Kelly Drake, LMSW
LMSW focused on trauma and relationships
- Trauma-informed care
- Military and family experience
- Licensed Master Social Worker
About Kelly Drake
Kelly Drake is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) with 25 years of clinical experience in assessment, diagnosis, and treatment. Her professional training draws on family systems, psychodynamic theory, free association, and strength-based concepts, forming a broad foundation for working with individuals, families, and children.
In the first decade of her career she concentrated on suicide assessment and trauma treatment for children ages 4 to 17, many of whom lived in abusive homes and represented a diverse population throughout the Detroit, Michigan area. During that time she provided services in community mental health agencies and school systems, gaining experience with severe mental illness and complex family dynamics.
After college she pursued a path in the Army as an officer and social worker. Over the next ten years of active duty she focused on suicide risk assessment and trauma treatment for Soldiers and their families. While in the military she incorporated a solution-focused orientation and applied Cognitive Behavioral Therapy concepts to address nightmares and sleep problems. She also received training in Cognitive Processing Therapy as an evidence-based approach for PTSD.
Her clinical manner is calm, collected, and perceptive, offering accurate empathy while working with respect, dignity, and attention to privacy. She moves at a client s pace while providing clear, direct guidance about what change often requires. For Kelly, social work is a purpose rather than just a job, and she values the opportunity to work with people in vulnerable moments as they pursue healing and growth.
In the first decade of her career she concentrated on suicide assessment and trauma treatment for children ages 4 to 17, many of whom lived in abusive homes and represented a diverse population throughout the Detroit, Michigan area. During that time she provided services in community mental health agencies and school systems, gaining experience with severe mental illness and complex family dynamics.
After college she pursued a path in the Army as an officer and social worker. Over the next ten years of active duty she focused on suicide risk assessment and trauma treatment for Soldiers and their families. While in the military she incorporated a solution-focused orientation and applied Cognitive Behavioral Therapy concepts to address nightmares and sleep problems. She also received training in Cognitive Processing Therapy as an evidence-based approach for PTSD.
Her clinical manner is calm, collected, and perceptive, offering accurate empathy while working with respect, dignity, and attention to privacy. She moves at a client s pace while providing clear, direct guidance about what change often requires. For Kelly, social work is a purpose rather than just a job, and she values the opportunity to work with people in vulnerable moments as they pursue healing and growth.
Areas of Expertise
Primary Focus
Also Specializes In
AddictionsLGBTGriefIntimacy-related issuesSleeping disordersParenting issuesAnger managementSelf esteemCareer difficultiesBipolar disorderCoping with life changesADHD
Additional Focus Areas
AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAttachment issuesAutism and Asperger SyndromeAvoidant personalityBlended family issuesCo-morbidityCodependencyCommitment issuesControl issuesDivorce and separationDomestic violenceEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesFirst responder issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameImpulsivityInfidelityIsolation / lonelinessLife purposeVeteran and Armed Forces IssuesMood disordersObsessions, compulsions, and OCDPersonality disordersPost-traumatic stressSelf-harmSexual assault and abuseSmoking / vaping cessationSocial anxiety and phobiaWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues
Therapeutic Approach
Attachment-Based Therapy Client-Centered Therapy Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Psychodynamic Therapy Solution-Focused Therapy Trauma-Focused Therapy Internal Family Systems
Frequently Asked Questions
How much experience does Kelly Drake have?
Kelly Drake has 25 years of experience in clinical social work, including assessment, diagnosis, and treatment across community, school, and military settings.
Is Kelly Drake a licensed therapist?
Yes. She holds the credential LMSW, which stands for Licensed Master Social Worker. License details are MI LMSW 6801086659.
In which languages does Kelly Drake provide therapy?
Kelly Drake provides therapy in English.
Where is Kelly Drake located?
Kelly Drake is located in Michigan.
How can I work with Kelly Drake as my therapist?
You can work with Kelly Drake through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging.
Does Kelly Drake work with international clients?
Kelly Drake does not currently work with international clients.
How much does therapy with Kelly Drake cost?
The cost of therapy can vary depending on factors such as your location and the therapist s availability. Sessions are billed through a subscription that can be canceled at any time, for any reason. For current details, click the "Start Therapy" button on this page.
How can I get started with therapy?
Getting started is quick and straightforward. Click the "Start Therapy" button and complete a short questionnaire that helps match you with your therapist. Depending on availability, you can then schedule your first session, which may take place by phone, video call, live chat, or in-app messaging.
Approaches Kelly Drake Uses for Online Therapy
Kelly draws from Attachment-Based Therapy to help clients explore how early relationships shape current patterns of closeness, trust, and emotional response. This approach can be helpful for people struggling with attachment issues, abandonment concerns, intimacy-related problems, and family-of-origin dynamics.
She also uses Client-Centered Therapy, which emphasizes a respectful, nonjudgmental therapeutic relationship that supports a person s own ability to grow and change. This style is often useful for issues such as low self-esteem, life transitions, grief, and coping with stress.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is another core tool in her work, focusing on how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors interact. CBT techniques are commonly used for anxiety, depression, sleep difficulties, and for addressing specific symptoms like nightmares.
Finding the best therapeutic approach is part of the process. Kelly works collaboratively with each person to identify goals, preferences, and the methods that fit best, adjusting the plan as progress unfolds and needs change.
Online therapy offers practical flexibility by allowing sessions via video calls, phone, live chat, or text-based messaging. These options make it easier to schedule care around work, family, and other commitments, and they increase access to licensed professionals and therapists for people who cannot attend in-person sessions.