Kelly Ontiveros

Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist
Certified Emotionally Focused Therapist & Supervisor

“Love is our true destiny. We do not find the meaning of life by ourselves alone- we find it with another.” — THOMAS MERTON

I specialize in:

About Me

Since I was a child, I’ve always been incredibly curious about relationships. I felt pulled in by the complexities of how people connect in their most intimate relationships and subsequently how emotionally distressed they were when they couldn’t find closeness. With all this curiosity about other people, I was neglecting to look at my own life and emotional world. I was unaware that growing up I felt deeply plagued by feelings of shame and inadequacy. As a result of those feelings, I tried to make myself lovable by minimizing my needs to take care of other people. In my teenage and early twenties, I went looking for my self-worth in relationships which ultimately left me feeling more consumed by shame and rejection. During my graduate program, I found myself in a therapist’s office for the first time, completely terrified to be vulnerable and open. It was in that therapy relationship; I built a trusting relationship where I felt safe to address how past experiences were influencing how I was thinking and feeling about myself. Throughout the course of my life, the therapy relationship has been a place for me to address my wounding so that I can show up my most authentic self in my relationships.

As a Marriage and Family Therapist, I’m passionate about helping others strengthen the bonds and connections in their most important relationships. I have received advanced training in Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy (EFT) and am skilled at helping couples recover from affairs, address losses of intimacy and connection, strengthen attachment, and adjust to life stressors. I hold advanced trained in Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) and Somatic Experiencing (SE), which helps those struggling to heal from traumatic experiences, anxiety, and depression. I have in-depth training and over ten years of experience working with survivors of sexual, physical, emotional, and spiritual abuse. I utilize mindfulness and body-based approaches to help clients incorporate compassion and self-acceptance on their journey of healing.

Education

Bethel Seminary San Diego
Master’s of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy

Arizona State University
Bachelors of Arts in Interpersonal Communication

training

Certified in Emotionally Focused Therapist and Supervisor

EMDR Trained and practicing for 10 years

Trained in Internal Family Systems (IFS) for individuals and couples

Affiliations

Arizona Center for Emotionally Focused Therapy (AZEFT)
The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy ( AAMFT)
Board member for the Arizona EFT chapter