Jump, Shout, and Spin

Dottie Kelly is a trauma therapist, children's author, and lifelong storyteller whose work helps children and families navigate the emotional impact of trauma. With more than 20 years of experience supporting clients impacted by PTSD and Complex PTSD, traumatic grief, narcissistic relationships, divorce, and domestic violence, she brings both clinical depth and warmth to everything she creates. Storytelling is the heartbeat of Dottie's therapeutic approach. Her children's books reflect her core values—compassion, resilience, and self-empowerment—often infused with humor. Through relatable stories, she helps normalize big emotions, reduce shame, and support nervous-system regulation. Dottie has taught body safety and emotional awareness programs in elementary schools, supported families in developing child custody agreements, and has presented at conferences and seminars on trauma, Internal Family Systems, recovery, grief, and equine-assisted psychotherapy. Today, she runs divorce groups for kids, offers workshops that help parents better understand what their children may be experiencing, and leads groups for adults navigating major life changes—building practical coping skills for calm and clarity. When she's not writing or working with clients, Dottie is usually outdoors, spending time with family and pets. She also has a steady stream of children's book ideas tugging at her sleeve (politely… most days). She's currently working on a memoir tracing her own journey of healing and transformation.