Core Values Counseling · Hillsboro, Oregon

Kelly Kwak, M.A.

Professional Counselor Associate

A place to be heard, understand what is happening, and move forward with care.

Kelly works with couples, individuals, and adult families facing conflict, disconnection, or an uncertain next step. She brings respectful curiosity to the conversation and helps you find a path that reflects your values.

Ask about working with Kelly
Get to know Kelly

Complete a short intake form, then speak with the Core Values Counseling intake team about fit and availability.

Kelly Kwak

Kelly Kwak

Works with

Couples · Individuals · Adult families

Focus

Relationships, conflict & discernment

Approach

Collaborative, respectful & practical

Location

Hillsboro · Oregon telehealth

Take the next step

You do not have to sort it all out before reaching out.

Tell the intake team that you are interested in working with Kelly. They can talk with you about current availability, session options, and fees.

Request an intake call
Or call (503) 869-8108
About Kelly

You can begin wherever you are.

Sometimes a relationship feels stuck in the same argument. Sometimes a family is struggling to talk across years of hurt. And sometimes the hardest part is simply knowing what you want next. Kelly welcomes those conversations without expecting you to have the answers before you arrive.

At Core Values Counseling, Kelly works with people navigating relational conflict and change. Her counseling is grounded in a careful understanding of your experiences, the cultural context you bring, and the strengths that may be easy to overlook when life feels difficult.

Together, you can name what is happening, decide what matters most, and set meaningful goals. Kelly checks in along the way so the work stays connected to what you came for.

“I deeply value the trust it takes to invite someone into your personal journey.”

Working with Kelly

Best fit

Adults, couples, and adult family members ready to explore relationship patterns and meaningful change.

Session style

Warm, empathetic, clear, and respectfully direct.

Ways to meet

In person in Hillsboro or by telehealth within Oregon. Ask the intake team about current options.

Start the intake process
How Kelly helps

Support for the relationships that shape your life.

Kelly adapts the work to your situation and goals. These are three common starting points.

01 · Reconnect

Couples counseling

When conflict keeps repeating or closeness feels hard to find, Kelly helps couples slow the cycle, improve communication, and rebuild friendship and intimacy. Her work draws on Gottman Method tools for managing conflict and creating shared meaning.
Explore couples counseling
02 · Find clarity

Discernment counseling

If one or both of you are uncertain about the future of your marriage, Kelly can help you understand what brought you here and consider the next direction with greater clarity. The aim is an honest, thoughtful decision, with room for both perspectives.
Ask about discernment counseling
03 · Understand

Individuals & adult families

Kelly works with adults navigating difficult family dynamics, life transitions, and relationship concerns. She helps you notice patterns, communicate more clearly, and identify steps that make sense for your life and values.

Talk with the intake team
Her approach

Curious about the pattern. Clear about the work.

Kelly does not assume one method fits every person or relationship. She listens first, then brings in tools that fit the needs in front of you. Her goal is a counseling space where you feel understood and can also make practical use of what you discover.

Gottman Method couples therapy

Kelly has completed Level 2 Gottman training. She uses this framework to help couples strengthen friendship, manage recurring conflict, and build a sense of shared meaning.

Emotionally Focused Therapy

Kelly also draws on an emotion-focused perspective to explore how partners reach for connection, respond to hurt, and get caught in patterns that leave both feeling alone.

Strengths-based and cognitive tools

Her work can include attention to your existing strengths and values, alongside cognitive and practical strategies for noticing unhelpful patterns and choosing different responses.

Progress you define together

Kelly and her clients identify meaningful goals early and revisit them regularly. You can talk openly about what feels useful and what needs to change.
Her approach

Curious about the pattern. Clear about the work.

Kelly does not assume one method fits every person or relationship. She listens first, then brings in tools that fit the needs in front of you. Her goal is a counseling space where you feel understood and can also make practical use of what you discover.

Gottman Method couples therapy
Kelly has completed Level 2 Gottman training. She uses this framework to help couples strengthen friendship, manage recurring conflict, and build a sense of shared meaning.
Emotionally Focused Therapy
Kelly also draws on an emotion-focused perspective to explore how partners reach for connection, respond to hurt, and get caught in patterns that leave both feeling alone.
Strengths-based and cognitive tools
Her work can include attention to your existing strengths and values, alongside cognitive and practical strategies for noticing unhelpful patterns and choosing different responses.
Progress you define together
Kelly and her clients identify meaningful goals early and revisit them regularly. You can talk openly about what feels useful and what needs to change.
Finding the right fit

You may feel at home here if…

You are working through…

  • Recurring arguments that leave you both feeling stuck.
  • A growing distance in your marriage or partnership.
  • Uncertainty about whether to repair the relationship or take another path.
  • Conflict or disconnection with adult family members.

You value a counselor who…

  • Listens with warmth and genuine curiosity.
  • Respects your cultural background and personal values.
  • Can be empathetic and direct when clarity helps.
  • Sets goals with you and welcomes your feedback.
About Kelly

You can begin wherever you are.

Sometimes a relationship feels stuck in the same argument. Sometimes a family is struggling to talk across years of hurt. And sometimes the hardest part is simply knowing what you want next. Kelly welcomes those conversations without expecting you to have the answers before you arrive.

At Core Values Counseling, Kelly works with people navigating relational conflict and change. Her counseling is grounded in a careful understanding of your experiences, the cultural context you bring, and the strengths that may be easy to overlook when life feels difficult.

Together, you can name what is happening, decide what matters most, and set meaningful goals. Kelly checks in along the way so the work stays connected to what you came for.

“I deeply value the trust it takes to invite someone into your personal journey.”

Working with Kelly

Best fit

Adults, couples, and adult family members ready to explore relationship patterns and meaningful change.

Session style

Warm, empathetic, clear, and respectfully direct.

Ways to meet

In person in Hillsboro or by telehealth within Oregon. Ask the intake team about current options.

Start the intake process
Background & training

Clinical training and years of work with young people.

Kelly brings clinical training and many years of experience accompanying people through different stages of life. Her prior work in ministry and civic settings informs and enriches her care for her clients.

Master of Arts in Counseling, Western Seminary.

Oregon Professional Counselor Associate.

Completed Level 2 training in the Gottman Method of Couples Therapy.

More than 25 years of work with people in ministry and civic settings, as described by Core Values Counseling.

Background & training

Prepared to support you in your journey.

Kelly brings clinical training and many years of experience accompanying people through different stages of life. Her prior work in ministry and civic settings informs and enriches her care for her clients.
  • Master of Arts in Counseling, Western Seminary.
  • Oregon Professional Counselor Associate.
  • Completed Level 2 training in the Gottman Method of Couples Therapy.
  • More than 25 years of work with people in ministry and civic settings, as described by Core Values Counseling.
Take the next step

You do not have to sort it all out before reaching out.

Tell the intake team that you are interested in working with Kelly. They can talk with you about current availability, session options, and fees.

Request an intake call
Or call (503) 869-8108
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