Meet Tricia Thornton

Today, we’d like to introduce you to Tricia Thornton.

Hi Tricia, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
My passion is helping children and families as a Licensed Professional Counselor and Registered Play Therapist. Walking alongside little ones with big feelings is the focus of my private counseling practice. Guiding the parents of these children is also a significant part of what I do.

It was my personal experience with trauma as a six-year-old child that led me to struggle with gripping fear. Blessing has come from my journey with fear as I am now able to help children caught in a spiral of increasing anxiety by bringing not only an academic and developmental lens to their situation but personal empathy as well.

I worked in both public and private school settings in Williamson and Davidson counties before opening my private practice in the Green Hills area of Nashville in 2018 to serve children and their families. I am blessed to help children and their parents learn to name their feelings and to understand healthy ways to deal with them.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
I encountered the biggest obstacle of my life when I was only six years old, which continued to impact my life into adulthood.

It was a double dose of trauma. My grandmother, whom I dearly loved, died in a tragic accident in the driveway of my childhood home when her car rolled over her as she walked behind it. From that moment, fear and grief gripped my young soul.

Three weeks later, before my heart had begun to heal, a horrifying sound pierced the quietness in our home in the middle of the night, awakening me. It was my mother’s scream as she encountered an intruder in our home. As I rushed from my bedroom to the top of the stairs, the intruder escaped out a window, but the image of my dad in the foyer, gun in his hand to protect us, and the sound of my mother’s scream became a movie and a soundtrack that played over and over in my head.

Suddenly, no place – not even my home – felt safe. Fear evolved within me as I grew into an adolescent and adult, changing in its manifestation yet presenting itself repeatedly.

It led me to Nashville to study at Vanderbilt University to investigate the feelings that haunted me. I graduated with a degree in Human and Organizational Development and a better understanding of how the experiences of my early years had shaped my life. I knew I wanted to learn more and help others, so I earned my M.A. in Counseling at Denver Seminary, then returned to Vanderbilt to become a Certified School Counselor K-12, ultimately becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Registered Play Therapist.

There are still moments in my life when I have to pause and listen to my feelings, but by using neurologically sound tools, I have learned to recognize the four fear responses and regulate my emotions. I’m able to integrate and balance my feelings. I remember the Godsend therapy was to me when I needed it most, and it is a privilege to guide others as they learn to manage rather than be controlled by their emotions.

Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work?
Because I understand first-hand the depths of pain caused by run-amok anxiety, I consider helping children whose joy is being stolen by fear or other overwhelming feelings one of the biggest blessings of my life.

For little ones who can’t yet use words to share their concerns, I especially enjoy conversing with them in their natural language – play! Sometimes, big feelings and the therapies that lead to healing are difficult to discuss with the limitations of a child’s vocabulary and neurological stage of development, so I join them where they are in the midst of what they do best, and we converse through playing.

Children love to come to my office because it’s filled with their favorite things. From puppets to doll houses, fun toys pique every child’s interest. It doesn’t feel like “an appointment” for them; it feels like a play date. I am skilled at receiving what children communicate as they play and giving them messages of comfort and peace through play. I also counsel adolescents up to age 18.

And one of my favorite parts of my role is working with parents. Sometimes, depending on the situation, the child never needs to come in. Equipping parents is one of the most effective ways of helping children.

Once parents understand the meaning behind certain behaviors they see, they can better address the root issue. Parents can also learn how to use a strategy called co-regulation. This is where the parent actively models how they deal with the struggle the child is facing. Children learn by mirroring others and naturally pick up behaviors from their parents. This transfer of skills puts positive resources in a child’s toolbox that they can use when overwhelmed with feelings.

My work is organized under three umbrellas:

Therapy: In my private practice located in the Green Hills area of Nashville, I counsel children and families struggling with fear, trauma, loss, anger, various school issues, and ADHD.

Speaking & Events: I am a sought-after speaker for professional, school, and parent groups. In addition, I sometimes host in-person and online events focused on relevant topics.

Book & Resources: Blessing From Fear is a deep dive into the topic of fear that gives the reader an academic, developmental, and spiritual understanding coupled with candid, personal anecdotes that make lofty concepts relatable and understandable. Available everywhere books are sold beginning April 23, 2024, it is a must for anyone who loves a child who is struggling with trauma, fear, anxiety or phobias.

For guidance on topics children struggle with besides fear, visit my blog at TriciaThornton.com.

We are busy people, and we best incorporate strategies in bite-sized increments. For easy-to-implement tips to improve your child’s mental and emotional health, tune in for “Two Minutes with Tricia Thornton,” Tuesdays and Thursdays @TriciaThorntonTherapy on Instagram and Facebook.

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
One of the things I love most about Nashville is that while it’s growing and has so much to offer, it hasn’t lost its ability to be a community.

As I have walked with families through the aftermath of the shooting at The Covenant School, an incomprehensible tragedy that took six innocent lives, I have witnessed my community link arms. That terrible day stole our innocence. No longer can we tell ourselves that horror will never come here.

As a community, we are strong and will continue to hold tightly to one another.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.triciathornton.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/triciathorntontherapy/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/triciathorntontherapy/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tricia-thornton-a4b50b11/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@triciathorntontherapy3644
• Other: https://www.amazon.com/Blessing-Fear-Embracing-Journey-Discovering/dp/B0CWX7GJXP

Image Credits
Jamie Wright Images