Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristy Center.
Hi Kristy, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My journey into becoming a clinical psychologist who specializes in somatic therapy, trauma therapy, and psychedelic integration and ketamine therapy has been an interesting one.
I have always been fascinated in what makes people do the things they do which led me to study Psychology and Religious Studies at GA State University. However, I knew early on that I didn’t want to stay in the ivory tower—I wanted to work directly with people.
Additionally, my own healing journey beginning in my teens opened my eyes to therapy’s transformative power. It showed me a completely different way of experiencing and relating to the world, and I was hooked. I knew I’d found my calling.
After earning my Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with a Health Psychology emphasis from California School of Professional Psychology in 2009, I became something of a nomad—San Diego for school, Little Rock for training, Charleston for seven years, and finally Denver in 2017. Each move taught me something new about people, resilience, and healing.
The first half of my career was spent in VA PTSD clinics, where I worked with veterans in acute phases of trauma. I served as a national consultant for therapy training, led diversity initiatives, and supervised the next generation of psychologists across three different VA hospitals. The intensity of this work—seeing people at their most vulnerable moments—taught me that surface-level interventions weren’t enough. Real healing happens when people dig deep and reconnect with who they truly are at their core.
This realization sparked my journey into somatic therapy, ketamine-assisted psychotherapy and psychedelic integration, and EMDR and parts work—approaches that address not just the mind, but the whole nervous system. I’ve become convinced that lasting change requires helping people regulate from the inside out, reconnecting them with their inherent worth and value.
Today, alongside my VA work, I have a clinical private practice, have supervised graduate students at the University of Denver, and offer psychedelic integration coaching through Tandava, a retreat center in Mexico. I continually strive to learn new approaches to healing. What drives me is witnessing those profound moments when someone reconnects with their authentic self—when they realize they don’t just deserve healing, they deserve to thrive. Everyone deserves to remember who they really are: valuable, loveable, and absolutely worthy.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The path towards my current career has not been a linear one.
One of my biggest struggles came early in my Denver journey. I’d moved across the country for what seemed like an incredible opportunity, but it quickly became clear the position wasn’t the right fit. Suddenly, I found myself in a new state where I knew almost no one, without steady income, facing all those deep-rooted beliefs about failure and self-worth that I thought I’d already worked through.
Fortunately, I was also undergoing experiential somatic therapy training which permitted me engage in deep personal work. But ultimately, I’m grateful for it—that struggle gave me the confidence to take risks I’d never considered before, like learning to snowboard solo and finally opening the private practice I’d been dreaming about for years.
In psychology, burnout isn’t a matter of if, but when. Nearly every mental health practitioner I know has faced it—whether from compassion fatigue, working within institutions that prioritize metrics over patient care, or simply carrying the weight of others’ trauma while dealing with our own life challenges. The pandemic, political turbulence, relationship changes, health issues—we’re human beings first, therapists second.
I’ve definitely had my own encounters with burnout, and each time, it’s been both humbling and transformative. These experiences have consistently led me to discover new healing modalities and approaches that I’ve been able to integrate into my practice. In a way, my own struggles have made me a better therapist—they’ve taught me that healing isn’t a destination but an ongoing journey, and that vulnerability and authenticity are some of our greatest therapeutic tools.
Each challenge has ultimately expanded my toolkit and deepened my understanding of what true resilience looks like, both for myself and for the clients I serve.
We’ve been impressed with ReCentered Healing, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
About Recentered Healing
Recentered Healing is my clinical psychology private practice based in Denver, with the ability to serve clients across 42 states through telehealth. I specialize in somatic therapy, ketamine-assisted therapy, trauma work, and psychedelic integration for individual adults—but what really sets me apart is my approach.
What Makes Us Different
I believe healing happens when we reconnect with our body’s innate wisdom, not just our thinking mind. While many therapists focus primarily on cognitive approaches, I integrate cutting-edge somatic methods like the Hakomi Method, EMDR, and parts work to help clients heal from the inside out. My work is deeply trauma-informed, holistic, and—importantly—heartfelt. I’m not afraid to bring humor and authenticity into the therapeutic space when it serves healing.
My Specialty: The Mind-Body Connection
What I’m really known for is helping people learn to “recenter” themselves—to find that calm, grounded place within where real transformation becomes possible. Many of my clients come to me feeling disconnected from their bodies, carrying anxiety, depression, or trauma that traditional talk therapy hasn’t fully addressed. I help them discover that their nervous system holds incredible capacity for healing when given the right support and conditions.
What I’m Most Proud Of
I’m proudest of creating a practice where people feel genuinely seen and met exactly where they are. Every approach I use is tailored individually—no cookie-cutter treatments. Whether someone needs gentle somatic work to feel safe in their body again, EMDR to process difficult memories, or integration support after psychedelic experiences, I meet them with the most current evidence-based methods delivered through a lens of genuine care and sometimes much-needed levity.
If you are ready to move beyond just managing symptoms and want to reconnect with your authentic self—the part of you that’s inherently whole, valuable, and capable of joy—that’s the work we do at Recentered Healing.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
My hands-down favorite childhood memory are the hours I spent reading in the tree in my front yard. I would grab a handful of books, make my way to the highest sturdy branch I could find and sit in there until my parents called me down to eat. It also made for a really great way to escape from babysitters and give them a run for their money!
Pricing:
- Individual Therapy – $200/50 min
- Ketamine Prep Sessions – $200/50 min
- Psychedelic Integration Session- $200/50 min
- Ketamine Dosing Session – $600 – 180 min
- Discount for Veterans and Active Duty Military Personnel
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.recenteredhealing.com
- Instagram: @recenteredhealing
- Facebook: @recenteredhealing
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristy-center-04a26511/
- Twitter: @recenteredhealing
Image Credits
Image of Kristy Center in the red shirt with flower was taken by Cam Margera; the 2 stock images were purchased by Kristy Center through Adobe. All other photos were taken by me
