My Credentials

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. 

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.