Meet Stellah Kay in North Phoenix

Today we’d like to introduce you to Stellah Kay.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Stellah Kay. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Looking back I feel like high school was both a catalyst to years of self-sabotage and the beginning of my journey to self-actualization. Starting at a young age, I struggled with self-love and lacked a healthy body image. As I entered high school, my body dysmorphia progressed into Anorexia and Bulimia and my weight yo-yo’ ed constantly to unhealthy and dangerous ranges. It was also in high school that I chose to enter the modeling industry. Initially, I pursued it for some form of external validation and acceptance by the world because models had to be “pretty enough.” This certainly did fuel my eating disorder for a while, and looking back it was such a false sense of security at the time.

It was also in high school that I discovered my love for Psychology. My classmates always made fun of me because I was that kid that slept in the back row every day, yet still got good grades. I may have slept more in my Intro to Psychology class than I’d like to admit, but it was my teacher’s non-judgment that tuned me into Psychology principles. My plan had always been to go the Pre-Med route, but something kept pulling me back to Psychology. I didn’t have a definitive direction for my journey in that field, but I knew I wanted to dive in and seize whatever came my way.

I don’t know when the turning point was. It was somewhere amongst therapy, nutritionists, shoving my nose in Psychology textbooks, moving into a Master’s program and not having a shred of confidence in my counseling skills, not sleeping and surviving off gratuitous amounts of coffee, and networking my butt off in the modeling industry any spare chance so had. But one day something inside me just clicked. “Get your shit together- this has consumed enough of your life.”

Today, I’m looking back and so thankful for surviving, and now I am truly thriving. 2019 was a pinnacle of the personal hell I’ve endured over the last 15 years of my life. In February I became independently licensed as a Professional Counselor and got promoted to be a Lead Therapist at an amazing agency. In May I graduated with my Doctorate in Behavioral Health. I can proudly say that my modeling portfolio is diverse and evident of many years of personal growth, and now serves as a form of self-empowerment and self-love. But the biggest accomplishment in my eyes is how all of my passions have blended to create a true life worth living. One that emphasizes that “you are whole, complete, and lacking in nothing”- a message of non-judgment that I can now work to pass along to others who are still on their journeys.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Eating disorders have always been at the center of my challenges. Something that dug it’s greedy claws into me at age 13 and almost stole my life and will to live. Eating disorders blind you to the reality of how worthy you are. The inherent worth and value that every human on this Earth has. It corrupted my desire to take care of my body and mind. I look back and honestly, do not know how I pushed on at times- I was so sleep deprived and would only power nap in my car during random 30-minute intervals during the day. That’s no life!

Please tell us about your business.
My modeling is my message to the world. You are whole, complete, and lacking in nothing. Each person has inherent value and worth beyond their physical self. My modeling proudly displays diversity because I do not identify as one person, but as a person shaped by a collection of experiences that makes me uniquely me. During the development of my modeling identity, it was not until I stopped caring about the external validation that I began thriving as a model. I carry that message into my therapy sessions with clients each day and utilize a person-centered approach as we explore each person’s strengths and sense of self. Turning questions of “Who am I?” Into statements of “I am…”

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
My favorite memory from childhood was my parents asking me what I wanted to be when I grew up. My answer was “I want to be a trauma surgeon” and I would hold up my hands to show their stability. Thinking about that now, I was able to that sense of stability to become the Doctor of Behavioral Health that I am today!

Pricing:

• Fashion/casual/lifestyle modeling- $60/hour
• Swimwear/lingerie/boudoir modeling- – $80/hour
• Implied modeling- $100/hour

Contact Info:

• Website: www.stellahkay.com
• Email: juliamagdaleno@yahoo.com
• Instagram: Www.instagram.com/stellah_kay
• Facebook: Www.facebook.com/stellahkay89

Image Credit:
1- photographer: CEB Imagery
2- photographer: Boudoir Dolls
3- photographer: Eric Molinar Photography
4- photographer: Oralia Gutierrez Photography
5- photographer: Phoenix Headshots, MUA: Abria Reece
6- photographer: Phoenix Headshots, HMUA: Bri Rambo
7- photographer: Brittany Grimes, HMUA: Fancy Freckles Makeup by Shirley Sue and Hair by Megan
8- photographer: Phoenix Headshots, HMUA: Bri Rambo

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