Meet Kayla Turbyfill, CSW at Gold Counseling in South Ogden and Kaysville, UT

Kayla’s path into social work and therapy started with a lifelong fascination with people: why we do what we do, how relationships shape us, and the stories we tell ourselves about who we are. She earned dual bachelor’s degrees in Psychology and Writing & Rhetoric Studies, along with a Certificate in Diversity, combining her love of understanding people with her appreciation for language, identity, and the systems that influence our lives.
 
What ultimately drew her to social work was its ability to hold both the individual and the bigger picture at the same time. She was drawn to work that felt deeply human, relational, and rooted in advocacy. Therapy became a natural fit because it offered the opportunity to walk alongside people through some of life’s hardest, strangest, most transformative seasons and help create spaces where they feel safe enough to reconnect with themselves and imagine something new.

Kayla has worked with clients navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, identy exploration, chronic illness, neurodivergence, relationship concerns, faith transitions, and the growing pains that come with figuring out who you are and who you want to become.  She especially enjoys working with young adults, LGBTQIA+ individuals, couples, and people navigating complex trauma, shame, grief, and identity development.  She loves relational work and is deeply interested in the ways our connections – to ourselves, our bodies, our communities, and each other – shape healing.

Kayla’s training includes Utah Crisis Intervention Certification, Dialectical Behaior Therapy (DBT), trauma-informed care, crisis assessment and safety planning, mindfulness-based interventions, and attachment-informed approaches.  She often integrates psychoeducation, emotional processing, grounding practices, and skills-based interventions while maintaining a collaborative and indivitualized approach to care. 

For me, positive mental health looks less like “having it all together” and more like staying connected to myself.  I regularly attend therapy, maintain a consistent yoga practice, and try to incorporate mindfulness into everyday life – not perfectly, just intentionally.  I’ve learned that rest, movement, relationships, and paying attention to my own needs are all forms of care, and I try to practice the same compassion with myself that I encourage in my clients.

Outside of work, I indulge in my passions for learning, admiring artwork, and enjoying stories in all mediums.  I’m constantly listening to music or an audiobook and adore art museum strolls and discount movie nights.  Recently, I’ve enjoyed painting pottery and revisiting my love of poetry, and when I come home, the first thing I do is say hello to my two cats.

“My therapeutic approach is relational, trauma-informed, and collaborative.  I believe therapy works best when people feel safe enough to be honest and human.  I’m not interested in “fixing” people – I’m interested in helping people understand themselves with more curiosity and compassion.  I draw from attachment-based, mindfulness, narrative, strength-based, and DBT-informed approaches and tailor therapy to each person’s goals and experiences.  I see therapy as something we create together: a space to explore, feel, laugh, grieve, challenge old stories, and reconnect with the parts of ourselves that deserve care and attention.”