We were lucky to catch up with Megan Hamm recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Megan thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s go back in time a bit – can you share a story of a time when you learned an important lesson during your education?

An impactful lesson I learned came while learning abnormal psychology in my undergraduate program. The professor gave us a case synopsis that had all types of unbelievable aspects.

The client was visiting his therapist and sharing with him that he was in love with a circus bear. He worked at the circus and felt that he was in a romantic relationship and it was causing physical harm to the client.

The question was, what’s the first thing we need to consider when working with him. Answers were all over the place. My professor was so upset, he ended class and told us to return to the next class with an answer.

When we returned, the answer was simply, “believe him.” The professor wanted us to understand that when a client tells us the most intimate parts of their lives, our first commitment is to believe them.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hey y’all — I’m Megan M. Hamm, and at my core, I’m a helper. I’m a LPC-Supervisor, and Registered Play Therapist based in Mississippi. But beyond the titles, I’m someone who believes that compassion is an action word. My work sits at the intersection of mental health, trauma, and family healing by helping caregivers and professionals move from chaos to connection when it comes to children’s big emotions and behaviors.

My journey into this field actually started way back in high school. I took a psychology class that completely fascinated by how the brain worked and it was the first time I started to understand that there’s always more to behavior than what we see on the surface. Then one day, our class went on a field trip to a local community college, and they had us complete the “tree, house, person” assessment. I remember being amazed that simple drawings could reveal so much about what someone might be feeling on the inside. That experience lit a fire in me and the idea that healing could come from understanding, not judgment. That spark eventually grew into a lifelong mission.

Today, through my agency Time For A Change Counseling, LLC, I provide therapy, supervision, and professional training. I also offer workshops, keynotes, and licensing programs for mental health professionals, educators, and organizations who want to embed trauma-informed care into their work. My programs like Mastering Meltdown Moments and Compassionate Conversations give real, practical tools to navigate emotional outbursts, build co-regulation, and strengthen relationships. I’m also the author of the Amazon best-selling book, Heart of the Matter: A Compassionate Approach to Transforming Behaviors in Foster and Adopted Children, which has become the foundation for much of my speaking and training work.

What truly sets me apart is that I come to this work from both sides — as a clinician and as a mama. Adopting my daughters through foster care completely changed the way I understood trauma and behavior. It showed me that what looks like defiance is often distress, and what we call “acting out” is usually a cry for connection. That lived experience inspired me to create The H.E.A.R.T. Framework, a trauma-informed, neuroscience-based approach that helps adults respond with calm, compassion, and clarity in those hard moments.

I’m most proud of the transformations I’ve witnessed when a parent says, “I finally understand my child,” or when a therapist shares, “This gave me words I didn’t have before.” Those moments remind me why I do this work.

If there’s one thing I want people to know about me and my brand, it’s this: you’re not alone in the hard moments. Whether you’re a parent, a professional, or a whole organization trying to do better, there’s hope, there’s help, and there’s a way forward that starts with compassion.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Honestly? The most effective strategy for growing my clientele has been building trust through being a helper and my willingness to support others.

When I first started out, I opened my practice in the same small rural community where I grew up so aI did what I always did, connected with people.

I began to say yes and seek out community partnerships which led to word-of-mouth referrals. I make it a point to build real relationships with schools and organizations that serve children and families. When you show up, teach something useful, and genuinely help people without expecting anything in return, the referrals naturally follow.

And lately, my most powerful strategy has been using free education as a bridge to transformation — webinars, Lunch & Learns, and speaking engagements that give people a taste of what it’s like to work with me. Those moments help caregivers and professionals see the why behind the work and trust that I can help them find the how.

So if I had to sum it up: my growth hasn’t come from trying to impress people it’s come from serving them, educating them, and letting compassion lead the conversation.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Whew, that’s a good one. One of the biggest lessons I’ve had to unlearn is the belief that I had to wait for someone else to “see me” before I could move forward. For a long time, I really thought if I just worked hard enough, stayed humble, and kept doing good work, the right people would eventually find me. I told myself, “If it’s meant to be, God will make it happen.”

Now don’t get me wrong — I still believe in divine timing. But I had to learn that divine intervention doesn’t mean sitting still. It means moving with intention and trusting that the right doors will open while you’re walking toward them.

The backstory? There was a season in my business where I was doing all the right things behind the scenes, serving clients well, creating impactful programs but no one really knew about it. I kept waiting for some big opportunity to “discover” me. Then one day it hit me: no one can support what they don’t know exists.

That realization changed everything. I stopped hiding behind “humble beginnings” and started showing up with purpose, sharing my message, pitching partnerships, teaching publicly, and building systems around visibility, intention, and strategy. And when I did, those divine opportunities started showing up too, not because I waited for them, but because I made room for them.

So the lesson I had to unlearn was this: favor doesn’t replace strategy. God can absolutely bless your work, but He can’t bless what you won’t move on.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.meganmhamm.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meganhammlpc?igsh=ZTRma2Eyb21kNXJ4
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/16LohgymTm/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/meganhamm-lpc?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=android_app
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@meganm.hammlpc4499?si=ySYYwmwYQcr937Ry