Ava Pinkney
I’m Ava Pinkney, LMFT, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with over 15 years of experience specializing in crisis intervention, grief therapy, and school-based mental health. My work centers on supporting children, adolescents, and families during some of the most challenging and emotionally overwhelming moments of their lives. In my role previous as a Educationally Related Mental Health Therapist, I have extensive experience helping students navigate acute crises, sudden losses, emotional dysregulation, and trauma-related challenges that impact their well-being and academic success. I am skilled in creating rapid stabilization plans, providing grounding and regulation tools, and partnering closely with school teams to ensure students feel emotionally safe and supported. My grief work is compassionate, steady, and deeply individualized. I help clients understand their unique grief experience, honor their loss, and slowly rebuild meaning and emotional balance. Whether a student is coping with the death of a loved one, a major family change, or a sudden traumatic event, I offer a calm and grounding presence throughout the journey. Across all settings, my approach is warm, relational, and attuned. I blend evidence-based practices with trauma-informed support to help clients regain clarity, strength, and a sense of safety — both inside and outside the therapy room. Clients often share that they feel more regulated, more hopeful, and better equipped to handle life’s unpredictability after working with me.
First session
Your first session is a welcoming space designed to help you feel safe, heard, and supported. My goal is to understand what you’re experiencing, what you need right now, and how we can work together to help you feel more grounded and empowered. Here’s what you can expect: 1. A calm, compassionate environment I know the first session can feel intimidating, especially during times of crisis or grief. I bring a steady, nonjudgmental presence so you can talk at your own pace. 2. Space to share your story You’ll have an opportunity to share what brought you to therapy — whether it’s a recent event, ongoing stress, grief, or something you’re not even sure how to name yet. There is no pressure to have everything figured out. 3. Gentle assessment and understanding I’ll ask thoughtful questions to better understand your emotional experiences, strengths, support systems, and immediate needs. This helps me get a full picture of what you’re going through. 4. Immediate support and stabilization if you’re in crisis If you’re coming in overwhelmed, dysregulated, or emotionally distressed, we’ll focus on grounding, coping tools, and helping you feel more in control before exploring deeper issues. 5. Collaborative goal-setting We’ll discuss what you hope to gain from therapy — whether that’s relief from overwhelming emotions, support in navigating grief, improving coping skills, or restoring balance in your daily life. 6. A clear plan By the end of the session, you’ll know the direction we’re heading: how we’ll approach your concerns, the therapeutic methods that may fit your needs, and what our work together will look like moving forward. 7. No pressure, judgment, or expectations My role is to meet you exactly where you are. You don’t need to prepare anything or present yourself in any particular way — your only job is to show up as you are.
Strengths
My approach is grounded, compassionate, and centered on emotional safety. Clients describe me as calm, steady, and deeply attuned — especially during moments of crisis, grief, and overwhelming emotion. I create a space where clients feel supported, understood, and never rushed.
Ideal clients
My ideal clients value compassion, structure, and collaboration. They want a therapist who can be both warm and steady — someone who can help them feel safe while teaching them skills to manage emotions, rebuild confidence, and navigate life’s hardest moments. I am here for clients who are ready to be supported, who want to feel understood, and who are seeking a path forward through crisis, grief, or emotional uncertainty.
Treatment methods
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is the notion that if you change the way you think, you can change the way you feel. This evidence-based therapeutic approach has been used for decades in the treatment of mood disorders and anxiety disorders because it effectively identifies and corrects the negative thoughts about ourselves, others and the world that trigger anxiety and depression.
Location
Virtual sessions