IFSTherapists

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LCSW

Cira Kelley, LCSW

  • Experience25 years
  • LocationNew York
  • Focus areasStress and Anxiety, Family, and Parenting
  • Therapy approachesInternal Family Systems and Attachment-Based Therapy
Continue with Cira

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About Cira

Cira Kelley is a New York licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) with 25 years of experience helping people through periods of upheaval, loss, and transition.

Background and approach

She focuses on stress, anxiety, depression, grief, trauma and abuse, and compassion fatigue, and brings sustained attention to relationship concerns, intimacy-related issues, and self-esteem. Her practice also addresses parenting and family dynamics, ADHD, anger, and the practical challenges that follow separation or divorce.

Kelley blends empathic listening with evidence-informed techniques to help clients clarify values, build emotional resilience, and improve communication patterns. She draws on Internal Family Systems alongside attachment-based and client-centered approaches, and integrates cognitive behavioral strategies and emotionally focused work when helpful.

Sessions typically emphasize collaborative goal-setting, processing difficult feelings, and developing concrete coping skills for everyday life. Clients can expect a steady, nonjudgmental presence aimed at expanding self-understanding and strengthening relationships with others and oneself.

Kelley tailors interventions to each person’s circumstances, working toward sustainable changes that support healthier coping, clearer boundaries, and a greater sense of agency.

Integrating Relational Work with Flexible Online Care

Internal Family Systems helps clients notice and dialogue with the different inner parts that shape feelings and behaviors, which can be useful for issues like trauma, self-criticism, and relationship patterns. Attachment-Based Therapy focuses on healing relational wounds and strengthening patterns of trust and stable connection, particularly helpful for family and intimacy-related concerns. Client-Centered Therapy emphasizes a warm, nonjudgmental therapeutic relationship that supports self-exploration and personal growth by following the client's lead and honoring their experience.

Choosing the right approach often unfolds during early sessions, and the therapist collaborates with each person to determine which methods fit their goals and preferences. Treatment may combine elements of these approaches so the work matches what the client needs at any given time, with an emphasis on shared decision-making about pace and focus.

Online formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, offering practical flexibility for scheduling and for maintaining continuity during life changes. These options make it easier to access regular support from a licensed professional while fitting sessions into busy routines, and they allow clients and therapist to find the mix of interaction styles that best supports therapeutic progress.

Frequently asked questions

What concerns does this therapist commonly address?
Cira Kelley works with a wide range of issues including stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and abuse, grief, relationship and intimacy-related concerns, self-esteem, parenting and family dynamics, ADHD, anger, and compassion fatigue.
What is the therapist's general approach or style?
Their style is collaborative and empathic, using client-centered listening alongside structured techniques to help clients process emotions, set goals, and develop practical coping skills.
How much clinical experience does the therapist have?
She has 25 years of clinical experience working with individuals facing life transitions, family issues, and a variety of emotional and behavioral concerns.
What credentials and location information are provided?
The clinician is an LCSW licensed in New York, listed as NY LCSW 096756, and maintains a practice based in New York.
Which languages are available and can international clients join?
Sessions are offered in English only, and international clients are not currently accepted.
In what session formats can clients meet with the therapist?
Available formats include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging to suit different communication preferences.
How is pricing and payment handled?
Cost varies with location and therapist availability; sessions are provided through a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What are the first steps to begin working together?
To get started, select the Start Therapy button, complete a short matching questionnaire, and schedule a session according to the therapist’s availability.

Areas of expertise

Primary focus

Stress, AnxietyFamily conflictsParenting issuesSelf esteemADHD

Additional focus areas

AbandonmentAdoption and foster careAttachment issuesAvoidant personalityBlended family issuesBody imageCaregiver issues and stressCommitment issuesCommunication problemsControl issuesDependent personalityDivorce and separationDomestic violenceEmptinessFamily of origin issuesFamily problemsFatherhood issuesFirst responder issuesForgivenessGuilt and shameImpulsivityIsolation / lonelinessJealousyLife purposeMen's issuesMidlife crisisMoney and financial issuesMulticultural concernsNarcissismPanic disorder and panic attacksPost-traumatic stressSeasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)Self-loveSocial anxiety and phobiaWomen's issuesWorkplace issuesYoung adult issues

Therapeutic approaches

Attachment-Based TherapyClient-Centered TherapyCognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)Mindfulness TherapyNarrative TherapySolution-Focused TherapyTrauma-Focused TherapyInternal Family Systems

Experience

25+ years

Licensed

New York

Languages

English