About

Dr. Kelly Holder (she/her) is a woman,  wife, mother, daughter, sister, cousin, niece, and friend, but firstly Kelly is a human being. Through both her professional and personal journey Kelly is learning to see the beauty and wonder in being who she is. 

Currently, Dr. Holder is the inaugural Chief Wellness Officer at the Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University.  She transitioned to this position after serving as the Director of the Office for Professional Mental Health at Penn State College of Medicine and Hershey Medical Center.  Dr. Holder entered this role after developing the Office for Student Mental Health and Counseling at Penn State College of Medicine.  As the inaugural director in these roles, she has effectively led in the development of counseling services, consultative services, and outreach programming that has aided with the reduction of mental health stigma and the increase in help-seeking behaviors.

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Kelly is a proud graduate of Oakwood University in Huntsville, AL, where she graduated with a degree in Biochemistry. After one year in a neuroscience Ph.D. program at Ohio State, Kelly fell in love with psychology and entered and graduated from the clinical psychology Ph.D. program at Loma Linda University. She completed a clinical psychology internship at the Loma Linda VA, which was followed by postdoctoral training in Behavioral Medicine at Harbor-UCLA. 

Kelly then shifted focus toward her children for a time, which included a period of serving as the homeschooling parent. At the same time, Dr. Holder maintained a clinical practice in psychology working in college counseling centers, community mental health, and private practice. During this time, she wrote a devotional book for children and families titled: Playdate with God.  Kelly has enjoyed volunteering in churches as a children’s Bible teacher, vocalist in choirs and praise teams, and vacation Bible School leader. 

Kelly speaks often on a variety of topics related to mental health and wellness and is known for her passion for these topics and her warm approachable manner.  Additionally, she is a certified instructor of Mental Health First Aid and Question Persuade Refer, which are national programs to increase mental health literacy, and teach individuals the signs of suicide, and how to respond.

Kelly’s interests include:

• Self-care
• Mental Health and Wellness
• Burnout and Professional Resiliency
• The intersection of faith, culture, and mental health

Kelly enjoys time with her family playing games, having tea with friends, reading, and growing her ability to enjoy simple moments of self-care.