Kelly Smerz, Ph.D.

For more than two decades, I have dedicated my work as a clinical psychologist to one guiding belief – good psychotherapy can be profoundly transformative. While easing the symptoms or struggles that bring someone to treatment is important, I also help clients uncover the deeper patterns and emotions that shape their lives. By exploring not only the “what to do” about symptoms, but also the “why” behind the distress, new insights, resiliencies, and healthier was of thinking, relating, and living begin to emerge. It is through this process that our work together can create more enduring change. 

As a clinician, I work integratively, blending interventions to fit the unique needs of the individual. I draw upon well-established, evidence-based therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), mindfulness tools, ACT based interventions, emotionally focused therapy (EFT), and other attachment-based interventions. Alongside these more traditional interventions, I frequently incorporate the perspectives of Jungian depth psychology. These approaches work together to reduce distress, strengthen valuable aspects of self-awareness, and resolve more persistent symptoms and emotional patterns that hinder greater well-being. Also, when appropriate, I weave in mind-body practices informed by my training as a yoga teacher, or interventions based in clinical hypnotherapy. 

I work with adults facing a wide range of concerns and struggles, including anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression, trauma and PTSD, chronic stress, professional burnout, chronic pain, relationship distress, and substance abuse. I have a particular interest in supporting high-achieving professionals – physicians, attorneys, business owners, executives, and others – whose demanding careers often leave little room for rest or renewal. I also offer a safe, supportive space for woman in midlife to address their own changing emotional needs as they navigate the many demands of parenting, partnership, work, and health. 

In all of my work, my goal is to help clients develop both effective strategies for symptom relief and the deeper self-understanding that sustains well-being over time. Through insight, skill building, and compassionate support, therapy becomes not only a place to heal, but a place to grow. 

Some Additional Information About my Specialties: 

• EMDR: Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing is an approach to psychotherapy used to help individuals process and resolve distressing memories, traumatic experiences, as other symptoms such as anxiety and emotional distress. When appropriate, I weave this intervention into a more comprehensive therapeutic approach that helps you to feel calmer, safer, and less overwhelmed by difficult emotions. 

• Stress Management and Burn Out Among High Achieving Professionals:

  I understand the unique weight carried by physicians, attorneys, business owners, executives, and other high-achieving professionals—the relentless demands, the constant decision-making, and the pressure to perform without pause. My work focuses on creating a private, supportive space where you can step out of crisis mode, reclaim a sense of balance, and reconnect with what matters most. Drawing on over 20 years of clinical experience, I tailor our meetings to your specific needs and the realities of your professional world.  

• Mind-body integration: Through my years of working with clients, I have observed how so many of us have learned to cope with the stress of life by detaching from our thoughts or from our bodies. This disconnection from important aspects of self can manifest physically as tension, or emotionally as stress, anxiety, and depression. I am a registered yoga teacher (RYT-200) and often integrate insights from my yoga background, such as breath based coping strategies, into my clinical work. I find that this experience of learning to be present to oneself can provide an invaluable path to mental health.  

• Health Psychology: Health psychology is an area of psychology that addresses the relationship between physical and mental health. Often chronic or life changing health issues can contribute to psychological stress reactions, coping difficulties, feelings of grief and loss, anxiety, or depression. As a health psychologist I work to help individuals experiencing chronic pain or other health conditions improve their coping skills and their quality of life.

Where you can find me:

In Person: You can find me at our Northshore location on the border of Glendale and Whitefish Bay in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin metro area. 

Telehealth: I am Nationally Licensed to provide telehealth services in 40 states.  Please reach out with any questions regarding my licensure status in your state. 

To schedule an appointment with Kelly Smerz please contact her at ksmerz@medpsychmke.com or select her as your preferred provide on our contact form.