Alumni Spotlight: Kirby Kelleher

Licensed Therapist, Ellie Mental Health

Some leaders help build things you can see. Others help people rebuild the parts of themselves you can’t.

Kirby Kelleher, LSP Class of 2025, does both.

As a licensed therapist with Ellie Mental Health, Kirby helps people navigate life’s challenges and show up as the best version of themselves — whatever that looks like for them. To her, mental health is not separate from overall health. It is essential to it.

And that is exactly why her work matters.

One thing Kirby wishes more people understood? Therapy is not just for when something is “wrong.”

“You don’t have to have a problem to come to therapy,” she shared. Mental healthcare can be preventative, and often the best results happen when someone already has an established relationship with a therapist before a major challenge arises.

That message feels especially important in a community where access to affordable mental health care remains a real and pressing need.

Kirby’s heart for service also extends beyond her work at Ellie Mental Health. One of her biggest recent wins has been helping bring Parc’s new Children’s Services Center closer to the finish line. The $10 million, state-of-the-art center will significantly expand Parc’s ability to serve children and families in our community. So far, $8.5 million has been raised toward the campaign goal, and Kirby is passionate about helping see the project fully funded.

The best way to understand the impact, she says, is to experience it firsthand.

Kirby would be happy to personally take people on a tour of Parc’s campus — and she promises it is an amazing experience.

Her time in Leadership St. Pete also shaped how she thinks about community involvement. Since graduating, Kirby has made it a point to stay more engaged beyond the office, including serving on LSPAA’s Leadership Development Committee and helping plan social events for her classmates.

One of the brightest spots on her calendar? The Class of 2025 book club.

The group meets monthly, catches up, and keeps their LSP connection alive in the most fun way possible — by choosing books with a virtual wheel. Because apparently, even book club logistics can use a little flair.

When asked about an LSP moment she will never forget, Kirby points to the entire State Government Trip, especially the campfire. It is clear that the relationships formed during LSP have continued well beyond graduation day.

Her advice to the next LSP class is simple: “Get as involved as you can. You won’t regret it.”

Outside of work and service, Kirby’s perfect Saturday includes reading at the beach, playing with her kiddos, and enjoying a nice dinner out with friends. She is currently recommending Shrinking on Apple TV for anyone who needs a good laugh, and Asia is high on her travel bucket list.

The best advice she has ever received?

“You can have your day any way you want it.”

And honestly, that sounds exactly like Kirby: thoughtful, grounded, community-minded, and determined to make space for people to grow, connect, and show up fully as themselves.

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