We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kelsey Ball Fomengia. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kelsey below.

Kelsey, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.

I was lucky to have grown up in Bermuda, which is a gorgeous island rich with diversity in all its forms. From a young age, my parents allowed me to explore this diversity, both inside and outside the home. One thing I recall, in particular, was my parent’s desire for me to discover the wide range of extracurricular activities available to me, in order to find a hobby I could develop and master. As a child, I recall having very little time to watch TV because I was always involved in a structured activity. Track and field, gymnastics, tennis, music lessons, dance classes… you name it! My parent’s openness to allowing me to explore my creativity and passion was definitely one of the defining aspects of my childhood. I know for certain it helped me to develop confidence in myself and my abilities, and I believe it is one of the reasons I continue to approach new experiences with openness and curiosity.

Kelsey, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Kelsey Ball Fomengia and I am a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and Yoga Instructor. From a young age, I have always been fascinated by people. I truly was a “people-watcher” before I even knew what a “people-watcher” was. For as long as I can remember, I have also been passionate about helping people and taking care of others. As a child, this looked like taking care of my sister when she was sick with chickenpox, and being the mediator and peacekeeper in my friend groups. As a teenager, it looked like working in customer service and hospitality industries. As a young adult, it has blossomed into a fulfilling career in the mental health and wellness space. Taking care of others and seeing people around me living happy and healthy lives is just something I have always loved.

The field of mental health has come a long way in recent decades, and I have enjoyed participating in the movement to help de-stigmatize mental health. Watching the gradual shift towards positive psychology and the promotion of mental wellness (as opposed to solely treating mental illness) has been so encouraging.

In my practice, I aim to help clients manage their mental health symptoms from a holistic and preventative perspective. Developing daily self-care practices, committing to regular physical movement, and integrating mindfulness, self-awareness, and intentionality into daily interactions are all small ways to shift your energy and optimize your health and wellness.

Have you ever had to pivot?

As a graduate student, I specialized in psychological assessment and evaluations. I loved the idea of gathering pieces of information about a person from medical records, collateral interviews, test data etc, and synthesizing everything into a coherent and meaningful story about their lives. I spent years studying to become a forensic psychologist, which would allow me to apply my psychology skills to issues involving the legal system. However, while on interviews for internship, I came face to face with the day to day realities of forensic and correctional psychologists and I was a bit shaken (to say the least). Just when I thought I had my career figured out, I was beginning to rethink my path. (side note: forensic psychologists all over the world should be applauded… It’s really, really tough work!) As fate would have it, I got matched for internship at the University of Miami Counseling Center, which, in retrospect, was the perfect place for me. I was able to hone my passion for working with young people to promote health and wellness from an integrative and preventative health care model.

If you could go back in time, do you think you would have chosen the same profession or specialty?

I often ask myself this question. And the answer is always ABSOLUTELY. I truly believe that the study of psychology and human behavior should be one of those prerequisite, core classes, just like English and Math. No matter what career you decide to pursue, an understanding of human behavior and emotion is critical. Even if you choose to live a life of complete solitude and isolation, you’ll have to manage your own thoughts and feelings on a day to day, moment to moment basis. No matter how to look at it, psychology and mental health is everywhere, and I am so grateful to be a part of this ever evolving discipline.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://fivemedicine.com/ and www.bermudawellnessspace.com
• Instagram: @yogi.doc
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kelsey-ball-fomengia-phd-149103a5/
• Other: kelsey@fivemedicine.com bermudawellness@gmail.com