Meet the Team

Kelsey is the founder of North Star Therapy and Psychiatry, a psychotherapist, and a published author. She is dedicated to helping clients navigate challenges such as depression, anxiety, trauma, substance use, life transitions, and chronic stress. Kelsey integrates a range of therapeutic approaches—including CBT, DBT, psychodynamic therapy, motivational interviewing, and person-centered techniques—to create a thoughtful and individualized path toward insight, resilience, and lasting change. She has expertise in the stabilization and long-term management of affective disorders. Kelsey also works extensively with members of the LGBTQ+ community, neurodivergent individuals, high-achieving professionals and entrepreneurs.

Dana is a licensed mental health counselor who supports clients with stress, anxiety, depression, relationship concerns, trauma, and life transitions. She uses evidence-based approaches such as CBT, humanistic, and systemic models to foster a safe, collaborative environment for growth. Dana values authenticity in the therapeutic process and encourages clients to show up as their true selves as they work toward meaningful change. She works with both individuals and couples, helping partners improve communication, deepen understanding, and strengthen connection within their relationships. Dana also has a passion for working with men who want to better understand themselves, develop emotional awareness, and grow more comfortable with vulnerability and authentic connection.

Michael is a licensed psychotherapist with over 10 years of experience helping individuals navigate a wide range of mental health concerns. He uses CBT, DBT, and person-centered approaches to help clients manage stress, develop insight, and build practical coping strategies. Michael works collaboratively with clients to navigate challenges, life transitions, and family dynamics with compassion and clarity. Michael is also a Certified Sex Addiction Therapist (CSAT) and one of only a small number of clinicians in Tampa with this specialized training. He works with individuals navigating a variety of sexual concerns, including problematic sexual behaviors, pornography use, relationship and intimacy challenges, and rebuilding trust after betrayal. Michael provides a supportive and nonjudgmental space where clients can better understand their patterns and develop healthier relationships with sexuality, connection, and themselves.

Ruth has been working in the mental health field for over 25 years, supporting individuals and couples facing challenges such as anxiety, depression, relationship diFiculties, stress management, and self-esteem concerns. She takes a supportive, strengths-based approach to therapy, incorporating CBT, person-centered, and mindfulness-based techniques. Ruth works collaboratively with clients to build insight, strengthen coping skills, and create meaningful, lasting change. As a Master’s Certified Addictions Professional (MCAP), she also helps individuals navigate substance use concerns and supports clients in recovery with compassion, structure, and practical tools for sustainable progress.

Bridget is a counseling professional who works with adults navigating emotional and relational challenges. Her approach is warm, collaborative, and grounded in evidence-based practices including Motivational Interviewing, Narrative Therapy, CBT, and person-centered care. Bridget has experience supporting individuals working through substance use concerns and the underlying emotional patterns that often accompany them. She is committed to helping clients build resilience, gain insight, and create meaningful personal growth. Before entering the counseling field, Bridget spent 15 years as a senior-level producer in national media, an experience that strengthened her ability to listen deeply and hold space for complex personal stories with empathy and understanding.

Brian is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor who works with individuals navigating challenges such as anxiety, depression, life transitions, substance use, and general stress management. Brian uses a collaborative and supportive approach grounded in CBT, DBT, and person-centered counseling. He focuses on building a strong therapeutic relationship while helping clients develop practical coping skills, improve communication, and strengthen support systems so they can better manage life’s challenges and move toward greater wellbeing. Brian strives to create a welcoming, nonjudgmental space where clients feel comfortable exploring their experiences and making meaningful progress toward their goals.

Sh'terrian is a dedicated mental health professional who works with adults experiencing anxiety, depression, stress, life transitions, relationship challenges, grief, and self-esteem concerns. She is passionate about creating a warm, supportive, and nonjudgmental environment where clients feel heard, understood, and empowered to make meaningful changes in their lives. Sh'terrian believes that every individual has unique strengths and the capacity for growth. She takes a collaborative, strengths-based approach to therapy, tailoring treatment to each client's individual needs and goals. Sh'terrian has experience supporting individuals navigating trauma, family conflict, relationship concerns, life adjustments, and other emotional challenges.

Riley approaches therapy through a systemic lens, integrating attachment-based and emotion-focused approaches to support individuals, couples, and families. Through a variety of modern, customized techniques, Riley helps her clients in strengthening relationships and overall well-being. Riley works with individuals to explore personal challenges, increase self-understanding, and build healthier ways of relating to themselves and others. Her practice focuses on concerns including anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship challenges, life transitions, family dynamics, self-esteem, and stress management. With a warm and collaborative approach, Riley helps clients better understand the patterns shaping their thoughts, emotions, and relationships while developing new ways of navigating challenges and creating meaningful change.

Christie brings over 20 years of experience supporting individuals and families through life’s challenges. Her approach to therapy is grounded, genuine, and down-to-earth, creating a comfortable and nonjudgmental space where clients can show up as they are, feel understood, and speak openly about what they are experiencing. Christie works with teens, adults, and families navigating concerns including anxiety, depression, substance use, stress, relationship challenges, family dynamics, and life transitions. Drawing from her extensive clinical experience, she helps clients better understand the patterns contributing to current challenges, develop practical ways of coping, and make meaningful changes in their lives. Christie believes therapy works best when it feels authentic and collaborative, and she meets clients with warmth, honesty, and compassion as they work toward greater balance, confidence, and overall well-being.

Gabby brings a warm, compassionate, and empowering approach to therapy. She believes that meaningful change begins with a strong therapeutic relationship and creates a supportive, nonjudgmental space where clients can feel genuinely seen, heard, and understood. Her approach is collaborative and individualized, helping clients better understand themselves, navigate challenges, and move toward greater emotional well-being. Gabriella works with individuals experiencing anxiety, depression, trauma, life transitions, relationship and family challenges, and concerns related to identity and self-discovery. She has a particular interest in working with LGBTQIA+ clients and incorporates a multicultural perspective that recognizes the important role culture, identity, relationships, and lived experiences can play in mental health. Gabriella meets each client with authenticity and curiosity, helping them build insight, strengthen coping skills, and create meaningful change that feels aligned with who they are.

Lee brings a unique combination of clinical expertise, professional experience, and life perspective to his work as a therapist. After a long career in corporate America and the entertainment industry, Lee became a therapist later in life, giving him a grounded understanding of the transitions, challenges, and unexpected changes that can arise throughout adulthood. His style is practical, genuine, and collaborative, with a particular interest in working with adults and couples navigating midlife and beyond. Lee works with clients experiencing life transitions, relationship concerns, career changes, retirement, empty nesting, health-related challenges, questions of meaning and purpose, and the emotional complexities that can accompany aging and changing life roles. His primary approach is Solution-Focused Therapy, complemented by training in CBT, DBT, narrative therapy, and mindfulness-based techniques. Lee helps clients recognize their existing strengths, develop practical solutions, and challenge the stories or patterns that may be keeping them stuck. He believes clients are the experts on their own lives and works alongside them to navigate change with greater clarity, resilience, and confidence in the chapters ahead.

Maria is a graduate student in the Marriage and Family Therapy Program at the University of South Florida, where she is completing advanced clinical training in couples, family, and individual therapy. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Florida and provides counseling services under the supervision of Kelsey Galer, LMHC. Maria is passionate about working with couples and individuals, helping them navigate relationship challenges, strengthen communication, and develop healthier connections with themselves and others. Through a relational and systemic lens, she helps clients better understand the patterns and experiences that shape their relationships and well-being. Maria strives to create a warm, supportive, and nonjudgmental environment where clients feel heard, understood, and empowered to create meaningful change.