Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelly Lafferman, LMHC.
Hi Kelly, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Well, it’s been an unpredictable and interesting ride!
I began my career in sports marketing, working with organizations like the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games and RDV Sports, home of the Orlando Magic. From there, I spent two decades leading brand and marketing strategy for major organizations and agencies. On paper, and in real life, it has been an ideal career for me.
Yet, I think like a lot of people, beneath the success, I began to feel something stir—a quiet sense that, there was something more calling…
After a conversation with my husband that included a simple question, “What profession would you pursue if you could do anything you wanted?”, I paused, and thus began to wonder aloud, “What if I could become a therapist?” I had such a profound experience in therapy myself; what if I could help others during the second half of my professional life?
So, I made a bold change (something I am not always eager to do!). I went back to graduate school to earn my master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Now, I have a dual role as both CMO & Principal at Findsome & Winmore (a local marketing agency) and as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) at Kelly Lafferman Therapy & Consulting. Today, through my private practice, I specialize in helping adults and couples with life transitions, relationship issues, anxiety, conflict patterns, and more.
Looking back, it all makes sense. My years in marketing taught me how to listen for a story, to find clarity in complexity, and to help people express their truth in ways that feel authentic. In many ways, therapy is a continuation of that—only now, the story I help people tell is their own.
The heart of my work is rooted in something simple yet transformative: pausing. It’s what helped me find my way, and it’s what I now help others practice so they can find theirs.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It was anything but a smooth road. As I’m sure many people can relate, going back to school later in life, after building a long career, challenged me in ways I didn’t expect. It tested my confidence and sense of identity. I was learning an entirely new profession while still working full time and raising our kids. There were many nights when I questioned whether I was capable of starting over, or if I could ever finish.
Stepping into the field of therapy was also humbling because it carries such deep responsibility. You’re walking alongside people as they navigate their most painful and vulnerable experiences—trauma, loss, relationships, identity. The weight of that can feel immense. There’s no coasting in this work; it demands presence, humility, and ongoing self-reflection.
But through all of that fear and uncertainty, I found a kind of fulfillment I hadn’t known before. Every challenge stretched me to grow, to get more honest with myself, and to trust that courage isn’t about having no fear—it’s about moving forward in spite of it.
We’ve been impressed with Kelly Lafferman Therapy & Consulting, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My practice, Kelly Lafferman Therapy & Consulting, is a private practice for adults and couples seeking deeper self-understanding and more conscious ways of relating. I specialize in helping people slow down enough to notice what’s happening inside, because that pause between reaction and reflection is where real change begins. Many of my clients are navigating major life transitions, relationship challenges, or simply a growing awareness that the old ways of coping no longer serve them.
What makes my practice a little different is the environment and the approach. I work out of my private home office, a space I intentionally designed after my very first experience in therapy. It’s warm, personal, and peaceful. Clients often tell me they feel grounded the moment they walk in, which means a lot to me. I believe the space itself can be part of the healing process as it sets the tone for safety and connection.
My decades of experience in marketing and communications also bring a unique perspective to my work as a therapist. I deeply understand how professional environments can shape every other part of a person’s life. Many of my clients are navigating questions around career identity, leadership style, and work-life balance, and I recognize the pressures and complexities that come with that. Having spent years in high-level corporate and creative settings, I understand those demands firsthand and can help clients explore how their professional roles intersect with their emotional and relational well-being.
I’m also very open with my clients. I don’t sit behind a wall of professionalism that feels cold or distant. I’m human with them. I share what I’ve learned from my own growth and mistakes when it serves the work, because I believe therapy is most powerful when it feels authentic and reciprocal. I like to say I “walk with” my clients; I don’t sit above them.
What I’m most proud of, brand-wise, is that the heart of my work truly reflects who I am. The brand isn’t polished perfection—it’s real, grounded, and centered around one simple but transformative idea: pausing. My offerings include individual therapy, couples therapy, and workshops centered on personal growth and emotional awareness, all designed to help people slow down, tune in, and reconnect with themselves and each other.
At its core, my practice is about helping people find their way back to themselves with compassion, and courage.
How do you think about luck?
I believe luck has played a big role in my life, mostly good luck, that I’m deeply grateful for. From a young age, I was surrounded by people who saw things in me that I didn’t yet see in myself. Teachers and mentors recognized talents or potential that I hadn’t fully realized, and they encouraged me to step into opportunities I might never have sought on my own. That kind of recognition and support feels like an incredible stroke of luck as I reflect on it.
Throughout my career, many of the doors that opened did so because someone took a chance on me or made a connection at just the right time. Often, it was a simple conversation or introduction that led to something life-changing. My job at the Olympics was almost all luck to land that opportunity, for example. The older I get, the more I realize that timing and openness create space for luck to show up. There’s a lot of hope in that way of thinking.
Even in my personal life, I’ve been lucky in the people I’ve met along the way. The friendships that have especially shaped my journey are such a source of gratitude. Luck alone doesn’t build a life or a business, but I do think recognizing and saying yes to the opportunities that appear, that’s where the hope happens.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://kellylafferman.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kellylafferman/
