Ryan Kelly, M.A., Ph.D.
Meet Dr. Ryan Kelly! “Dr. K” is an author, psychologist, and media company owner. He currently sits on the board for Geek Therapeutic Training, a company that provides APA services and education to professionals, as well as Revery Labs, a therapeutic game-development company.
Clinical Experience
Dr. K earned his M.A. and Ph.D. in school psychology with a clinical focus from the University of South Carolina. Before private practice, “Dr. K” taught at USC, and proceeded to work at Tidewater Neuropsychology, Dickerson’s Trauma Center, and within public schools and hospitals in the Southeast. He is an award-winning researcher and college instructor, and is co-creator and illustrator of Max Gamer, the first autistic superhero comic book.
Current Practice
Clinically, Ryan helps school-aged youth (6-18 years) and young adults (e.g., 18-40 years) develop the skills they need to overcome adversity and flourish in life. He specializes in the assessment and intervention of behavioral, emotional, academic and substance related issues. He enjoys working collaboratively with his clients, their families, and other supports (e.g., teachers, psychiatrists) to develop individualized treatment plans, leading to greater personal success and life satisfaction. Please feel free to schedule a free 15 minute meet and greet!
Areas of Expertise
Therapeutic Modules
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Positive Psychology
Motivational Interviewing
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy
Geek and Gaming Therapy
Therapeutic Game Mastering
VR Therapy
Research
His research focuses largely on innovative assessment and therapies (e.g., VR therapy, Dual Factor Model), youth well-being (e.g., Handbook of Child Well-Being), and developing table-top and video games to improve standard therapeutic interventions. As an acclaimed pioneer in “geek therapy”, Dr. K travels monthly to comic and gaming conventions to speak on how to use games (e.g., DnD, Video Games), VR, and media (e.g., anime, comics, movies) to help people, and is often featured in popular news outlets and podcasts (e.g., WNBC, Fox, Variety, Kotaku, Huffpost). Check out his recent publications (2020-2022) below!
A wild Dr. K has appeared!
Dr. K speaking with Fox46 about the therapeutic benefits of D&D and how he created evidence based TTRPG therapy groups
Dr. K presenting in Quito, Ecuador at a World Health Organization symposium on neuropsychology and evidence based therapies for clinical anxiety and depression.
Dr. K often streams video games and panels on Twitch and other platforms to discuss mental health in media
Dr. K often works with the gaming industry (e.g. WOTC, Riot Games, Square Enix), appears in documentaries (e.g., Look To The Sky) and presents at gaming and comic conventions (e.g., PAX, SDCC)
Catch Dr. K at local mental health themed events and news media segments in the greater Charlotte area!