Conversations with Kelsey Sillerud

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelsey Sillerud

Hi Kelsey, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was born in northern California, but was raised in the San Fernando Valley and have lived here the majority of my life. From an early age, I knew I wanted to help people; I was fueled by my extroverted nature and fascination with human connections. My family was a big contributor to this, as service to others was a strong value instilled in my siblings and I by my parents.

Unsure of the exact path I wanted to take, I pursued a degree in psychology at UCSB. After graduation, I spent three years working in Applied Behavioral Analysis with children on the autism spectrum. This experience ignited my passion for working with young children and their families. I loved providing hands-on, tangible support while being able to build meaningful relationships with the children and their families, but I felt something was missing.

I realized that a family’s functioning, health, and wellbeing are influenced by a complex system of factors. I needed to understand and address the broader context, including family dynamics, culture, history, socioeconomic status, trauma, health, and systemic issues like healthcare limitations and discriminatory practices. This realization led me to pursue a Master’s in Social Work from USC, where I discovered my passion for integrating a social justice lens into direct practice with children and families.

After completing my graduate degree, I began working at a community children’s outpatient clinic, serving children from birth to 18 years old. I honed my skills with infants, toddlers, young children, and families from diverse cultural backgrounds and life experiences. It was here that I found my true niche—working with children from birth to five. Since discovering the world of Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health, I have fully immersed myself in it and feel as if I have truly found my life’s work. I have transitioned from working within the community mental health sector to working in my own private practice where I provide individual and family therapy, as well as consultation and training to local schools and organizations.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Despite finding my passion for working with children and their families, I was faced the reality of working within a system that isn’t structured to promote the health and wellness of its workers. The intensity of my workload, coupled with my personal struggles with depression, unresolved trauma, grief, and loss took an immense toll on my physical health. Five years into my career, I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease and had to take a six-month leave of absence.

This forced pause allowed me to reflect on my habits, both helpful and unhelpful. I realized that my desire to show up for others and be a good employee had taken precedence over my own needs, and this as a practice was unsustainable. Recognizing the need for change, I opened my own private practice to create more spaciousness in my workday while continuing to contribute to community mental health part-time as a supervisor and Birth to Five Specialist.

The challenge of maintaining a healthy work-life balance was further tested after the birth of my daughter late last year. My world simultaneously expanded and shrunk to the size of her tiny little body. I felt such a strong urge to spend as much time with her as possible, and wanted to put all of my training to “good use” with my own kid! Navigating what this looked like took some time-I felt so grateful to my friends and colleagues who helped hold the duplicitous truths of being a mom. I knew cognitively that it is healthy for me and my daughter for me to nurture myself, but emotionally and physically I struggled (and still do) with leaving her to work. Balancing my roles as a mother and a mental health professional has been both demanding and deeply rewarding, reminding me daily of the importance of self-care and the profound impact of early childhood experiences.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My specialty is working with young children and their families, starting in the prenatal phase through the first five years of life. I have extensive training in providing developmentally appropriate, trauma-informed, culturally sensitive treatment grounded in neurobiology. This expertise has led to my endorsement as an Infant/Early Childhood Mental Health Specialist and Reflective Practice Facilitator through the California Center for Infant/Family Early Childhood Mental Health.

I have been trained by industry leaders in multiple therapeutic approaches, including Child-Parent Psychotherapy, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Interpersonal Psychotherapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT). Additionally, I am a certified Instructor and Educator of Infant Massage through the International Association of Infant Massage and a Certified Gottman Bringing Baby Home Educator. I am also a Napa Infant-Parent Mental Health Fellow through UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education and serve as a board member for the California Association of Infant Mental Health.

Working with infants, toddlers, young school-age children, and their caregivers is my passion and niche. While there is growing support and knowledge about how critical the first three years of life are for a person’s development and life trajectory, there are not many infant/early childhood mental health providers within the private practice sector. I am proud to serve the San Fernando Valley in this capacity and am passionate about partnering with other infant/early childhood mental health providers (early care providers, teachers, occupational therapists, psychiatrists, speech/language pathologists, pediatricians, etc.) to provide comprehensive, holistic care. I support families in learning about development, understanding infant/child behavior, navigating stressors, thriving through transitions, and, most importantly, strengthening relationships.

The greatest joy in my work is witnessing the deepening of connections within my client’s families and supporting moments of mutual engagement and shared joy.

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I believe that my genuine care and love for the people I serve and the work I do is integral to my success. My willingness to listen and learn from the families I work with is central to my approach. I deeply value their insights and see our work together as a collaborative effort. This dedication to partnership ensures that the support and interventions I provide are truly tailored to each family’s unique needs, fostering trust and mutual respect. By embracing this collaborative spirit, I can create meaningful, positive change and help families thrive, and to me, that IS success!

Pricing:

• $200 per session; sliding scale available

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.kelseysillerud.com
• Other: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/kelsey-sillerud-porter-ranch-ca/412480