Kyle Otto
Therapist-In-Training
Phone: 619-858-3105 ext. 141
Mission Valley Office
Hi, my name is Kyle. It is my pleasure to welcome you here.
I want to first commend you for taking this step to explore therapy. I know it takes courage to confront difficult circumstances and questions and trust another human being to help. You may be struggling with marital or family conflict, or personal challenges or trauma from your past, or something else entirely. I want to assure you that help is available. You are not alone.
It would be my honor to provide a safe space to listen where you can feel liberty to express what you need to without fear of judgment or shame. My goal is to seek first to understand with compassion and encouragement. As someone who has journeyed through dark valleys in life, I want to assure you that my desire is to walk beside you and to offer a source of hope and faith in finding a way forward together.
My Approach
As a follower of Jesus Christ, I believe all human beings are created equal in the image of God with immeasurable worth and eternal purpose, and relationships are meant to reflect love and respect for each individual involved. Whatever your background and values, I will always treat you with dignity and compassion. Beginning with the end in mind, my aim is to help guide and support you from a Biblical perspective to discover new strengths, patterns, and wisdom towards becoming the person God designed you to be. Together we will create a path to healing and wholeness in your relationships that reflect that dignified purpose and identity. I earnestly want to help you live in the joy and peace that is possible by God’s grace.
I work with individuals, couples, and families, specializing in grief counseling and working with military personnel and veterans and their families, and young adults and seniors.
Education and Training
I am an ordained Christian minister and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from California State University San Marcos as well as a Master of Arts in Theological Studies and Master of Divinity from University of Northwestern St. Paul. I am currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology: Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) at Azusa Pacific University. I have completed Clinical Pastoral Education Level I training and the U.S. Army Chaplain Basic Officer Leader Course.
I spent 9 years in ministry as a pastor for senior adults and a chaplain to hospice patients and their families, and as a military chaplain, serving in the U.S. Army for over 11 years. I have provided pastoral counseling to Soldiers in crisis, grieving families, and struggling couples, and I have mentored teens and young adults for several years in volunteer roles with churches.
Areas of Focus and Strength
Relationship conflict & resolution
Solution-focused crisis counseling & resiliency training
Grief and loss
Spiritual formation and Biblical counseling
Family systems, identity, and communication
Creating emotional safety, security and connection
My style is warm, gracious and compassionate, communicating with openness, gentleness and respect. I provide collaborative guidance with a deeply encouraging, supportive presence to help clients find courage to address problems, emotional pain, and relational discord and to grow in discovering grounded identity and emotional wholeness and confidence.
A Little About Me
Outside of counseling, I am an adoring husband to my wonderful wife and a lay teacher at my local church. I enjoy having long conversations and investing in relationships, reading the Bible and praying, teaching, hiking, listening to classical and blues music, singing, and playing board games.
Supervised by Dr. Donald W. Welch, Ph.D., M.S., LMFT #50129