Lori Brinkley

Lori Brinkley is a licensed clinical social worker practicing in North Carolina with 25 years of clinical experience. She provides care for a wide range of concerns including trauma and abuse, depression and anxiety, postpartum stress and depression, parenting and co-parenting after divorce, relationship difficulties, and issues related to boundaries and co-dependency.

Her work also addresses challenges faced by adult children of alcoholics, women navigating the transition of divorce, the “sandwich” generation caring for both children and aging or ill parents, busy professionals balancing work and life, adoptees processing adoption-related trauma, and couples who feel disconnected. She works with clients dealing with grief, intimacy-related issues, eating disorders, anger management, low self-esteem, career difficulties, compassion fatigue, and other life changes.

Lori offers a specialized option she calls “couple’s counseling for one” when one partner is not ready or willing to attend therapy. In those cases she meets with the willing participant to develop tools, coping strategies, and boundaries aimed at improving communication and connection in the relationship.

Her therapeutic stance is warm and nurturing while also direct and, when needed, appropriately confrontational. She believes in challenging unhelpful patterns while balancing that challenge with support. Humor is often woven into sessions, reflecting her belief that therapy can be engaging and even enjoyable. As an advanced generalist, Lori draws from a variety of methods with a strong emphasis on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, mindfulness, strengths-based approaches, and practical problem solving.

Outside of work she is a mother of two college-aged children and spends much of her free time outdoors, especially at the beach. She enjoys suspense novels, character-driven films, and has come to enjoy the Star Wars and Avengers movies alongside her son. Lori is an avid waterfall hunter who loves to travel and keep a bucket list of places to explore. She also completed a Tough Mudder seven years ago, an experience she describes as transformative in facing fears and growing through challenge.

Lori recognizes that life mixes beauty, stress, joy, and devastation, and she sees perspective as essential. She emphasizes the need for understanding and validation before exploring other viewpoints, and welcomes contact from those ready to work toward their goals and cultivate more joy.