Dr. Kelly Hudgins

• Instructor of Clinical Mental Health Counseling

Dr. Hudgins is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Mental Health Clinician III/Supervisor with the Alaska Department of Corrections, where she provides clinical oversight and facilitates programs addressing addiction, trauma, and reentry readiness. She brings real-world clinical experience directly into the classroom, equipping students with practical skills and ethical frameworks they can apply in their future counseling careers. She recently completed her first non-fiction book, Not My Baggage, which explores the journey of healing from trauma and learning to set down the burdens we carry along the way. Originally from Southeast Texas, she now calls Palmer, Alaska home, where she enjoys hiking with her dog Luna, exploring life as a new indie author, and visiting with her two grown daughters.