Our story

Hi! I'm Dr. Priscila Norris, owner, and executive director at Thrivemind.

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When I moved to Eastern North Carolina from sunny San Diego, CA, in 2008, I noticed that the mental health services were largely based on the medical model of mental health. At the time, I was searching for a therapist who could help me adjust to motherhood and to a new community. I was fortunate to find a therapist who was able to support me through a difficult transition period, but throughout my journey, I knew something was missing. 

I felt like important parts of my experiences and identity were not fully captured in my therapy sessions because the focus of my treatment was on addressing symptoms and learning coping skills. Yes, these are important parts of psychotherapy, but I felt like I was more than a list of symptoms. I also wanted to get to the bottom of what was causing my suffering, not just learning how to cope with it. Most importantly, I wanted to be seen as a whole person - as a new mom, as an immigrant, as a woman. Unable to find such a thing, I left my career as an educator and went back to school to study psychology and social work. Throughout my training, I began seeing mental health as a mind-bory-spirit endeavor and psychotherapy as a means to help people become their best selves and live thriving lives, rather than just reducing symptoms or learning to cope.

So in 2018, after earning my master's degrees in Psychology and in Social Work, and a graduate certificate in Military and Trauma Counseling from East Carolina University, I was ready to get to work and founded Thrivemind.

Thrivemind is founded on the belief that mental health should be addressed through a holistic approach - or treating the whole person- with the goal of enhancing quality of life and overall well-being.

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To achieve this mission, Thrivemind offers services that help address both mind and body in support of a healthy mind, such as meditation, trauma-sensitive yoga, nutrition coaching, art therapy, therapeutic journaling, and more.

Over the years, I have had the honor of witnessing hundreds of people in our community find a safe, supportive, and healing space at Thrivemind as they work with our talented team.

I could not be more proud of our work and more grateful for our community.