Mobile: 480.773.8386
Office: 406.404.1009
Tri Therapy
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EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

MY EDUCATION 

Dr. Donna Kelsch earned undergraduate degree from the University of Steubenville in 1985 with a BA in psychology, theology and secondary education. In 1989 she earned her master’s degree in counseling from Dusquene University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in counselor education with a minor in theology.

Dr. Kelsch earned her doctoral degree in Education Psychology at Indiana University of Pennsylvania in 1998. Her doctoral dissertation was on adolescent girls self-esteem and was based on a program she developed while working as a middle school counselor. The program is termed GOLD (Girls Only Leadership Development) and it is being utilized in Georgia, PA, CO, New Hampshire and a few other eastern states as well as in the UK.

Dr. Kelsch is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) in the state of Montana and Colorado. She is a licensed school counselor and school psychologist in Pennsylvania and Colorado and a licensed school psychologist in Arizona and Montana.
 


MY WORK EXPERIENCES

Over the past 28 years Dr. Kelsch has worked in schools as a school counselor, administrator, psychologist and university professor.  While working in education, Dr. Kelsch has always worked part-time as a therapist. She obtained the doctoral degree to open her own practice and work with teens, couples and families, which is what she is finally able to do full-time.

School Counselor: September 1985-June 1989.
Quigley High School, Baden, PA 
Responsibilities:  Provided academic, career, and personal social services to 350 high school students; provided counseling and coordinating services involving at-risk youth; writing and directing educational plans for disadvantaged students; facilitating individual conferences with all junior students 
Initiated: District wide alcohol and drug policies; built wide teacher-guidance consultation meetings to monitor student progress; student  forum and peer leadership; freshmen orientation program.

Psychologist/Therapist- Part Time: Summer 1989-Spring 1992
                                 
Laughlin Children's Center, Sewickley, 
Responsibilities: Provided therapeutic services to families, children and adolescents; provided cognitive and social emotional assessments for children.
Initiated: Improvement for child therapy room; suggestions for adolescent responsibility groups.

School Counselor/Assistant Principal: Fall 1989-Summer 1991
A.W. Beattie Vocational Technical School, Allison Park, PA
Responsibilities:  Provided academic, career and personal social services to 450 high school students;  coordinated student admissions, student placement, and maintenance of student accountability for attendance and grades; established consistent discipline practices for all students using the counseling orientation of Reality Therapy; facilitated career counseling for college and job placement; provided personal counseling for students in group and individual settings from a Reality Therapy orientation. 
Initiated: Responsibility training for classroom management based on Reality Therapy principles; improvements in student placement practices; student assistance program for vocational schools; high school career-planning programs in the nine northern area schools.                                                           

School Counselor: Fall 1991-Spring 1997
North Allegheny School District, Pittsburgh, PA
Responsibilities:  Provided academic, career, and personal social services to 390 middle school students; coordinated and provided consultation services for school district guidance review process and for building-based services surrounding special education including assessment of cognitive and social needs, parent conferences, and staff meetings; served on the leadership team for the school district regarding training and planning for quality school and Total Quality Management. 
Initiated: District wide in-service for counselors on Reality Therapy, intervention program for all eight grade girls (GOLD) and building based programs for career education with community involvement; Classroom guidance units for academic concerns, and personal support groups (Secrets, Girl Talk, Teen Talk and Carson Afternoon at the Movies)

Practicum Instructor- Part Time: Spring 1992-May 2004                                       
The  William Glasser Institute, Canoga Park, CA
Responsibilities: Teaching advanced and basic week practicum’s in Choice Theory/Reality  Therapy/Lead Management to individuals who are in the process of obtaining certification in Reality Therapy
Courses taught:  Basic Week Practicum’s; Advanced Week Practicum.
Initiated: International academic credit for persons completing training in United States or abroad.

Therapist/Psychologist- Part Time: Fall 1996-Spring 1997                                     
Western Psychiatric Institute, Pittsburgh, PA
Responsibilities: Provided individual and family therapy; Supervised group leaders;  Coordinated therapeutic support services in schools and home; Completed of hospital and insurance authorizations and forms.
Initiated: Multi-family support groups

School Psychologist:  Fall 1997-Spring 2000                        
Colorado Springs School District 11, Colorado Springs, CO
Responsibilities: Provided cognitive and social assessments of elementary, middle and high school  students; coordinated of multidisciplinary teams, community outreach services, and crisis intervention teams; served as Department Chairperson for
Special Education Department at West  Middle School; taught affective education to students in regular education and
special education students; provided consultation for staff, parents, and community liaisons.
Initiated:  Attendance buddies program; Funding and directed Girl's Only Leadership  Development Program; Curriculum unit on students with disabilities to students  in regular education students; Mentoring relationships between middle level and  elementary level students.

Honoraria/Instructor- Full Time: Fall 1996-Fall 2000                 
Department of Counseling and Educational Leadership, College of Education,
     University of Colorado at Colorado Springs, Colorado Springs, CO

Responsibilities: Taught graduate counseling students and advised prospective students
Courses taught: Role and Function of the School Counselor; Issues, Ethics and Trends in Counseling; Internship in School Counseling; Internship in Community Counseling.

Instructor- Part Time:  Spring 2001-Spring 2001   
Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership, The United States Airforce Academy, Colorado Springs, CO   
Responsibilities: Taught second year cadets   
Course taught:  Psychology and Behavioral Science and Leadership

Assistant Professor of Counseling: University of Colorado at Colorado Springs: Fall 2002-May 2004               Department of Counseling and Educational Leadership, College of Education, Colorado Springs, CO
Responsibilities:  Taught graduate counseling students, coordinated school counseling program, assigned academic advisor for 40 students, advised additional students as requested by the Department Chair; taught undergraduate psychology courses for summer sessions; primary professor for Air Force officers that attended at the direction of the United States Air Force to resolve issues of sexual harassment.
Courses taught:  Roles and Function of School Counselor; Organization and Administration  of the School Counseling Program; Techniques in School Counseling; Internship in  School Counseling; Human Growth and  Development.
Initiated: Courses for increasing academic rigor of school counseling programs; policy for accepting “endorsement only students”

Director of Exceptional Student Services
: December 2006-May 2008                         
Benchmark Charter School, Phoenix,  AZ
Responsibilities:  Provided all cognitive and social assessments of elementary students; conducted multidisciplinary team meetings, supervised ESS staff, was district representative at ESS hearings, and facilitated support groups for students with
behavioral difficulties. 
InItiated: Monthly meetings with all staff to review ESS regulations; annual 8 hour ESS in-service to educate all staff regarding IDEA regulations.


School Psychologist: September 2008-May 2012                                                         
Mesa School District, Mesa, AZ
Responsibilities: Provided cognitive and social assessments of high school students; coordinated multidisciplinary teams, counseled special education students and affective education to students; provided consultation for staff, parents, and community liaisons.
Initiated:  Collaborative manner in which regular and special education teachers assist in the waiver process for eligible students; prepared revisions to the procedure for Functional Behavioral Assessments and Behavioral Intervention Plans; created policy for students attending Focus (Alternative) Schools in the school district; executive functioning training program for all staff in 4 schools
 


Owner and Therapist/Psychologist: Fall 2007-Present                                                            
Tri Therapy, LLC, Scottsdale, AZ, Bozeman, MT
Responsibilities: Offered services in psycho-educational and behavioral testing, advocate support for parents with children with disabilities, coordinated therapeutic support services between schools and families, and psycho-educational support for parents  
Founded: Tri-Therapy which provides counseling services for teens, families and couples.
Initiated: Provided pro-bono work to assist parents in understanding their legal rights in the school systems; support groups for caretakers of children with mental illness and survivors of suicide support group.


Dr. Kelsch’s theoretical orientation originates with the ideas from the renowned theorist Dr. William Glasser, who she had the privilege to work under. Dr. Glasser's ideas are the framework within which Dr. Kelsch utilizes other theoretical orientations such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Rational Emotive Therapy, Gestalt Therapy, Play Therapy, Existential Therapy, Rational Emotive Therapy and Person Centered Therapy, depending on the clients’ needs.
Without faith nothing is possible,
With faith nothing is impossible!
Dr. Donna Kelsch, Tri Therapy,
  
Contact Info
Office: 406-404-1009
Mobile: 480-773-8386
Fax: 406-404-1780
Email: dkelsch@tritherapymt.com
Hours: 
By Appointment Only
Monday - Friday 
Evening Hours Available 

 

 
 
Location:
804 N 19th Avenue, Suite 2A
Bozeman, MT 59718