People often tell me, with some surprise,
“You’re so…normal." I take that as a compliment.
If there’s one thing the world’s wisdom traditions agree on, it’s that life happens in two halves. The first half is concerned with establishing our success and significance. The second half is concerned with freeing ourselves from the imprisoning patterns we developed in the first half. I spent the first half of my life trying to be extraordinary—in the second half, I’m enjoying all the ordinary things.
Speaking of my life, I’ve recorded a short video for you with some hilarious trivia—and some important details—about me. Or you can just scroll down to read more.
This Is Me Now
A Glance at What I’m Up to These Days
- Husband to Dr. Kelly. That’s right: Dr. Kelly and Dr. Kelly. Airport security loves us.
- Father of three: Aidan (21), Quinn (17), and Caitlin (15).
- Clinical psychologist with a Ph.D. from Penn State University.
- Best-selling and award-winning author of three non-fiction books and one novel.
- Personal coach to a handful of big-hearted high achievers
- Keynote speaker and closet stand-up comic
This Was Me Then
A Look Back at What Made Me Who I Am Now
The Early Years
I was born and raised in a small, rural town in Illinois. It was the ‘80s and MTV was all the rage—so, believe it or not, that haircut was “rad!”
The Undergrad Years
Here I am graduating from high school and about to leave for the University of Illinois, where I’ll join a communication laboratory. It was the ‘90s by then, so those sunglasses were cool, too!
The Penn State Years
I arrived in Pennsylvania planning to get a doctorate and left with a lot more, including a wife and our first child. Here we are on an early date, where I tried to impress her with homemade chili. I guess it worked!
The Midlife Crisis Years
As I rediscovered my true self, I found a writer in there, and my ninth blog post—Marriage Is for Losers—went viral. So did a few letters to my daughter. We wound up on the TODAY Show and I wound up with a book contract.
The Coming Full Circle Years
My wife and I both left our jobs, and we moved back to my small hometown, where I wrote books and she cared for underserved kids. Here we are at a concert with our family’s favorite band, Judah & The Lion.
The Openhearted Years
Even with decades of training, I kept getting triggered in my relationships. Then, during Covid, I made a New Year’s resolution: “Moment to moment, I will notice my heart closing and try to open it back up.” By the time we went to Mexico for Christmas a year later, my entire personal and professional life had been transformed. So I wrote a book about it called The Road Less Triggered.
My Professional Bio
Dr. Kelly Flanagan is a coach and a licensed clinical psychologist with two decades of expertise in interpersonal relationships. His thought leadership has been featured in The Five Love Languages, the TODAY Show, Reader’s Digest, HuffPost, and Success magazine. His two non-fiction books—Loveable and True Companions—were #1 New Releases in Interpersonal Relationships on Amazon, and his bestselling first novel, The Unhiding of Elijah Campbell, has won multiple literary awards. He’s an international speaker who counts the Green Bay Packers amongst his audiences. He provides individual and relationship coaching to high-achievers who want to make their relationships as successful as their businesses. Harnessing decades of research and practice, Dr. Kelly’s propriety process will take you and your relationships to a level traditional communication strategies can’t touch.
Let’s Stay Connected
I’d love for you to receive the insights about personal and relationship growth I share regularly in social media. See you there!