Book signings, readings, workshops, and conversations. Come find Kirk in the wild.
Roebling Books Block Party
Kirk will be signing books at the Roebling Books Block Party on Saturday, April 25th from 2pm - 4pm!
More information coming soon.
Book Signing
Swing by Roebling Books in Newport, KY from 11 am - 1 pm and get a copy of “Rope Burn” directly from Kirk himself!
Sunday Book Club Intensive: Soul Audit
Soul Audit
You're functioning. You show up. You do the things.
And yet there's a low hum of something-isn't-right that follows you around. You feel anxious without a clear reason. Or flat. Or like you've been performing a version of yourself for so long that you're not sure who's actually home.
You've probably tried things. And some of it has helped. But that question keeps coming back: why can't I just be happy?
Here's what two therapists with decades of experience have learned from sitting with people: the question isn't what's wrong with you. It's are you living out of alignment?
What we'll explore together
Over four hours, we'll move through five domains where misalignment quietly takes root — the places where we stop being ourselves without even realizing it:
- Values — not the ones you inherited, but the ones you're actually living
- Emotions — as signals, not problems to be managed or feelings to push away
- Vulnerability — what it actually means, and why it only works in the right conditions
- Grief — the feeling of losing something, whether you had it or not
- Forgiveness — not a moral mandate, but a personal release that belongs entirely to you
This intensive workshop is not a lecture. It's an experience. Small group, real conversation, without any pressure.
This is for you if
- You're tired in a way that sleep doesn't fix
- You keep asking yourself why you can't just feel okay
- You're good at showing up for everyone else but not quite for yourself
- You've read the self-help books but something still feels off
- You're curious about yourself and ready to get a little more honest
About your facilitators
Kirk Sheppard, LPCC-S has been sitting with people in some of the hardest moments of their lives since 1998. Over more than two decades, he's worked across nearly every corner of the mental health world — school-based counseling, psychiatric crisis care at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, clinical supervision, and large agency leadership at Talbert House. In 2021 he returned to his first love: private practice, where he sees clients virtually and in person.
He holds two Master's degrees and brings the hard-won wisdom of a career spent in the trenches to every conversation — whether that's a therapy session, a workshop, or a book written in a Gold Star Chili booth.
Sharon Hicks, LPCC-S is a licensed therapist specializing in the places where connection breaks down and healing feels out of reach. She brings a multi-modal, deeply relational approach to her work — slowing things down, looking below the surface of distressing emotions, and creating the kind of safety where real honesty becomes possible. She values the dignity of every person she sits with and considers it a sacred privilege to hold space for their stories.
When she's not in the office, you'll find her playing Bach on the piano, sipping coffee with friends, or collecting new passport stamps — a pursuit informed by a season of living in Southeast Asia with her family of six, which gave her a bigger view of the world.
Book Release
Every January, instead of making resolutions, I choose a theme to guide my year—a single word or idea that serves as my compass. It’s a tradition that has helped me focus on growth, connection, and purpose without the pressure of perfection.
In 2023, the theme was Depth. 2024: Simplicity. This year, it’s Humility.
Why humility? Because it’s the antidote to so much that divides us—pride, ego, and fear of the unknown. It invites us to admit what we don’t know, to ask hard questions, and to extend grace to ourselves and others.
Out of my writing about the topic has come this non-religious, devotional-style book called “Broken Stools: Falling Off Furniture and 52 Other Lessons About Humilty.”
Available November 11, 2025. Pre-orders coming soon.
Louisville Book Festival
Kirk will be selling and signing copies of Soul Audit at the Lousiville Book Festival!
Check out louisvillebookfestival.com for more information. It’s free to attend!
The Search Party
My debut novel is released on April 15th! Get it everywhere books are sold.
Uncertain: Ethical Considerations for Supporting Faith Deconstructing Clients
Uncertain: Ethical Considerations for Working With Faith Deconstructing Clients
This 3-hour continuing education workshop from Kirk Sheppard, LPCC-S (author of “Jesus & Me: Questioning God, Life, and Everything in Between”) explores the complexities of supporting clients who are deconstructing their faith, particularly within Christian traditions. Deconstruction is a deeply personal and often challenging process that involves critically examining long-held religious beliefs and practices.
The training focuses on ethical considerations counselors may encounter, such as maintaining client autonomy, navigating confidentiality in the face of family or community pressure, and addressing power dynamics inherent in religious contexts. Utilizing the Feminist Ethical Decision-Making Model, participants will learn to apply ethical frameworks that emphasize collaboration, cultural sensitivity, and empowerment.
The workshop integrates practical therapeutic approaches, including Relational-Cultural Theory (RCT) to address relational disconnection, Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to reframe cognitive distortions, and Narrative Therapy to help clients re-author their spiritual journey. Case studies and interactive exercises provide hands-on learning to equip counselors with tools to manage ethical dilemmas and personal biases in practice.
By the end of the training, participants will:
Understand the ethical challenges of supporting clients during faith deconstruction.
Apply feminist ethics and therapeutic frameworks to navigate these challenges.
Engage with practical strategies to foster client growth, autonomy, and well-being.
Cost $45. Register here.
3 Hours of Ethics approved by the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist Board
Approval #: MCST01258892
Book Release: Jesus & Me - Questioning God, Life, and Everything in Between
My memoir/self-help book, Jesus & Me: Questioning God, Life, and Everything in Between, releases today! Find out more here.
MICHAEL AND JANE by Kirk Sheppard at Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati
Celebrate local writers at the workshops at Ensemble Theatre of Cincinnati’s 10-Minute Connections: Unity scripts! Each of these 10-minute plays received readings earlier this year in a Studio Series event where the audience voted for their favorites. They were each so well-loved that you can see them all in a workshop format! This event is free, but registration is required.
MICHAEL AND JANE by Kirk Sheppard is part of this night of staged readings. Jane has been accused of shoplifting and finds herself in the holding cell of a local amusement park. There, she meets Michael, who is also being detained - and you won't believe why. They form a bond that unites them unexpectedly.
Plays also include:
Grape and Grain by Liz Coley
Block History by Roger Collins
Health and Care and Marriage by Victoria Hawley
Stall Talk by Josie Palmarini
A Sad Vampire by Aleah Vassell
Want Kirk at your event, book club, or festival?
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