, I like to get down to helping you. I strive to make my sessions a place to learn about yourself, heal & discover more purpose. I hope that you walk away with something to think about differently or something to practice each session, stepping closer and closer to your therapy goals.
Areas of Focus Include:
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Therapy For Compassionate Achievers
Narcissistic Abuse Recovery,
High Functioning Anxiety,
Panic Attacks,
PTSD,
Codependency
Obsessive-Compulsive Thinking,
Generalized Anxiety,
Betrayal Trauma
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Helping Natural Givers Find Inner Peace
Chronic Anxiety,
Secondary Traumatic Stress (often job-related),
External Stressors,
Self-Discovery,
Grief,
Depressive,
Self-esteem,
Imposter Syndrome
Clients come to me looking for genuine compassion for what they experienced on a deeper level and productive non-ruminating guidance and practical steps for a secure feeling of wholeness again.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
Structured framework and clear boundaries for understanding and changing negative thought patterns and behaviors, empowering individuals to recognize the connection between their thoughts, feelings, and actions, fostering psychological resilience.
I practice with various empirically researched treatment methods based on your individual needs, empirical safety, and effectiveness per each condition.
Types of Therapy
Psychodynamic
Fosters gentle kindness and understanding into the depths of your experiences, uncovering deep memories, desires, and conflicts that shape your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Through this exploration, individuals can cultivate rich self-awareness, understanding, and compassion, fostering profound personal growth and healing.
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive
Combines mindfulness practices with traditional cognitive therapy techniques to help manage and prevent relapse of depression and anxiety by fostering greater self-awareness and emotional regulation.
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
A structured, evidence-based psychotherapy for PTSD. Involves 50-60 minutes twice a week, typically lasting 5-20 sessions. It focuses on addressing maladaptive beliefs and thoughts related to trauma, leading to symptom reduction and improved coping skills. Robust empirical support surpasses that of EMDR.
Acceptance & Commitment (ACT)
Encourages individuals to embrace their thoughts and emotions, fostering psychological flexibility and empowering them to take committed actions aligned with their values for a more meaningful life.
Written Exposure Therapy
A structured, evidence-based psychotherapy for PTSD. Only five 30-minute sessions are as effective as the standard 20 one-hour sessions in other trauma therapies (EMDR). It also teaches how to deal with overwhelming situations. Most of my clients find that it restores their ‘meaning of life’ from the trauma.