Dr. Kristen Bolomey, known as “Dr. Kristen” at Palm Beach Pediatrics is a clinical psychologist who works with children providing psychotherapy and psychological testing. She graduated from Florida Institute of Technology in 1997 after completing her internship at Miami Children’s Hospital. She has enjoyed working with children from infancy and throughout their lifespan with her youngest client being 2 days old and four weeks premature to 94 years old. Her undergraduate degree is in psychology with minors in child development and biology. She feels her background in child and human development have provided her with a deeper understanding and insight into behavior, coping skills and problem-solving abilities. This helps to recognize when development is delayed by trauma, illness or developmental delay.
Dr. Kristen grew up in Springfield, Missouri, the home of Bass Pro Shops and just north of Branson and the lake areas of Missouri and Arkansas. She graduated from Southwest Missouri State University (now Missouri State University) and tired of the cold moved to Mobile, Alabama where she received her master’s degree in psychology from the University of South Alabama. After receiving her Psy.D. in 1997 she moved to Texas where she lived on the border of Mexico and then in Dallas, working at a children’s hospital in the areas of oncology, gastroenterology, psychiatry and being housed in the Craniofacial Center for five years before returning to Florida. Since then she has worked in a brain and spinal cord injury rehabilitation facility, in her own private practice and for the Seminole Tribe. More recently, she was in a group private practice in Coral Springs at the time of and following the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. She started at Palm Beach Pediatrics in May 2019.
Dr. Kristen enjoys working with children and their families to increase communication and help set up reasonable expectations between each of the family members. Helping little children understand what is expected of them and helping parents understand how to effectively set appropriate guidelines are part of making a healthy home. As the children get older many of the guidelines are the same but need to be adjusted to allow the children to gain independence while their parents maintain their authority while letting go a little at a time. Not an easy job on either part. When children have deficits, their parents may feel guilty about setting limits or be uncertain about what the appropriate limits should be. Parents also feel guilty about not getting to spend enough time with their children because of work or other responsibilities and want to keep the time they have together peaceful. They may avoid conflict by not redirecting poor behavior or letting the children set the rules, but this can be scary and dangerous for the children. Parenthood is the only job where you start having letting go just as soon as your child is born.
Dr. Kristen brings with her the knowledge of human development, ways to negotiate between family members and interventions to work with children, adolescents and their families, but sees her clients as equals in the therapeutic process. In sessions and testing she is the expert on the interventions, but her clients are the experts on themselves and their families. They will work together to find solutions that will work for them. No one solution works for everyone and although it would be nice, there is no magic wand.
Dr. Kristen brings her love of books, animals and crafts to her therapy. She has a strong interest in early childhood and developmental delays including autism, but also enjoys working with and talking to older adolescents and parents. She has been active in governmental policy and activism regarding children’s issues, healthcare and climate change. She loves jazz, Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, the St. Louis Cardinals and her two cats.
