Senior Therapist, Telehealth

Dylan McKessy, LSW is a Licensed Social Worker in the state of Pennsylvania. She holds a Master’s degree in Social Work with a concentration in direct practice mental health, and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology. Dylan has over five years of varied clinical mental health experience, and over 10 years of experience working with children of all ages. Her experience spans various populations and settings, including work with both children and adults, and within school, residential, intensive outpatient, and individual outpatient settings. 

During her two-semester field placement at UPMC’s Pediatric OCD Program, Dylan discovered her passion for OCD treatment. Studying and implementing the gold-standard treatment for OCD, Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Dylan was moved and motivated by her clients’ strength in challenging the complexity and discomfort of OCD. Upon completion of her internship hours, Dylan had the opportunity to continue honing her skills and pursuing her passion of OCD treatment as a full-time therapist. Dylan held multiple roles at the OCD clinic: leading an Intensive Outpatient Group of five children and adolescents as a group therapist, providing psychoeducation and support to families of kids in the IOP program as a family therapist, and working with individuals with OCD, generalized anxiety Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRBs), social anxiety, specific phobias, and general mood and adjustment concerns as an outpatient therapist. 

Dylan brings warmth, openness, and humor into the therapeutic setting, seeking to build trust, a safe environment, and understanding before diving into the weeds of exposure practice. Her love for OCD treatment comes from how impressed she is by her clients on a daily basis and the incredibly positive outcomes of ERP: it works! Dylan seeks to normalize and validate clients’ individual experiences with OCD, as she acknowledges how truly scary it is to verbalize intrusive thoughts, challenge uncertainty, and resist rituals. 

Dylan blends Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to meet each clients’ unique needs and helps facilitate attainment of goals. Dylan’s greatest joy is witnessing clients get their lives back and “graduate” to become their own therapist with the confidence and skills to challenge OCD and anxiety. 

In her free time, you might find Dylan spending time with close friends, curating a playlist, or watching live music.