Neurodiversity Affirming Therapist in Middlesex, NJ

If you’re here, you’re probably trying to figure out whether I’m the right person to trust, whether for yourself or for your child. That’s exactly the right question to be asking. I’m glad you’re here, and I want to give you a real answer.

My name is Janine Kelly and I am a neurodivergent psychotherapist. As much as I enjoy spending time with my husband and playing with our son, I look forward to the last hour of the night when I can relax and do absolutely nothing if I choose to. It’s funny how the little things we used to take for granted in the past mean so much now.

Family is extremely important to me. I enjoy doing things together, whether it’s going to the park, out to dinner, the beach, or traveling, though I do need some time to recover. At home, I enjoy watching TV shows, documentaries, or movies (mostly crime-related) and playing board games. I also enjoy learning new things for my profession and personal life.

My passion lies in supporting neurodivergent individuals of all ages, and a big part of that comes from my own experience. Throughout my childhood, I struggled academically, had anxiety, and had my own traumatic experiences. I was the quiet one who observed everything and kept all my thoughts and feelings to myself.

What I didn’t know for a long time was that I was neurodivergent. As an adult, I noticed that tasks that seemed simple for others often took me significantly longer to complete. I would leave social situations feeling completely depleted and would need real time alone to recover before I could do much of anything else. I thought that was just how I was. I had no idea at the time that I was masking, or that the exhaustion I felt afterward was because of it.

Learning about my own ADHD and Autism diagnosis later in life changed everything. My first feeling honestly wasn’t relief. It was grief for all the years I spent struggling without understanding why. But getting that clarity also meant I could finally start putting the right things in place. I now have strategies and accommodations that make my daily life genuinely easier and a lot less exhausting, and I know how to work with my brain instead of against it.

That experience shapes everything I do in my practice. I help neurodivergent individuals of all ages feel comfortable expressing their thoughts and feelings. I teach my clients how to advocate for their needs. I help elevate their self-esteem and give them real skills to manage anxiety. And I help neurodivergent individuals heal from the painful experiences that can come from spending years feeling like something is wrong with you, when nothing is wrong with you at all. I also provide affirming, inclusive care for LGBTQ+ individuals, because I believe everyone deserves a space where they can show up exactly as they are.

The postpartum period was one of the most challenging periods in my life. As much as I like to be prepared for everything by reading and planning things ahead of time (hello, anxiety!), nothing helped prepare me for it. Of course, I tried to do everything on my own because “I’m a mother and should be able to handle everything” (So not true!).

In my practice, I support neurodivergent parents during pregnancy and the postpartum period to help them manage the stressors, the unexpected, and the unknowns of parenthood, as well as its effects on their relationships. I provide parents with a safe space to freely speak about their thoughts, feelings, and experiences, as the struggles of parenthood are often not spoken about. I help parents heal from the trauma that they may have experienced during pregnancy and/or the postpartum period. I give parents hope and help them see that things will get better and they will get through this.

If any of this resonates with you, I would love to connect. Whether you are looking for answers for yourself or your child, you do not have to keep wondering. I am here when you are ready.