Emily Kirby, Psy.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist who earned her doctorate from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Dr. Kirby has more than 10 years experience conducting therapy with children, adolescents, adults, families, and couples. She completed her Chicago practicum training and internship at Mount Sinai Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health and Tri-City Community Mental Health Center, respectively. During her postdoctoral fellowship, Dr. Kirby provided prevention services, counseling, and wilderness/experiential therapy for at-risk adolescents and their families. In recent years, she has worked in private mental health settings and has been an active member of the American Psychological Association and the Ohio Psychological Association.
Utilizing an integrative approach to meet each client’s unique needs and goals, Dr. Kirby incorporates cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic and mindfulness-based interventions. She is specially trained in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), an empirically validated intervention that uses acceptance and mindfulness, together with commitment and behavior change strategies, to help clients create psychological flexibility and a richer, more meaningful life.
Dr. Kirby currently provides psychotherapy for children (ages 3-12), adolescents (ages 13-18), adults, families, and couples. She has special expertise in depression, anxiety, women’s issues, couples and family therapy, parenting concerns, and behavioral challenges in children and adolescents. She is particularly skilled at helping clients cope with feelings of depression and anxiety that may occur as a result of life transitions and stressors such as divorce or other family changes, death or loss of a loved one, postpartum adjustment, or traumatic experiences.
Dedicated to building strong therapeutic relationships with her clients, Dr. Kirby provides empathy, respect, and compassion in a non-judging, safe environment. Her unconditional positive regard, warmth, and creativity help clients feel accepted and comfortable in the therapy process. Her approach empowers clients to make lasting changes in their lives and to increase feelings of self-esteem and self-worth.