Dr. Keely Petty, CPsy.D.

Dr. Keely Petty, CPsy.D., is a nationally recognized mental health educator, facilitator, and speaker with more than 25 years of experience and over 440 speaking engagements. As the CEO of Kick Start Your Life™ with Dr. Keely!, she is widely respected for her work at the intersection of trauma, mental health, faith, and holistic well-being.

Dr. Petty’s mission is rooted in dismantling stigma around mental illness and building bridges between mental health resources and communities—particularly within BIPOC and faith-based spaces. Her work equips community leaders, nonprofit organizations, faith leaders, and congregations with trauma-informed, culturally responsive tools that support healing, resilience, and sustainable leadership. She brings a powerful, compassionate presence that blends education, lived experience, and practical application.

In addition to her speaking engagements, Dr. Petty is the host of Matters of the Mind, a virtual masterclass focused on trauma and mental well-being, reaching tens of thousands of participants across the U.S. and internationally.

Previous Speaking Engagements

• Annual Behavioral Health Conference hosted by The Center for Healthcare Services – “13 Things Mentally Strong People Don’t Do”
• NATCON National Council for Mental Well-being Annual Conference – “Faith and Healing: Integrating Mental Health First Aid in Communities of Faith”
• Pathways to Hope Annual Mental Health Conference (NAMI) – “Trauma-Informed Care Through Companionship Modeling”

Dr. Petty has also trained over 36 churches and reached nearly 600 Christian leaders across the United States, South Africa, Maui, and Puerto Rico through workshops, conferences, and leadership trainings.