About Kelly Donahue

Hi! I’m Kelly Donahue, PhD. I have more than a decade of experience in mind-body health as a clinical health psychologist, coach, researcher, author, consultant, and speaker. I’m also a recovering perfectionist. I help men and women overcome overwhelm that leads to stress, depression, anxiety, chronic illness, and pain.

During my graduate school training, internship, and post-doc training, I conducted research and worked with clients with a variety of stress-related illnesses. I realized that psychology was a helpful framework, but understanding why you do or don’t do something doesn’t fix it. You have to APPLY what you have learned to your real life every day. Knowledge and insight aren’t enough. The insight has to be APPLIED in life to make REAL, SUSTAINABLE change.

INSIGHT + ACTION = CHANGE

I've struggled with mom guilt, overwhelm, and chronic pain (which was my body's way of reminding me and then screaming at me to take care of myself) compounded by my rejection of sitting at a desk for 8+ hours a day doing work that I didn’t find meaningful. As I dove head-first back into this full-time-plus desk job after having a child, my health declined. I developed nearly-debilitating back pain again. I had all of the excuses why I didn't have time for my own self-care: I'm too busy; I have family responsibilities; Self-care is selfish; I have work responsibilities; I don't have the money to spend on self-care, etc., etc., etc. I finally became my own client, examined and changed my thoughts, and used mind-body self-care strategies heal my body and rewire my nervous system. I am now healthier and stronger than I was before.

I started taking small steps to share my passion and mission to help others reduce anxiety, overcome overwhelm, and heal pain and disease to live their optimal life. I reduced my hours at my desk job to spend more time working with clients, speaking, consulting, and writing. To expand my reach beyond individual work with clients, I started an online learning and support platform called The Modern Psychologists to share my passion for health and my talent for teaching. I also wrote a book which started out as a handout for my clients and quickly grew to a 60+ page guide to self-care called Everyday Self-Care: Your Proven, Holistic Guide to Feeling Better Now. I also speak to the community, women’s groups, and in corporate wellness on self-care and lifestyle medicine approaches to healing stress, anxiety, depression, and overwhelm.