Kelly Baez, PhD, LPC, CFRC
I am a licensed professional counselor, resilience educator, and organizational advisor specializing in how people and systems function under sustained pressure.
For more than two decades, my work has focused on individuals and professionals in high-stress roles — including healthcare workers, first responders, and leaders responsible for complex systems and human outcomes. Over time, it became clear that burnout and breakdown are rarely individual failures. They are predictable responses to cognitive overload, emotional strain, and systems that ask too much of people for too long.
My work now bridges individual healing and organizational sustainability, without confusing the two.
A Systems-Level Perspective
Organizations often invest heavily in training, performance improvement, and leadership development — yet still struggle with exhaustion, turnover, and stalled initiatives. From my clinical and educational background, I’ve seen why:
When leaders and teams are chronically overloaded, even the best strategies fail to take hold.
My consulting work helps organizations understand:
How cognitive and emotional load accumulate across roles
Why mid-level leaders absorb disproportionate strain
How burnout quietly undermines decision-making and performance
Why one-off interventions rarely change outcomes
Rather than offering quick fixes, I help leadership teams develop clear language, shared insight, and practical strategies that support sustainable functioning over time.
This work is advisory and educational in nature — not therapy, not coaching, and not crisis response.
Clinical Foundations (Without Pathologizing)
My background as a trauma counselor informs my work, but it does not dominate it.
I bring a deep understanding of:
Nervous system regulation
Trauma and chronic stress responses
Emotional resilience under pressure
Recovery after prolonged overload
This foundation allows me to translate complex psychological concepts into clear, usable insight for leaders and organizations — without pathologizing people or oversimplifying systems.
Work With Individuals
Alongside organizational consulting and speaking, I continue to offer trauma-informed counseling and EMDR for individuals seeking healing, resilience, and recovery from burnout or trauma.
Individual counseling is a distinct service, focused on personal growth and healing, and is offered virtually in states where I am licensed.
How I Work
Across all settings, my approach is:
Evidence-based
Grounded and non-performative
Clear about boundaries and scope
Respectful of real-world constraints
I am not interested in overpromising transformation or positioning myself as an expert on how others should lead. My role is to help people and systems see more clearly, reduce unnecessary strain, and create conditions where good work is actually sustainable.
Credentials & Background
PhD
Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)
Certified First Responder Counselor (CFRC)
Resilience and emotional intelligence assessment certified
Extensive experience in healthcare, veterinary medicine, first response, and other high-pressure environments
Invitation
Whether you are an organizational leader exploring consulting or an individual seeking counseling support, I believe clarity, containment, and humane systems matter — for people and for performance.
