About Me:
I spent much of my younger years working in Wilderness Education where I found a deep love and healing from the outdoors.   I still continue to find new ways to utilize connection to the outdoors and nature, as well as using our bodies to find balance, stability, and a search for something to connect to a deeper sense of ourselves. I use these concepts in sessions, with a focus on our whole selves as the foundation in counseling. Therapy can be deep a deep, connecting experience, and I also bring a bit of humor and fun to the work as I find that we can learn from moments of joy as well. From working for over a decade in mental health, I have seen the simple, as well as extraordinary impact therapy can have on folks lives and believe in every person to tap into their own strengths to handle the challenges in their world.  I am passionate about social justice and am willing to explore tough conversations about the role that our identities have on our experiences in this world. 

I have a background in working with adults in outpatient settings, College and Universities,, both short term and long term residential treatment programs, and in community mental health as well as with the Veteran population. I currently work primarily with individuals who are between early adulthood and older adults. I also teach part time at Graduate Counseling program as well as supervise new therapists after graduation. 

Outside of work, folks can find me hiking, mountain biking, trying to grow things in my garden (sometimes successfully), and being a general handy person around my home.  I love exploring the mountains here in Western NC as well a travelling to other beautiful natural areas. I have found I am at my best when I have had time to be outside and that many outdoor activities are a type of moving meditation. 

​I received my MS in Community Counseling at Western Carolina University in December of 2008.  I am a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Supervisor #9214 (2013), a Nationally Certified Counselor #246482 (2009), I have my Master’s in Addiction Counseling (2014), and am a Licensed Clinical Addictions Specialist #2380 (2014) as well as a Certified Clinical Supervisor #20223 (2018) with the North Carolina Substance Abuse Professional Practice Board.  

        Marie K Graven, LCMHCS, CCS 
828-273-8208
marie@graven.com