Today we’d like to introduce you to Sabrina Pinckney.
Hi Sabrina, 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 story began on James Island, where I spent my childhood developing a deep curiosity about the human experience and a strong desire to help others heal. From an early age, I was drawn to understanding emotional pain and the ways people cope with life’s challenges. During middle school, I began writing short stories that explored personal struggle and resilience, an interest that would later shape my professional path.
I pursued this passion by earning a degree in psychology, which deepened my understanding of human behavior and mental health. Following college, I began my professional career at a local psychiatric hospital in Charleston, where I had the privilege of working with children facing a wide range of emotional and behavioral challenges, including eating disorders and personality disorders. Supporting these children and their families through treatment was both humbling and transformative, and it reinforced a truth I continue to carry with me: at the core of every struggle is a desire for love, understanding, and acceptance.
It is with this belief and heartfelt commitment that I now serve the Charleston community through my counseling practice, On Solid Grounds Counseling, on James Island.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
One truth I have learned about life is that no journey is without struggle. My greatest challenge came one year after graduating from college, when I made the decision to become a single mother. This was not an easy choice, but it was one that profoundly shaped who I am. Through this experience, I came to embrace my pro-life values and discovered a strength within myself that I did not yet know existed.
As a single mother, I was determined to provide my daughter with the stability and opportunities I had known growing up. With that commitment, I returned to school and earned my master’s degree by the time my daughter was three years old. One year later, I enrolled in a doctoral program at the University of Sarasota. With the unwavering support of my family, I traveled to Sarasota, Florida, and in 2001, I earned my doctoral degree in counseling psychology.
This achievement was significant not only because it allowed me to practice in my chosen profession, but because it affirmed my sense of worth during a time when that worth had often been questioned. After choosing to raise my daughter as a single parent, I faced judgment from society and, at times, from members of my own family. There were moments when I felt as though I carried a visible mark of shame, as if I were wearing a capital letter “A” across my chest. Over time, my academic accomplishments helped silence those judgments, but more importantly, they helped me reclaim my own sense of value.
This season of struggle taught me a lasting truth that guides my work today: people do not only need validation—they need to know that they are worthy of that validation. My daughter, Megan, became the first African American on USC (University of South Carolina) dance team in 2009 and top five in Miss USA 2013.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
On Solid Grounds Counseling was established in 1999 as a nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening children, families, and communities. During the early years of building the organization, I also served within the Charleston public school system. In 2020, I retired from my role as a School Counselor and began working full time with On Solid Grounds Counseling.
On Solid Grounds Counseling specializes in working with children and their families. We support parents in developing healthier and more effective parenting skills and work with individuals affected by domestic violence to help strengthen families and create safer, more stable environments for children.
The organization is recognized for its impactful programs, including Girls Empowerment, Outward Bound, Love Is Not Abusive (a domestic violence support group), and the Traditional vs. Modern Parenting Seminar. We are especially proud of our annual Mental Health Awareness Walk, which we host in partnership with the Mayor of North Charleston to promote community education, advocacy, and stigma reduction around mental health.
In today’s rapidly changing society, families need more support than ever before. Continued funding is essential to sustain and expand our efforts to provide accessible, high-quality mental health services to low-income families in our community.
We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
As I journey through life, I strive to see the world through a lens of hope and possibility. While this perspective can be challenging at times, I believe it is a calling placed within me—to help others find stability, healing, and strength in a world that is often unkind and uncertain. This purpose has guided my life’s work and continues to shape the mission of my organization.
Throughout this journey, I have been blessed to encounter individuals and partners who share a commitment to compassion, service, and the greater good. I view these connections as divine reminders that meaningful work is never done alone. I am deeply grateful for the support, encouragement, and faith that have sustained this mission over the years.
It is this sense of calling, gratitude, and responsibility that keeps the doors of On Solid Grounds Counseling open. With continued support, we remain dedicated to strengthening families, restoring hope, and creating pathways toward healing for those who need it most.
Pricing:
- Grants and Medicaid
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.onsolidgrounds.com
- Instagram: drpinc
