By Sheila G. Kelley, Development Coordinator
The first thing you notice when visiting Couch Co-op Counseling in Newton is the unique window wrapping showing a couple of Star Wars storm troopers and two Game of Thrones pendants. As you walk through the door, you are greeted by an assortment of pop culture figures – Pokémon, Ghostbusters, superheroes, Ninja turtles and more – which are part of a new, non-traditional therapy offered by Matthew Kelley.
Matthew started his practice in 2018 after working in the mental health field for 15 years. Most of his clients come for help conquering anxiety and depression. He noted that both those diagnoses skyrocketed during the pandemic.
A self-proclaimed geek, Matthew offers single player mode – one-on-one therapy where the client builds a relationship to help navigate life’s hurdles. His multi-player mode is for working on the family system or relationships.
“Whether it’s relating to superheroes struggles, using video games to help a person explain what they are going through or teaching mental health skills taught through your favorite character, we can learn so much through the characters we have grown to love,” Matthew said.
Matthew and his clients figure out what the client is passionate about and how to use that passion to identify symptoms and triggers, set reasonable and attainable goals, and learn and practice coping skills.
“We like to use role-playing through games or movies,” Matthew said. “When a client creates a character, 90% of the time it’s based around them.
He learns valuable information from the client by studying the character the client has created. It often mirrors their own values, morals, struggles and strengths. He also observes how the client deals with winning and losing, how they manage anger and frustration. It allows him to connect them with real life experiences.
An example of Matthew’s counseling is to help clients understand they are not alone. Everyone – including superheroes – has some level of anxiety in their lives.
“Look at Batman and the Joker. Joker is like anxiety. He stays underground until someone is vulnerable, then he pops up,” Matthew said. “Then, like Batman, it’s the client’s job to put it in check.”
Anxiety usually carries a negative message, but Matthew said people can learn how to deal with it. It’s something that can’t be gotten rid of totally.
“If we had no anxiety, the world would be out of control,” stated Matthew. “Some anxiety is necessary to keep things in balance, makes us question whether things are safe or not.”
Thank you Matthew and Couch Co-op Counseling for being one of our founding members of Small Business United! Disclosure: Matthew Kelley is the son of Sheila Kelley.
WHAT IS SMALL BUSINESS UNITED?
Small Business United is a group of Harvey County small businesses who have joined together to make a huge impact! Often we see small businesses who would love to get involved and help the Harvey County community, but don’t have the resources to make a large gift. By becoming Small Business United members, these businesses contribute to improve lives and strengthen our community. To become a SBU member, click here and select “Small Business United” on the donation page.