Kelley Kitley, LCSW

Kelley Kitley, LCSW, is a licensed clinical social worker, author, and women's mental health expert with more than 20 years of experience in psychotherapy. Kitley is the founder and CEO of Serendipitous Psychotherapy, a private practice located on Chicago's Magnificent Mile. She holds both bachelor's and master's degrees from the Jane Addams College of Social Work at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her clinical expertise includes anxiety, depression, PTSD, obsessive-compulsive disorder, trauma, eating disorders, and substance abuse. Kitley utilizes a holistic, action-oriented approach rooted in cognitive behavioral therapy, positive psychology, and coaching.

Kitley is the author of the Amazon bestselling book, "MY self: An Autobiography of Survival," which details her personal experiences with childhood sexual abuse, an eating disorder, sexual assault, postpartum anxiety and panic, and substance abuse. The book inspired the short film "Gray Area," which Kitley produced as an educational resource for mental health awareness.

Kitley has been featured in numerous media outlets, including the TODAY Show, The Drew Barrymore Show, Tamron Hall, Dr. Oz, CNN, MSNBC, Access Live, The Wall Street Journal, The Chicago Tribune, Huffington Post, Self, Shape, and Oprah Magazine. She has contributed as a columnist for Fitness Magazine, Recovery Connection, and Thrive Global. Her TEDx talk, "I Show My Scars So Others Know They Can Heal," delivered at Lake Forest College, highlights her philosophy that vulnerability and lived experience are essential for healing and connection.

As a keynote speaker, Kitley addresses topics such as mental health, women's empowerment, personal growth, trauma recovery, and the prevalence of anxiety among women. Her combination of clinical expertise and personal experience informs her advocacy for reducing mental health stigma and supporting women in seeking help.