Kelly Pajares, LPC

she/her/hers

You made it! Lay down your burden and take a much-deserved breath. There’s no need to pretend that you’ve got it all together, not with me anyway. In our day-to-day life, we have perfected our “everything’s okay” façade. Maybe it comes from the pressures others place on us to be “okay”. Maybe we fear what might happen if we let our guard down and let someone see how not okay we are. Whatever the reason, I want you to know that you are not alone. Let’s work together to create a safe haven, where you can feel comfortable and supported in talking about your vulnerabilities. 

My approach to counseling draws from narrative therapy, which involves discussing how we view ourselves and our problems. Often, we say things like “I am a depressed person,” but through this work you can discover that depression is something you have, not something you are. I operate under the belief that you are the expert when it comes to your life. What I bring to the table is knowledge of psychology and counseling. Through our collaboration we can work to give you the space from your problems that will allow you the opportunity to work through them.

I began my journey in the counseling field aiding those within the grief and loss community. This experience has been invaluable to me. It allowed me to understand how often this population is expected to move on quickly after a loss. Because we are humans and we are born to connect, this ideal is irrational and harmful.

Through my work with the grief and loss population, I have found that the emotions surrounding loss aren’t isolated to death loss. Grief is involved in almost every aspect of our human experiences. Loss may be present after a life transition, after a breakup, or after a trauma. With death loss or loss of a different variety, you can expect that I will be patient, compassionate, and empathic when listening to your story. I will not place my agenda before yours. I hope that you will feel comforted in knowing that we can take this at your pace.

A little more about my background—I am one of the rare unicorns who was born in Austin. I left my weird little city briefly to pursue a Bachelors degree in Psychology with a minor in Theatre from Schreiner University, but returned a short while later to earn my Masters of Arts in Counseling from St. Edward’s. At St. Edward’s I was fortunate enough to complete internships at The Christi Center and Capital Area Counseling (CAC). Through these two internships, I helped individuals with a variety of concerns including career changes, divorce, adjustment disorders, depression, trauma, childhood trauma, and complex bereavement. I truly believe that these experiences molded me into a strong and more adaptive therapist. I also recognize that there is still more room to grow, which is why I pursued the level one of basic training in EMDR and look forward to completing my basic certification.

Outside of the counseling room, you can probably find me with my nose stuck in a book or snuggling my fur babies. If I seem like a good fit for you, please feel free to request an appointment by phone at 512/201-4501, ext. 197. Thanks for your interest and I look forward to hearing from you.