Kehl was born in
Campinas, São Paulo. She graduated in psychology from the
University of São Paulo, and started writing for while still in college. She worked for the newspaper managed by writer
Raduan Nassar for two years. She was editor for the alternative newspaper , critical of the
Brazilian military regime. Kehl also participated in the foundation of newspaper and wrote as a
freelancer for
Veja,
Isto É,
Folha de S. Paulo and O Estado de S. Paulo. In 1979, Kehl began her master's degree in
social psychology and wrote the dissertation "
". In 1981, Kehl started attending patients. In 1997, she received her doctorate in psychoanalysis at
PUC-SP. The research resulted in the book in 1998. Kehl has written several books and articles in the areas of literature, culture, and
psychoanalysis. In 2012, she was invited to participate in the
National Truth Commission, which was installed on May 16 to investigate human rights violations which had occurred in Brazil between September 18, 1946, and October 5, 1988. == Estadão ==