Kelsy Newton, PsyD
Kelsy Newton, PsyD
Licensed Pediatric Psychologist
About
I am no longer in private practice and currently running the Comfort Ability Program at St. Luke's and working with kids in outpatient therapy there. If you are interested in the Comfort Ability Program or outpatient therapy please have your child's physician send a referral to me at Children's Neuro and Behavioral Health. The phone number there is 208-381-5000 and fax is 208-381-5005.
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All of us are presented with challenges throughout our life but living with a chronic illness and/or chronic pain can present an unique and often hidden challenge. As a pediatric psychologist, I have specialized training and experience helping children, teens, and families learn ways to manage illness and pain and reconnect to the joy of life. My goal is to help both children and caregivers learn evidenced-based skills to manage chronic illness. I provide a welcoming, safe, judgment free space for children and families. I practice from a strengths-based approach and believe that every person has an immense amount of resilience that they bring to therapy.
I worked and trained in a hospital setting and worked with kids from specialty clinics in GI, Neurology, Rheumatology, Nephrology, Urology, Physical Medicine and Rehab, and Endocrinology. I generally see children and teens with diagnoses ranging from functional abdominal pain, irritable bowel syndrome, rumination syndrome, chronic constipation, inflammatory bowel disease, chronic kidney disease/end stage renal disease, chronic headache, non-epileptic seizures, amplified musculoskeletal pain, complex regional pain syndrome, type 1 diabetes mellitus, and more.
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Approach
Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most evidenced-based treatments for pediatric chronic pain. Medication alone is not nearly as effective as CBT for pediatric chronic pain. In CBT, children, teens, and caregivers learn ways to relax the body, decrease focus on symptoms, challenge and change unhelpful thinking, and set and reach goals to increase pleasant and enjoyable activities. Caregivers learn ways to support their children and skills to manage their own response to their child's illness or pain complaints. CBT is a time limited therapy. My goal is for clients to learn skills in therapy, practice them, and be able to utilize them independently well enough to longer need to see me.
Additionally, I utilize exposure and response prevention therapy to help clients systematically face fears. This includes the fear that physical symptoms will flare during school, outings with friends, etc. The goal is to reduce anxiety to subsequently reduce physical symptoms. I also utilizes Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Self-Compassion, as both approaches have a large body of evidence for chronic pain management in adults. Self-Compassion is the act of being kind to oneself without judgement. It has been particularly useful in helping kids learns to give themselves permission to be imperfect and kindness when symptoms get in the way of functioning.
