Meet Cybele Martinez Kelly, LCSW
Hi, I'm Cybele (pronounced Sa-Bell).
Maybe you've already done the self-reflection.
You've read the books, listened to the podcasts, or even been to therapy before. You understand where your patterns come from. You can often recognize when you're being triggered while it's happening.
And yet...
You still find yourself overthinking conversations, shutting down during conflict, fearing rejection, people-pleasing, or repeating the same painful relationship patterns.
If that's you, you're not alone and you're not failing.
The reason awareness alone hasn't created lasting change for you is because emotional triggers aren't just thoughts. They're often rooted in beliefs your nervous system learned long before you had the words to explain them. Until those underlying beliefs begin to shift, it's easy to find yourself reacting in the same ways, even when you know better.
That's the work I love to do.
As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and psychotherapist, I help individuals and couples understand what's happening beneath the surface of their emotional reactions. Together, we'll identify the beliefs driving your triggers, explore where they came from, and create new ways of responding that feel more intentional, grounded, and connected.
My goal isn't simply to help you understand yourself better. It's to help you experience real change—so you're no longer trapped in the same emotional cycles, but able to respond in ways that reflect who you are today, not what you've been conditioned to expect.
My clinical work began more than nine years ago in substance abuse counseling in New York City before expanding into crisis family casework and trauma-informed care with survivors of torture. Those experiences taught me that healing doesn't happen by forcing people to "move on", but rather when they feel safe enough to understand themselves with curiosity instead of judgment.
Today, I specialize in helping high-functioning, self-aware individuals and couples break free from recurring emotional patterns and build relationships rooted in security, authenticity, and trust.
I believe that your triggers aren't evidence that something is wrong with you but, they are clues pointing toward the beliefs that need to be healed.
And when those beliefs begin to change, your relationships and the way you experience yourself, can change too.
My Clinical Approach
When something triggers you, your reaction isn't random.
It usually follows a predictable sequence:
The work we do together isn't about eliminating triggers, but rather about changing the beliefs that shape how you experience them.
Who I Work With
I work with individuals and couples who are ready to explore how past experiences are shaping their present. My clients are often navigating:
Anxious, avoidant, or disorganized attachment patterns
Difficulty setting and maintaining boundaries in relationships
Cycles of push-pull or disconnection in relationships
Feelings of fear, abandonment, or emotional shutdown
Life transitions or struggles with self-worth
A desire to build a more secure, grounded sense of self
Many of my clients are high-functioning and outwardly successful, but inside feel stuck in repeating patterns of anxiety, disconnection, or relationship stress. Together, we work on creating emotional safety, deepening self-awareness, and practicing new ways of relating that support more secure, fulfilling connections.