Speaking · Training · Organizational Consulting
Your people are carrying a lot. Let’s help them carry it well.
Open Harbor Consulting helps organizations, conferences, and communities navigate mental health, burnout, trauma, leadership, and change through engaging education and thoughtful partnership.
The work beneath the work
Good work gets harder when people are running on empty.
The people doing the most meaningful work are often carrying the most: responsibility, change, crisis, grief, conflict, and the quiet pressure to keep showing up anyway.
Open Harbor creates room for honest conversations about what that weight is doing to people and organizations. Then we turn those conversations into practical tools, clearer choices, and healthier ways forward.
Two ways to work together
Meet the moment your people are in.
Speaking & Training
Make the hard conversations useful.
From conference keynotes to staff trainings and community workshops, Chris brings clinical depth, real-world stories, and practical tools to topics people are already carrying.
Organizational Consulting
Build healthier ways of working.
When burnout, disconnection, trauma exposure, or a difficult season begins affecting the work, a generic program is rarely the answer. Open Harbor helps leaders name what needs attention and design a response that fits.
Conversations worth making room for
Start with the real need, not a predetermined package.
Open Harbor’s work is tailored to the people in the room, but it often begins with one of these questions.
How do helpers keep helping without disappearing inside the work?
Burnout & sustainable helping
What helps people respond when mental health needs become urgent?
Awareness & crisis response
How can organizations become safer after trauma or disruption?
Trauma-informed systems
What does healthy leadership look like under real pressure?
Leadership & communication
How are culture and technology changing the way people connect?
Technology, identity & behavior
What happens when faith becomes a source of both meaning and harm?
Spirituality & religious trauma
The Open Harbor approach
Clinically Grounded
Genuinely Human
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Grounded
Informed by clinical knowledge, years spent walking alongside people, and the realities that never fit neatly into a textbook.
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Approachable
Complex ideas put into language that lands. No unnecessary jargon and no talking down to the room.
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Real
Stories, humor, honesty, and genuine care. The topics may be heavy, but the conversation can still feel human.
“A ship is safe in harbor, but that’s not what ships are for.” -John A. Shedd
Whether you're a leader trying to take better care of your team, an organization navigating hard seasons, or a clinician building toward licensure… you didn't get into this work to play it safe. You got into it to make a difference.
But even the most dedicated people need a place to anchor. A place to rest, reflect, and get ready for what's next.
That's what Open Harbor is. Not a destination, but a place to come back to, so you can keep going.
From the room
What people experience when Chris is there.
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Katie K. May, LPC, DBT-LBC • Founder of the Teen Therapy Conference
“Chris imparts the perfect blend of passion and knowledge in his talks. He shares his wisdom through insightful and engaging stories, examples, and experiences.”
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Mark Hayes, LCSW • VB Strong Center
“Chris brings professionalism, flexibility, and compassion. He’s helped our team and clients move forward with healing and strength after mass trauma.”
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Lianna Pevar, LPC • Transformation Health Services
“Chris is an exceptional speaker, trainer, and mentor with a uniquely personable approach and depth of knowledge. His guidance helped me build the confidence to step outside of my comfort zone, present at a conference, and expand my professional skill set beyond the office.”
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Kymberli Tucker, Stand-Up Comedian • Founder of VENT Session
“Chris brings a healthy, hilarious, and engaging presence to every Vent Session. He balances comedy and mental wellness with thoughtful therapeutic perspectives, compassionate guidance, and practical suggestions. He encourages people to look beyond current struggles toward growth, healing, and hope. His blend of professionalism, empathy, and humor makes him essential to the Vent Session experience.”
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![Portrait of Kaye-Loni Johnston, LMFT]()
Kaye-Loni Johnston, LMFT • Truth and Purpose Counseling
“Chris was my supervisor from internship through to licensure, and I know I wouldn’t be where I am today without the opportunities he provided for growth. He challenges you to think differently and always has your back.”
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![Portrait of Mike Johnson, Middle School Pastor]()
Mike Johnson, Middle School Pastor • Real Life Christian Church
“Chris combines deep knowledge, experience, wisdom, and humor to connect with his audience. He made a complex topic like mental health feel accessible and engaging.”
Soundings
Thinking out loud about the things that keep echoing.
Soundings is where I follow ideas that won’t quite leave me alone: mental health, culture, faith, technology, leadership, stories, and whatever else seems worth sitting with. It’s less a collection of polished answers and more a place to think honestly, stay curious, and see where the conversation goes.
The Field · Work & Leadership · Trauma & Recovery · Culture & Technology · Faith & Meaning
Meet Chris Conley
Serious about the work.
Not about taking himself too seriously.
Chris is a Licensed Professional Counselor, clinical leader, educator, and founder of Open Harbor Consulting. For 15 years, he has worked alongside people navigating trauma, change, responsibility, and the very human mess of trying to do meaningful work well.
His style is thoughtful without being stuffy, practical without oversimplifying, and grounded in the belief that people can face hard things without losing their humanity.
Let’s Find Out If We’re A Good Fit
Whether you are planning an event, supporting a team, navigating a difficult season, or still trying to name what your people need, the first step is simple.
Tell me a little about what you are exploring. No pressure. No hard sell. Just a conversation about what might help.