Kelly didn’t set out to specialize in maternal mental health—it found her through both her professional work and her own life experiences.

Early in her career as a psychiatric nurse specialist, Kelly spent years working in inpatient and emergency mental health settings, helping people through some of the most difficult moments of their lives. But it was becoming a mother herself that opened her eyes to a different kind of struggle—one that many women face quietly and often alone.

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After the birth of her first child, Kelly experienced postpartum depression and anxiety. During her second pregnancy, she struggled with depression again. Even as a mental health professional, she saw how easy it was for a mother’s emotional wellbeing to be overlooked.

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Then in 2013, Kelly’s life changed in a way no parent expects when she lost her infant son to SIDS. In the midst of profound grief, she realized how few resources and how little guidance existed for grieving parents trying to navigate such unimaginable loss.

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Later, through her experience becoming an adoptive mother after having four biological children, she came to understand yet another side of the parenting journey—the complex emotions and unique support needs of both birth and adoptive parents.

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These experiences shaped the heart of Kelly’s work. They deepened her understanding of how trauma, loss, identity shifts, and the pressures of parenting can affect a mother’s mental health—and how powerful the right support can be. Kelly believes mothers deserve a space where they can be honest about their struggles without guilt or judgment. She believes it’s possible for moms not only to cope with life’s challenges, but to grow through them and reconnect with themselves along the way.

Her goal is simple but deeply meaningful: to help moms feel more like themselves again.

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Professionally, Kelly brings more than 26 years of experience in mental health care. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Delaware and her Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Pittsburgh, and she is a board-certified Clinical Nurse Specialist in Adult Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing. 

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Her career has included leadership roles at Southwood Psychiatric Hospital, UPMC’s Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic, and later as faculty at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Department of Psychiatry, where she served as Program Coordinator for the Center of Excellence for the Research and Treatment of Bipolar Disorders and Clinical Director for the Center for Excellence in Community Mental Health. She also provided therapy and coordinated several NIH-funded research studies during her time at UNC.

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In 2015, Kelly transitioned into private practice and became one of the first providers in the country to earn certification in Perinatal Mental Health.

In 2020, she founded Waypoint Counseling & Maternal Wellness, PLLC with a vision of creating a place where mothers could receive specialized, compassionate mental health care. Today, she and her team works with women navigating pregnancy, postpartum challenges, infertility, pregnancy and infant loss, parenting children with complex medical needs, and the many emotional transitions that come with raising children at every stage.

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Kelly considers it a privilege to walk alongside her clients during some of life’s most vulnerable seasons and to witness the strength, healing, and confidence that can emerge when mothers receive the support they deserve.

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When she’s not working, Kelly’s life is full with her four kids and husband. You’ll often find her volunteering as a Scout leader, coaching middle school cross country, or playing chauffeur as she shuttles kids to the many activities that come with family life. She loves running and Burn Boot Camp workouts. And every now and then, she reminds herself to slow down, pick up a book, and enjoy a few quiet moments of stillness—something she gently encourages the moms she works with to make space for as well.