“LIFE’S EITHER GOING TO BE A GREAT TIME OR
A GREAT STORY. SOMETIMES IT’S BOTH.”
– Anonymous
Dr. Kendra Schmidt
PSYCHOLOGIST & POST-DOCTORAL FELLOW
Hello! I’m Dr. Kendra Schmidt (she/her/hers). I am a post-doctoral fellow at CPP who specializes in understanding, working with, and making meaning out of traumatic experiences with individuals and couples. Trauma can have complicated origins, so what we often feel in real time is confusion, disconnection, dysregulation, brokenness, grief, shifts in identity, and/or changing roles in our communities/families. As a therapist, I start from a place of curiosity with the intent of grounding our relationship in safety and trust as we work through these responses. This includes exploration and acceptance of the intersecting identities and combination of hurts and accomplishments that makes you who you are.
My style of therapy is relational, psychodynamic, and attachment-oriented, meaning I understand that early life and relational experiences have a deep impact on who we become as adults and who we choose to build relationships with. This extends to our therapeutic relationship. In therapy, I work creatively to use our partnership to practice skills for deeper understanding, agency, and freedom in your life outside the therapy room. I also spend time integrating interventions from evidence-based treatment strategies (including trauma-focused treatments) and recognize the importance of mind-body connection and embodiment in therapeutic work.
I am an inclusive and affirming therapist and have years of experience working with LGBTQIA+ individuals and couples. I am formally trained in the integration of spirituality and faith with psychotherapy, specifically working with religious trauma, spiritual abuse, and the unique challenges that leaving a closely held faith tradition or group has on identity and sense of community. I also enjoy working with creative storytellers including musicians, actors, writers, and other artists because of my own background in and passion for these fields.
My academic journey includes an M.A. and Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology and my training has included therapy and psychological assessment in community mental health, state hospital (forensic inpatient), private practice, and Veterans Affairs settings. Additionally, I hold a professional certificate as an End-of-Life Doula. Before joining CPP, I completed my pre-doctoral residency at the Brooklyn Veterans Affairs Medical Center where I focused my training on working with and assessing trauma including combat PTSD and sexual trauma with a diverse range of individuals, couples, and groups. Prior to my education and experience in psychology I received a Bachelor of Music (B.M.) in Commercial Music Business with an emphasis in Voice and spent five years working in administering and singing with choral organizations.
