Avery Brookshire shared their story and experiences with us recently and you can find our conversation below.
Avery, we’re thrilled to have you with us today. Before we jump into your intro and the heart of the interview, let’s start with a bit of an ice breaker: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
I wake up with the Hatch alarm, and I truly couldn’t recommend it enough! I take pride in not looking at my phone first thing in the morning. I’m a big believer in “tuning in before you turn on,” I want to check in with myself before I start consuming what the world (wide web) has to say.
Next up: oil pulling (yes, basically gargling coconut oil). It’s great for oral health. After that, I make my bed every.single.day. Habit stacking, baby.
Then I grab a pen and paper and dive into my morning pages: three pages of freehand writing. It’s the perfect brain drain/brain dump. It helps me let go of lingering thoughts from the day before and clears out any stressors taking up precious real estate in my brain. I’ve found it helpful too for my creative process. I took this from the book The Artist’s Way.
After that, I try to get some electrolytes in, a small breakfast and head out the door for sunshine and movement.
But let’s be honest, some mornings, I hit snooze because my body just needs a little more rest. And that’s okay too!
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Avery, and I believe there’s so much more to who I am than what I do. That said, I truly love helping people become the best version of themselves—guiding them to release scarcity mindsets and limiting beliefs that have been holding them back.
When I went to therapy for the first time in college, it felt like a massive pressure valve had been released. I had been carrying pain in my mind and body for nearly five years. For so long, I had numbed out, not knowing how to even begin addressing my sadness. So I know firsthand what it’s like to avoid doing the inner healing work.
Three years later, I decided to pay it forward and help others understand what “doing the work” really means. These days, I’m a professional listener and yapper. Working in psychology and mental health is endlessly stimulating for me because therapy is never one size fits all process. So, learning new clinical modalities and tools to help people process trauma is, honestly, my secret sauce.
Most recently, I’ve been working on designing a new healing space for our clients at Alethia Counseling Austin. Think: a wellness haven where you can come in, exhale, be still, and partner with counselors whose only agenda is helping you reach your goals and become a version of yourself that you truly love and adore.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who taught you the most about work?
Although I never had the pleasure of meeting him, the person who taught me the most about work is my great-grandfather, W.T. Brookshire. In 1928, he opened Brookshire Grocery Company in my hometown of Tyler, Texas. His hard work and legacy have created a ripple effect in my life and in communities across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana.
I’m so proud to be a Brookshire.
Entrepreneurship and hard work runs in my blood because of him, and for that, I’m endlessly grateful.
When did you stop hiding your pain and start using it as power?
In 2022, when my best friend and I launched the Soul Szn podcast, I stopped hiding my pain and began using it as power. As a teenager, I went through a really painful season of defamation and slander. It was incredibly difficult especially with a developing mind and self concept. I know others have experienced it on a much larger scale, but for me, it was deeply personal and confusing.
Starting the podcast was our way of being bold about our faith and sharing what we’ve learned through it all, especially our testimony and relationship with Jesus. It was one of the most liberating things I’ve ever done.
Now, I encourage my clients to transform their traumas into testimonies, not wear them as trophies, but also not hide them in shame. Shame loves secrecy. But when you bring what’s been hidden into the light, it loses its power.
Start by sharing your pain with a trusted friend and watch it diminish! I’m not a Catholic but I am a big fan of confession 🙂
Alright, so if you are open to it, let’s explore some philosophical questions that touch on your values and worldview. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
“Check your values at the door.” I believe that’s a values-based statement in itself. Counseling is a process of soul transformation, and our values are the foundation of who we are.
The majority of my clients seek me out because of my values, not in spite of them. While I never impose my beliefs on clients, I do believe my values bring value to every session. They shape how I show up with my clients.
With grace, forgiveness, compassion, integrity, and a commitment to help my clients grow and heal.
Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. What do you understand deeply that most people don’t?
Forgiveness is one of the most powerful and misunderstood parts of healing. So often, we hold onto anger or resentment thinking it protects us but in reality…
Unforgiveness keeps the other person in control.
It’s like clenching hot stones and expecting the other person to get burned.
The only one getting hurt is you.
True freedom begins when you choose to release the grip of pain and forgive the person who wronged you.
That doesn’t mean you have to reconcile, forget, or invite them back into your life. Forgiveness isn’t about excusing the harm it’s about freeing your own heart from bitterness, resentment, envy, and the hardening that slowly takes root when we carry unprocessed pain.
Forgiveness softens your spirit. It opens the door to peace. It lets you reclaim your power and move forward without dragging the weight of what they did behind you.
At the end of the day, forgiveness isn’t for them. It’s for YOU. And it’s one of the most liberating experiences in the world.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://bio.site/averybrookshire
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/averybrookshire
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/averybrookshire/
- Other: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/avery-brookshire-austin-tx/1236143
Image Credits
Image Credits: The Angle of You Agency
