“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 (and the many symptoms that stem from them) with individuals and couples. Many of these experiences – whether acute or ongoing, generational or developmental, seemingly individual or systemic – cause confusion, disconnection, dysregulation, brokenness, grief, and shifts in identity or 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. This includes exploration and acceptance of the unique life experiences, intersecting identities (and their wider implications), and combination of pain and resilience 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.
I hold an M.A. and Psy.D. in Clinical Psychology from the Fuller School of Psychology and Marriage and Family Therapy in Pasadena, California. My training has included therapy and psychological assessment in community mental health, state hospital (forensic inpatient), private practice, and VA settings. Additionally, I hold a professional certificate from the University of Vermont as an End-of-Life Doula. I completed my psychology residency at the Brooklyn Veterans Affairs Medical Center where I focused my training on working with and assessing trauma including combat PTSD and military 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.
