Seattle Counselor Specializing in Life Transitions & Cancer Survivorship
Hello! I’m Kelly Hemphill, a Seattle-based mental health counselor (LMHCA) providing virtual counseling across Washington State. I specialize in guiding individuals through major life transitions, tech industry stress, career burnout, and cancer survivorship.
Therapy for navigating major life transitions, career shifts, and burnout
Hello! I’m Kelly Hemphill, a Seattle-based mental health counselor (LMHCA) providing virtual counseling across Washington State. I specialize in guiding individuals through major life transitions, tech industry stress, career burnout, and cancer survivorship.
Major life changes can shake us to our core. Many of the adults I work with reach a point of reckoning with how work is negatively impacting their mental health. I frequently hear themes of exhaustion, unattainable expectations, ambiguous grief over layoffs, and a deep longing for meaning and ease in their life. We examine work culture dynamics alongside core beliefs about success, shame, and worth which can be rooted in our past.
Beyond career identity, I support clients through a range of life-altering experiences, including:
Career pivots & tech burnout: Disentangling your worth from your productivity and building sustainable boundaries.
Grief, layoffs & identity shifts: Navigating ambiguous grief and how you want to carry these changes.
Chronic illness & new diagnoses: Processing deep uncertainty and changes in abilities related to physical health.
Family planning, caretaking, and relationship changes: Managing changing dynamics with partners, aging parents, or expanding families.
Counseling for cancer survivorship
Navigating life after a cancer diagnosis presents unique emotional hurdles. My practice includes nuanced support for individuals during and after cancer treatment. Key areas of focus include:
Emotional processing after active treatment ends
Managing anxiety, uncertainty, and “scanxiety”
Exploring meaning and existential questions
I am particularly passionate about supporting young adult survivors (roughly defined as those under 40). Facing a diagnosis during pivotal years makes milestones like dating, career building, higher education, and fertility planning significantly more complex. You don't have to carry that weight alone.
My approach to therapy
There’s no single path to healing, so I collaborate with clients to find what works best for you. I take a strengths-based approach that considers the broader systems, cultures, and communities you navigate daily.
My therapeutic framework incorporates evidence-based methodologies, including:
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): To clarify your core values and navigate difficult emotions with mindfulness.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): To identify unhelpful thought patterns and build practical coping strategies.
Narrative Therapy: To help you reauthor internal storylines and reclaim your narrative.
Clients and peers describe my style as empathetic, genuine, and grounded. I welcome difficult conversations and favor clear, everyday language over complex "therapy speak."
If you’re interested in pursuing therapy, contact me at Kelly@KellyHemphillCounseling.com to schedule a free consultation.
Licensure & Credentials
Licensed Mental Health Counselor Associate: Washington State (#MC61475758)
Approved supervisor: Katie Maynard (#LW00007955)
Education: M.A.Ed. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, Seattle University
Certification: National Certified Counselor (NCC)