Vulnerability is not weakness; it is our greatest courage.
—Brene Brown
Therapist Spotlight: Aubrey Grinstead, LPC-A
Tell Us About You.
My name is Aubrey and I’m originally from the mountains of Northeast Georgia. I moved to the Greenville area about 7 years ago and have loved exploring all the different parts of our city. I started my counseling career a decade ago after knowing all my life I wanted to help others through difficult times. I’ve worked in adult and adolescent psychiatric hospitals, emergency room triage, substance use treatment centers, community mental health clinics, and currently private practice.
What Do You Enjoy Most About Evolution of Self Counseling?
I love how invested each clinician is in keeping up with new research and providing excellent care to their clients. We all visibly show how passionate we are about our work. It feels like a dream to love my job and also the people around me.
What is A Career Highlight or Success?
Working in private practice has been a true highlight in my career. I am inspired daily by clients that desire more for themselves and take that power into their own hands by scheduling an appointment. I have the opportunity to meet with so many creative, unique, intelligent individuals within our community and seeing them identify those traits within themselves is an honor.
What Motivates You?
The idea that I can walk alongside someone and share my skills to help make everlasting change. Sometimes we need the support and kindness from another person to see the beauty within ourselves. The opportunity to help shed light on someone else’s beauty is a constant motivator for me.
What are Your Self-Care Must Dos?
Fresh air and physical exercise. Preferably hiking a trail on Paris Mountain or walking outside to feel the sun on my face.
A mix of reading, listening to music, or watching my favorite tv shows. I am typically reading a book or two at any given time, but I am also a sucker for a good reality show.
Kitchen dance parties with my family and our boxer Blueberry.
Gratitude journaling. When I am experiencing a tough season of life, I try to focus even more on the things I am grateful for.
“You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.”
What is Your Favorite Song or Favorite Quote?
What is a Turning Point in Your Life?
The process of having my first child and becoming a mother has been the most transformative experience of my life so far.
What are Clients Saying About Aubrey?
“I am so grateful for Aubrey - working with her has been a transformational experience. Her approach, which strikes the ideal balance of kindness and honesty, has been such a great match for me. I’ve grown enormously (and very quickly) since I started sessions with her. I’m going through some big and exciting life changes, and her guidance has helped me enhance the relationships that are most important to me (including and especially the one with myself) with new tools, better boundaries, and improved self-talk. She is so kind, warm, and present, always creating a space where I feel comfortable getting vulnerable to deeply explore my true thoughts and feelings. My life is better because of her and it feels like we’re just getting started, which makes me really excited about continuing to work with her – my mental restraints/blocks/limitations are being dismantled one by one, so who knows what levels of happiness/contentment/self-actualization I’ll unlock in my time with her. Even in my first year of working with her I already know that I’ll always have a lifelong appreciation for Aubrey.”
“Starting therapy with Aubrey Grinstead was the absolute best choice I could've made. Before her, I never knew what it was like to feel understood; it’s an amazing, warm feeling. She is incredibly kind and has shown me countless times how much she really cares. Truly an amazing human being. I am so very grateful for her.”
“I am relatively new to therapy and I was nervous about the process. Aubrey helped make me feel at ease and has already been so helpful. Her professional knowledge has given me perspective, insight and useful guidance. She is down-to-earth, non-judgmental and a needed comfort in my healing journey.”
“I have nothing but great things to say about Aubrey. Her compassion, empathy, and her approach in providing perspective has really helped me gain the confidence to dig myself out of some recent dark and difficult times. I always leave our appointments refreshed and motivated.”
What are Colleagues Saying About Aubrey?
“Aubrey is such a kind and intentional person. I truly believe she has a superpower for being so engaged with the person in front of her as though they were the only person in the world. As a colleague, I treasure the opportunities I get to chat with her between sessions and enjoy her surprisingly dry humor!
She's very down-to-Earth and humble, and, simultaneously, she's coming to her clients with a wealth of knowledge. I would recommend her for any client who is seeking compassion and warmth matched with expertise.”
— Jordan Crosby, LMFT
“Aubrey has a presence about her that almost immediately elicits a feeling of comfort and trust. Her personality is a mix of fun, compassion, and care. She quickly develops solid rapport with her clients and gently helps them to realize any barriers to full expression of their most authentic self!”
— Emily Williams, LPC/S, LAC/S, MAC, CS
Executive Director
“Aubrey's warmth and calm create a safe space for her clients to feel comfortable and find success with therapy. She cares deeply for her clients and works with them diligently to feel empowered and find the peace and joy they are hoping for. I am grateful to have her as a colleague, who I can consult and share resources with.”
—Madison Boynton MA, LPC-A, NCC”
“Peace, joy, compassion, understanding, and love is brought into every session by Aubrey. She has an amazing depth of understanding of her clients pain and trauma within her ability to share her grounding / stillness. She is passionate about helping her clients heal and be set free by speaking what has been unspoken in their life.”
— Theresa Wheeler, LPC/S, LAC/S, MAC, CS
Executive Director