Keischa Pruden, LCMHCS, LCAS, CCS

I am a licensed therapist and autism advocate dedicated to helping autistic children thrive in the academic setting, through IEP review, professional development for school personnel, and equipping parents to become advocates. I also love helping women identify negative thoughts that keep them bound in negative situations. My life goal is to empower others.

I have been a licensed therapist for 20 years. In that time, I have been honored to have worked with a variety of populations: infants, toddlers, children, adolescents, adults, the elderly, substance abusers, criminal offenders, group home residents, autistic adults, autistic children and young women. My passion over time has become autistic children/families and young women. Let me explain. My oldest son is autistic. So, I naturally became an autism advocate. Over the years, I became an advocate for my autistic clients as a therapist as well. I love reviewing IEPs and helping to make them more functional for my clients. I love to provide information for parents, school staff and other mental health professionals who want to learn more about autism and how to best provide support. My passion for autism has also led me to become a public speaker. I have given presentations, done podcasts, and other panel opportunities discussing autism and mental health as well.

My passion for helping young women and their thought life happened much like my autism advocacy journey, organically. It seemed over the last few years, my practice was beginning to be filled with young, professional women with self esteem issues, relationship issues, and complaints of "I can't find my voice." As a therapist trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Redecision Therapy, and Transactional Analysis, I have been able to help these young women understand the negative messages that contribute to their negative inner dialogue, help them develop more positive inner dialogue, and equip them with the tools to live a life free of self doubt.