Education:
B.S. in Special Education, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah
M.S. in Family Therapy, Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, FL
Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA (CACREP)
Bio:
Dr. Kelly Furr is an assistant professor in the Counseling and Human Development program at Walsh University. She is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and has a telehealth private practice, branded as Aspire Family Counseling and Athlete Mental Wellness, where she sees clients in VA, NC, FL, AZ, UT, and ID. Her clinical work focuses on helping clients navigate relationship issues, religious and spiritual struggles, anxiety, and perfectionism. Her research focuses on increasing psychological flourishing in middle age and on improving the effectiveness of mental health practitioners who work with athletes and religious clients.
Publications:
- Suárez, M. I., Strunk, K. K., Furr, K. N., Tuxbury, K. L., Justus-Smith, C., Nicolai, K. D., Racelis, T. L., Frierson, M., Diaz, E., Boateng, O. A., & Grigg, J. P. (2025). QuantCrit at the intersections: A systematic review of gender and sexuality in QuantCrit research. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences.
- Furr, K. N. & Ferguson, T. (2024). Integrating cognitive behavioral therapy and relational-cultural theory in the treatment of female college athletes. Case Studies in Sport and Exercise Psychology. [Recipient of Article of the Year Award for 2025 in Case Studies in Sport and Exercise Psychology].
- Furr, K. N. & Gutiérrez, D. (2024). Counseling best practices for helping Mormon clients. Counseling and Values.
Presentations:
- Furr, K. (April 2026). Body appreciation as a path to psychological flourishing in middle-age. American Counseling Association Annual Conference. Columbus, Ohio.
- Furr, K. (October 2025). Preparing Trainees for Ethical Practice at the Intersection of Religion and Sexuality. Association for Counselor Education and Supervision Conference. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
- Furr, K. (October 2024). Elite Mormon athletes: Results from a phenomenological study. Association for Applied Sports Psychology Annual Conference. Las Vegas, Nevada.
- Furr, K. (October 2024). Religious identity in elite Mormon athletes. Mormon Social Science Association’s Society for the Scientific Study of Religion Meeting. Pittsburgh, PA.
- Furr, K. (September 2024). Measuring what you intend with religiosity scales. Association for Assessment and Research in Counseling. Pittsburgh, PA.
- Furr, K. (February 2024). Mormon couples 101: How to work with Latter-day Saint couples across the family life cycle. International Association of Marriage and Family Counselors Annual Conference. St. Petersburg, Florida.
- Furr, K. (July 2023). Applying the Association for Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling (ASERVIC) spiritual and religious competencies to working with Mormon clients. The Mormon Mental Health Association Annual Conference. Sandy, Utah.
- Furr, K. (June 2023). How to work clinically with everyday Mormons. [Poster Presentation]. Association for Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling Annual Conference. Leland, Florida.
- Furr, K. (June 2023). That’s me in the corner losing my religion: Exploring how to work with clients who are experiencing a faith crisis. Association for Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling Annual Conference. Leland, Florida.
- Furr, K. (May 2023) Best practice with Mormon clients. Association for Spiritual, Ethical, and Religious Values in Counseling. Webinar. [Invited].
- Furr, K. (March 2023). When identities clash: How to work effectively with religious LGBTQ+ clients. Virginia Association for Counselor Education and Supervision. Williamsburg, Virginia.
- Furr, K. (February 2023). Losing my religion: Helping couples navigate mixed-faith relationships and parenting when one partner begins to doubt. International Association of Marriage and Family Counselors Annual Conference. St. Petersburg, Florida.
Contact: