Kyra Willeford
MSW, LCSWA
Licensed Clinical Social Work Associate
she/her
Kyra is provisionally licensed in the state of North Carolina and has four years of experience working in the mental health field. Her clinical experience has primarily focused on working with children, teens, and young adults. She is trained in trauma-focused therapy and continues to expand her knowledge of childhood trauma and its impact across the lifespan. Kyra has experience supporting individuals experiencing trauma, depression, anxiety, ADHD, and behavioral concerns.
Kyra believes that everyone deserves a life where they feel safe to explore, express, and be themselves. She believes healing happens within safe, compassionate spaces where no one feels alone. Using a person-centered approach and evidence-based therapeutic modalities tailored to each individual and family’s needs, Kyra strives to create a supportive environment where children, teens, and young adults can explore their emotions at their own pace, while parents and caregivers feel heard, supported, and involved.
Kyra works collaboratively with families to ensure that each person feels valued and supported throughout the therapeutic process. She considers it a privilege to provide a safe and compassionate space where clients can feel understood, build new skills, and work toward meaningful growth.
Qualifications
Kyra received her Master of Social Work degree from the University of Central Florida in May 2022. She is provisionally licensed through the North Carolina Board of Clinical Social Work. Kyra has received training in trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy. Her continued training work focused on trauma-based therapy. Kyra has been working with children, ages 4-16, and their families for four years.
Background
Kyra began her counseling journey in Florida, working at a children’s inpatient behavioral home. While there, she worked with many families experiencing a variety of hardships and mental health. This provided Kyra with a keen understanding of how childhood trauma impacts the whole family unit and many areas of a child’s life. These experiences inspired her to focus her studies on trauma-based modalities. Once Kyra moved to North Carolina, she continued to use this experience and knowledge that she has gained to focus on working with children and families in private practice.
In her practice with children and families, Kyra uses a wide range of therapeutic techniques that best suit the child and their family’s needs. Play therapy is always incorporated into her work with children. Kyra uses different methods of play therapy, such as sand tray therapy and art therapy, tailored to each child’s needs. She utilizes evidence-based modalities such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), person-centered therapy, and trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT).
Specialization
Kyra has focused her specialties on childhood trauma and has received training in trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT). She uses tools and techniques from this therapeutic modality with many of her clients, as seen through an empathetic lens. Even if a child and their family is not seeking therapy for trauma, the difficult experiences a child faces can have an impact on many areas of their life and functioning. For these reasons, Kyra uses these tools and techniques whenever she feels it will benefit the client.
Kyra loves to incorporate different types of play therapy in her work with children and uses this modality in some form with every one of her clients. In working with children, it is important to be creative and flexible. She enjoys doing just that and ensuring that all her clients feel safe and welcome while embarking on their therapeutic journey.
Personal Life
Kyra is a wife to her new husband, and a dog-mom to her Labrador Retriever. Kyra and her husband love taking their dog on hikes and many other outdoor adventures and road-trips. She has always been an adventurous spirit and will take up any chance to go on a weekend adventure! When she is spending time at home, Kyra loves tuning into her creative side by painting and drawing.