Kelly Ozambela, PhD
Kelly earned his doctorate in Counseling Psychology from Temple University after completing his pre-doctoral internship at the University of Florida Counseling Center. He received a Master of Education degree in Counseling Psychology in Higher Education from Northern Arizona University and earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Northern Michigan University in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Kelly joined the Drexel University Counseling center with over 20 years of experience working in university settings. He also brings seven years of experience working in community mental health and federally qualified health center settings in the Northeast and East Falls sections of Philadelphia.
Kelly is a generalist who has expertise working with a broad range of concerns and student populations. Some of his expertise includes working with life transition and adjustment issues, relationship, anxiety, depression, identity development, identity-based stress and trauma, self-esteem, acculturation, stress-management, ADHD, academic performance, alcohol and other drugs, sleep, career development, and grief. Kelly is appreciative of working with all students, and he values providing affirming care to students who may historically underutilize mental health services. He thus holds a deep commitment to working with first-generation, BIPOC, immigrant, DACA and undocumented, international, LGBTQIA+, and neurodivergent students. Kelly also has native fluency in Spanish and enjoys working LatinX Spanish- and "Spanglish-" speaking clients.
As a clinician and consultant, he seeks to establish a collaborative relationship of understanding and respect for the multicultural and intersectional aspects of one's identities within their social context. His advocacy efforts are guided by a social justice and human rights perspective. Kelly's theoretical orientation is integrative with a focus on interpersonal, existential, psychodynamic, and mindfulness-based CBT interventions. He also conceptualizes from a holistic wellness perspective to clarify areas of imbalance, as well as one's resources and strengths. Kelly also finds it helpful at times to provide psychoeducation, paired with experiential interventions in some circumstances, designed to provide immediate amelioration of individuals' distress and somatic-based symptoms.
Outside of work hours, Kelly enjoys being at home time with his family cooking, gardening, tending to their backyard chickens, and binge-watching comedy and sci-fi. Away from home, he enjoys "forest bathing" — seeking opportunities to be immersed in nature, and during warmer months, surfing.