Kelly Hayes, LMSW

Kelly Hayes is a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW) practicing in Michigan with more than 30 years of experience helping children, individuals, and families. Over the course of a long career, Kelly has served as a child and family counselor, a Special Education Social Worker, a Behavioral Intervention Specialist, and a life coach, bringing a wide-ranging skill set to work with diverse concerns.

Kelly has supported people coping with early childhood trauma and its impacts on attachment and relationship challenges, abandonment issues, anxiety, depression, fear, and guilt. He also works with marital concerns and matters related to substance use and addictions. His practice includes experience with clients living with OCD, AD/HD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, developmental delays, emotional impairments, learning-related behavioral challenges, school phobias, and severe aggression.

His approach emphasizes building positive, strength-based relationships that encourage open, honest, and direct communication. Kelly uses active listening and supportive encouragement to help clients express thoughts and feelings in a non-threatening environment. Together with each person, he develops an individualized plan tailored to the client’s specific needs and goals. Kelly’s LMSW credential indicates his status as a licensed master social worker in Michigan, reflecting professional training and licensure in social work.

Practical Therapeutic Approaches for Online Care

Kelly integrates several evidence-based techniques into online work, starting with a strength-based approach that focuses on identifying and building personal and family resources to support recovery and growth. This method helps clients reframe challenges and draw on resilience when facing relationship issues, low self-esteem, or life transitions.

He also employs behavioral intervention strategies that break difficulties into manageable steps and teach practical skills for managing behaviors, emotional responses, and substance-related challenges. These techniques are useful for work with AD/HD, Autism Spectrum Disorder, OCD, and behavioral concerns.

Family systems perspectives guide his efforts when relationships and family dynamics are central to the problem, helping members understand patterns and develop clearer communication and healthier boundaries.

Finding the right blend of approaches is part of the therapy process. Kelly works collaboratively with each client to determine which techniques best match their needs, goals, and preferences and adjusts the plan as progress unfolds.

Online sessions offer flexibility through video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, making it easier to fit therapy into busy schedules, maintain continuity of care, and access support from home. These options allow licensed professionals and therapists to provide consistent, goal-focused work across formats.