About Mulligan Counseling

Kelly Mulligan, smiling, wearing a pink knit scarf and a green jacket

Background & credentials

I have over 30 years of experience working in the fields of education, social services, and mental health.

  • M.A. in Teaching, Seattle University
  • M.A. in Applied Child and Adolescent Psychology: Prevention and Treatment, University of Washington

Scope of practice

I work with individuals across the lifespan, as well as parents and couples looking to strengthen how they relate to one another.

Areas of specialty

  • Anxiety — Generalized anxiety, social anxiety, specific phobias, panic, and perfectionism
  • Depression — Situational and chronic depression
  • School-related concerns — Learning difficulties, behavioral concerns, social concerns, and stress management
  • Relationship issues — Family relationships, peers, parent-child, partner, and blended families
  • Life transitions — College life, independent living, marriage, parenthood, separation, divorce, relocation, changes in employment, empty nest, and retirement
  • Grief and loss — Chronic illness, complicated grief, and intergenerational trauma
  • Women and gender issues — Self-esteem, sexism, postpartum depression, and abuse/intimate partner violence
  • Trauma and PTSD — Recent trauma or childhood trauma

Trainings

  • Mindful Self-Compassion (MSC)
  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
  • Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
  • Complicated Grief Therapy Principles & Procedures
  • Threat, Trauma & Secure Functioning in Romantic Relationships with Stan Tatkin
  • Forbidden Conversations: Sex, Death & Money with Esther Perel
  • Foundations of British Object Relations course

Previous experience

Before focusing on private practice, I worked across education and family support services in roles including:

  • Children's Advocate
  • Seattle Public Schools Teacher
  • Tutor
  • Preschool Teacher
  • Preschool Administrator
  • Parent Educator
  • Parent Coach
  • Educational Consultant and Trainer