About Kim

Kim Richardson has over 15 years experience in clinical private practice. She is an experienced psychologist, psychotherapist, certified postpartum counselor, certified professional parenting coach and mother of three.

Clinical Psychologist / Counselor

I have been providing psychotherapy for adolescents and adults since 1993. I received my Clinical Psychology degree in Cape Town, and have spent the past fifteen years practicing in South Africa and the USA. I am co-director of the Douglas Psychotherapy Center in Saugatuck-Douglas, Michigan. I have been licensed since 2001 by the state of Illinois as a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC). I am licensed in the state of Michigan as a Licensed Professional Counselor.

Current Professional Licenses:

Licensed Professional Counselor, Michigan, USA
(LPC license in good standing #6401010578.)

Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor, Illinois, USA
(LCPC license in good standing # 180004396)

Previous Professional License:
Clinical Psychologist, South Africa (License # PS0044016)

Postpartum Expertise

For the last 9 years, my clinical psychotherapy work has focused on new mothers and parents. I received advanced certification in PERINATAL MOOD DISORDERS through Postpartum Support International. In Illinois I was actively involved in the Postpartum Depression Alliance of Illinois, maintaining their website, and staffing their Postpartum Hotline. Currently, I am listed on Spectrum Health’s Expert Postpartum Depression Provider list in Grand Rapids, MI. I volunteered to help facilitate a support group at Spectrum Health for women with PPD as well as the Tears of Joy PPD support group at Holland Hospital.

As a trained clinical psychologist and licensed Professional Counselor who treats postpartum depression, I am able to discern if and when a new mom needs professional attention face-to-face (as opposed to long-distance). And I will make the necessary referral.

I will also consult with the family or health provider, in order to ensure the mother is given the best help available to her (given geographical and other limitations that may be in place).

Coaching for Mothers

As an expert in the psychotherapeutic management of postpartum conditions, I have also specialized in parent coaching and new mother coaching.

I am a Certified Professional Life Coach through the International Coach Academy (an International Coach Federation accredited training institute).
Coach trainings can range from webinars as short as a few hours offering instant certification. As a student in an ICF accreditedcoach training program that took a full year to complete, I participated in 123 live teaching class hours, 60 coaching hours, 12 supervised coaching hours and written assignments and case studies.

Life Coaching is NOT a substitute for psychotherapy treatment. Yet, in skilled hands, it can be a highly effective way to address issues that do not require therapeutic intervention. Coaching over the telephone and video / audio Skype or Google talk has enabled me to work with New Moms anywhere in the USA and the rest of the world.  Many of my clients have been American, British or South African new mothers living far from friends and family; some in Quatar and Bagdad.

In addition, while awaiting licensure in the USA, I trained and worked as a postpartum doula in 2001 offering support for new mothers. I conducted workshops on new motherhood at Birthways  Inc in Chicago basing her model on Daniel Stern’s motherhood constellation. My understanding of the transformation and journey into motherhood has been influenced by psychoanalytic  theorists such as Donald Winnicott, Daniel Stern, Theresa Benedek. My philosophy incorporates these ideas into a practical and easily accessible model of new motherhood.