Meet Our Team - Kelly Hemphill
Kelly Hemphill
Position at the Hallowell Todaro ADHD Center:
Counselor, LMHCA
How long have you been working at Hallowell Todaro ADHD?
I just started in October, 2024.
Where did you grow up?
Lawrenceville, GA. It’s the suburbs outside Atlanta, Georgia.
What are some of your favorite books, movies, and/or TV shows?
Books: Vintage cookbooks, Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune
TV shows: Elsbeth, Father Brown, and Schitt’s Creek
Movies: Pitch Perfect and Mohana
What is your favorite sport and/or sports team?
Gymnastics, Team USA and Simone Biles!
Complete the following sentences:
When I’m not at work, you can find me...
at a bakery or coffee shop. All the cozy vibes and I love seeing my neighbors.
When I want to de-stress, I...
move. It helps me get out of my own head and eventually slow down and notice what’s going on outside of my own head.
My favorite time of year is...
fall. Everything looks more vibrant, and we get to embrace creativity and fun with Halloween.
My favorite thing to cook is:
macaroni and cheese. Boxed, from scratch, microwavable. So many ways to create comfort. I love a good Macaroni Monday!
The best gift I ever received was:
the continued love and friendship from my sister.
If I could travel anywhere in the world, I’d go to...
Denmark. I’ve been learning more about Hygge. I love Nordic design. And I would love to see Tivoli Gardens.
What led you to pursue a career in helping others?
My previous career was in advertising, marketing, and communications. I loved leading teams through the creative process. I had a strength for seeing unique talents of individuals on my team and cultivating an environment for us to together make something greater than we could do individually. I also became less interested in solving marketing challenges. Oops! This led me to make a career pivot towards counseling and focusing on the individual. I love how counseling affords the ability to explore, go in-depth on someone’s personal experience, and be curious.
What education, skills and expertise do you bring to your role?
I have experience counseling adults navigating ADHD, ASD, anxiety, grief, career challenges, and life transitions. Curiosity, empathy, and care are at the core of how I approach therapy and life.
I draw from person-centered relational psychotherapy. I find a collaborative approach most supportive to making lasting change. This blends well with a strengths-based approach. I will often use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to provide organization, and narrative therapy when there is an opportunity to engage with the stories we tell ourselves.
Who/what inspires you?
Who doesn’t! I work hard to find empathy and inspiration in my interactions with others. I value the gift of someone else’s perspective and how we can learn from each other.
When I need to dig deeper for inspiration, I seek out voices of people I trust are in touch with their authenticity and are open about navigating life’s messiness. This includes photojournalist Lynsey Addario, Olympian Kara Goucher, and Therapist Nedra Glover.
What’s your personal philosophy/approach toward the work you do?
As a counselor, I have professional knowledge and experience which is valuable. I don’t and can’t know exactly what it’s like to be my clients. Through the counseling or therapy process, together we get to explore options for what would be best for their unique situation. I find this humility important in honoring the uniqueness of the human experience. This could also be described as relational- therapy, but sometimes that concept can sound abstract.
I am also fiercely strengths-based. Part of the work in therapy is finding what works best for the client and their given situation. Let’s find what works for them and brings about ease.
What is one small thing people can do to increase their happiness?
Remember, “You matter.” Your thoughts, feelings, actions, needs, and wants matter.
It can be a radical act to make time for your needs. Go to therapy. Take a sick day. Journal. Any act of self-care. Because you matter!
We provide a range of support for people with ADHD.