Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Kirleen Neely.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
When I started Neely Counseling back in 2001, I had no business plan, no grand vision just a deep desire to help people and a $400 car note. I remember thinking, “If I can pay off this car note every month, surely I can take that same $400 and invest it in myself.” So, that’s exactly what I did. Once the car was paid off, I redirected that money toward renting a small office just one little room in Houston, Texas. That’s where it all began. What happened next changed my life. I fell in love not with a person, but with the process. I fell in love with sitting in small, intimate spaces with people and watching their lives transform right in front of me. I fell in love with being invited into their stories, knowing that as they changed, I changed too. Because truthfully, you can’t walk with people through their pain and not be changed by it.
I started out working in residential treatment centers and with at-risk youth. It was tough work but deeply fulfilling. I learned early that healing doesn’t always happen in big moments sometimes it’s in the quiet, consistent showing up.
In 2006, I moved to San Antonio and decided that if I was going to do this work for life, I wanted to know more to really know what I was doing. So, despite already holding a bachelor’s and a master’s degree, I went back to school and earned my doctorate from St. Mary’s University in Counselor Education and Supervision. I wanted to be excellent at this craft, not just good.
That doctorate opened new doors. I became a professor, teaching and mentoring future counselors something I still love to this day. Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of mentoring hundreds of students, interns, and clinicians. Watching them grow has been one of the greatest joys of my career.
Along the way, I launched my first book, Straight Talk: The Influence of Hair on Self-Esteem for Women of Color a project born out of my dissertation that explored the intersection of culture, identity, and confidence. Later, I co-authored a book for adolescents and launched my podcast, Drop the BS, where I get to blend humor, honesty, and psychology to help people make sense of life without all the fluff.
My work has taken me everywhere from private practice to academia to organizational consulting. I’ve led ADHD groups, counseled couples, supported children, trained professionals, and even helped design wellness programs for physicians through UT Health. I’ve been privileged to do a bit of everything and somehow, it all still comes back to connection.
In 2022, I was honored to be named Women Business Owner of the Year by the National Association of Women Business Owners in San Antonio, a recognition that reflected not just my work, but the dedication of my entire team to making mental health care accessible and meaningful.
Today, through Neely Counseling and our EAP division, Neely EAP, we’ve expanded into government contracting and provide employee assistance services to organizations across the country. We’ve worked with local and state agencies, branches of the military, and companies that believe as I do that mental health isn’t just about crisis. It’s about prevention.
At Neely, we say that mental health is every day. It’s not just about “losing your mind,” it’s about the moments when you wake up at 2 a.m. worried about tomorrow, or when you feel stuck and just need a safe place to sort things out. That’s why our motto is simple: Everyone deserves a little Couch-Time.
Even after all these years, I still get excited walking into a session. I still get inspired seeing someone make a breakthrough. I still laugh with my team, learn from my clients, and believe that this work as demanding as it is is sacred.
I’ve had moments of doubt at times I wasn’t sure the business would make it, when the numbers didn’t add up, or the vision felt too big. But every time, something kept me going: the calling. The absolute belief that this is what I was born to do.
More than two decades later, I can say it’s been the best ride of my life. I’ve laughed, cried, grown, and watched countless lives transform including my own.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
One of my biggest challenges has been learning to get out of my own way. When you’re building something you haven’t seen done before, there’s a lot of vulnerability and fear. Early on, I sometimes doubted my instincts, listened to voices that knew less than I did, and forgot that I’d already put in the work and earned the wisdom to trust myself. Over the years, I’ve learned that leadership and growth require courage trusting your gut even when it’s scary, making peace with the financial ups and downs, and staying grounded in the “why.” For me, that “why” has always been helping people change their lives, and I’ve learned that the best way to do that is to keep growing, trusting, and showing up as my authentic self.
As you know, we’re big fans of NEELY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Neely Behavioral Health is the umbrella organization for our two divisions, Neely Counseling Center and Neely Employee Assistance Program. Together, we provide top-quality mental health care for individuals, couples, and families, as well as comprehensive wellness services for organizations and government entities. Through Neely Counseling Center, our licensed clinicians offer therapy, assessments, and coaching designed to help people heal and grow. Through Neely EAP, we extend that same quality of care to the workplace by providing counseling, financial and legal consultations, crisis response, and employee wellness training.
What truly sets us apart is our philosophy. At Neely, we believe mental health care should be proactive, not reactive. Our Couch-Time Check-In model encourages people to view therapy like any other aspect of preventive health—something you do regularly, not just when life gets hard. Our vision is to build a brand that helps people see mental health as everyday health, making it as normal to care for your mind as it is to visit your doctor or dentist. That belief continues to guide everything we do as we bring hope, healing, and meaningful connection to those we serve.
What matters most to you? Why?
What matters most to me is real change. When people come to us, I want their lives to be different because of it not just that they “went to therapy,” but that something meaningful shifted. Whether it’s a new perspective, a moment of peace, or the courage to take the next step, I want our work to create movement that lasts. Change doesn’t have to be dramatic to be powerful; it just has to be real. That’s what drives me every day the belief that healing should leave an imprint, not just an impression.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.neelycounseling.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drkirleen/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drkirleen/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drkirleen/
