Kelly Wright: Finding Joy by the Water, in the Work, and with Your People

Licensed professional counselor Kelly Wright sits down to talk about what it means to carry other people’s pain without losing your own joy. From early days drowning in secondhand trauma to a pivotal moment at a Dan Allender conference, Kelly explains how she learned to set boundaries, do her own work, and stay grounded while walking with others through emotional and spiritual “death and resurrection.”

We talk Enneagram (she is an 8, I am probably a 9), why she loves it as a self-awareness tool, and how motivations shape the way we show up for people. Kelly shares why being near water is her “still waters” reset, how she has learned to actually prioritize replenishment, and the simple daily choices that keep her from sacrificing joy on the altar of productivity.

Kelly also tells the story of her quadriplegic brother-in-law Bentley, how his life and presence shaped their family, and what it looked like to walk through his sudden death with honesty, tears, laughter, and games around the table. Along the way we get into raising adult kids who still like each other, practicing real respect at home, and how to build a tribe where grief and joy can sit at the same table.