Kelly Chaiken-Crooks

Kelly Chaiken-Crooks is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Michigan who helps people manage stress, anxiety, trauma and abuse, relationship struggles, parenting challenges, depression, and substance concerns. She also supports those facing grief, intimacy issues, anger, low self-esteem, bipolar mood concerns, ADHD, and life transitions. Kelly works in a straightforward, kind way to help people take steps they can live with.

She meets each person where they are and builds a plan together. Early sessions focus on understanding what matters most and setting clear, practical goals. Kelly uses short-term strategies and longer-term skills depending on the need. She combines practical tools with steady support so change can happen between appointments.

Her clinical approach blends Trauma-Focused Therapy, client-centered work, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), mindfulness, and motivational interviewing. That mix lets her tailor techniques to a person’s situation - calming practices, thinking-pattern work, and goal-focused steps are common parts of sessions. Kelly emphasizes collaboration and respects each person’s pace.

Kelly has five years of counseling experience across outpatient and community settings. She has worked with youth, teenagers, adults, families, and couples before, and she brings that breadth into setting realistic next steps. She aims to be direct and honest while remaining compassionate.

To begin, Kelly asks people to clarify their goals so the plan matches their life. Her style favors clear feedback and concrete strategies. She invites clients to try new approaches and adjusts the plan as progress is made.

How therapeutic approaches are used in online work

Kelly commonly uses Trauma-Focused Therapy to help people process and reduce the daily impact of traumatic experiences. That approach focuses on coping skills, safety, and step-by-step work to address trauma symptoms. Client-Centered Therapy is also part of her practice and centers on listening, empathy, and helping clients find their own solutions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, offers clear skills for changing unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns that feed anxiety, depression, and mood swings.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. Kelly will collaborate with each person to choose methods that match their goals, needs, and preferences. She aims to be flexible and will adjust techniques as progress or challenges appear, so the plan evolves with the client.

Confirm current online session options before booking, since formats are not listed here. In general, online work can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life, allow for shorter check-ins when time is tight, and remove the need to travel. Therapists can use mindfulness exercises, CBT worksheets, and trauma-informed pacing in remote sessions, and they will discuss which practical formats work best during the initial planning.