Who is Kelli?

I’m Kelli Murbach, the founder and sole proprietor of Secular Shepherdess.

My journey began in a suburb of cornfields, where I was raised with my younger brother by both of my parents. My brother arrived quite ill, and my parents were faced with raising us without sufficient emotional resources.

Looking back, I spent much of my childhood feeling like I was raising myself. I became a hyper-responsible child dedicated to not making ripples to avoid trouble and further burdening my parents.

This led to an adulthood of isolation and disconnection from myself and others. I’ve spent over two decades slowly working my way to being a whole, connected human.

In 2018, I needed some breathing room. A six year engineering sabbatical followed, filled with social work graduate school and finding myself in non-clinical spaces where I could experience being seen and held. These days my life blends both intentional witnessing as a shepherdess and serving as a wood engineering consultant.

My mentorship is flavored by my 23 years of engineering, long-form improv training, a love of storytelling, and a lived understanding of the lingering effects of childhood trauma. Supporting my personal experience is a Master's of Social Work from Kennesaw State University, trauma practitioner training through the Global Trauma Institute and the International Association of Trauma Recovery Coaches, and personal freedom facilitation training and ministerial training from Freedom Folk and Soul.

When I’m not holding space for folks or futzing at junior engineers, I enjoy reading, writing, and pestering my cats, Ollie and Remi.

I look forward to having a conversation with you.