Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelly Childress.
Hi Kelly, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I began my career as a counselor immediately after completing college and graduate school. As a young therapist, I found myself in a role many early-career clinicians do—working with children. During those early years, I worked in a variety of settings, including in-home family therapy with at-risk youth, state agencies, and schools. The work was challenging. Many of the families I served had limited resources and were often navigating involvement with social services. The children I worked with were struggling, and through supporting them, I grew both personally and professionally.
In my role as a school-based mental health counselor, I began to recognize how essential parent and family involvement is to a child’s success and long-term outcomes. At the same time, I realized I felt increasingly isolated in my work. While I deeply valued the children I served, I found myself longing for a more collaborative, team-based environment.
An opportunity eventually led me to transition into marketing, where I spent six years working in corporate marketing for a national brand. I loved this work. As a consultant within the marketing department, I discovered that many of the skills I had developed as a counselor—listening, problem-solving, and understanding people—translated seamlessly. At the same time, I experienced the joy of being part of a healthy, collaborative team.
During this season, my husband and I began growing our family. After a journey through infertility and the birth of our first daughter, we felt led to pursue adoption for our second child. This experience was beautiful, fast-moving, and also deeply challenging. Adoption often begins in a place of brokenness, and as we stepped into that community, my eyes were opened to both its profound joys and its complexities.
Meanwhile, my corporate role continued to be a place of fulfillment, and for a time, I did not consider returning to counseling. That changed when my company required a relocation to Atlanta in order for me to continue in my role. After much prayer, we made the decision to stay in Greenville and decline the opportunity.
After several more twists and turns, I found myself returning to counseling—this time in private practice with Greenville Counseling Associates. As I re-entered the field, I spent time discerning where I felt called to invest. While much of my past experience was with children, I had also worked with women and young mothers and initially felt drawn to focus there. However, through prayer, it became clear that our personal journey through adoption was a meaningful starting point for serving others. I began working with adoptive families, children, and women navigating the everyday challenges of life.
In private practice, I quickly saw the unique value that Greenville Counseling Associates offered our community—a group of licensed therapists with diverse training and a shared Christian faith. I loved being part of that mission. At the same time, I noticed that the structure of the practice was primarily geared toward adults. I began to develop a vision for a similar practice, but one intentionally designed for children and families.
I imagined a space where children could move, play, and express themselves naturally—where play would be recognized as essential to connection and learning. I envisioned a setting with outdoor space, rooms designed for creativity and engagement, and offices large enough to comfortably include both children and their parents. I shared these ideas at times with the partners at Greenville Counseling Associates and even explored starting something on my own, but never felt a sense of peace about moving forward independently.
Then, in March 2024, one of the partners at GCA sat down with me and presented the very vision I had quietly been carrying. It was a surreal moment—I felt as though my thoughts had been read. He invited me to partner in launching a new practice focused on children and families.
That fall, Abide Greenville was born.
Since then, we have grown into a team of eight therapists, and it is truly a privilege to work alongside each of them. Every member of our team brings a wealth of experience and unique gifts, allowing us to offer a wide range of care to children and families in Greenville. The vision I once held—of working within an encouraging, collaborative team while engaging in deeply meaningful work—has been fully realized. It feels like a beautiful intersection of what I loved about my time in corporate marketing and the calling and privilege of counseling. I am incredibly thankful to see this vision come to life in both our team and a space intentionally designed with families in mind.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Our timeline to open Abide was constrained by an opportunity my husband was simultaneously offered at work. We had hoped for years to live internationally with his company. The chance for him to work in Munich, Germany and our family to live there for 18 months presented itself at the same time my business partners and I were looking for an office for Abide. My partners were incredibly supportive and collaborated on a way for me to launch and lead Abide while moving overseas for a year. We needed to have the practice opened by the fall of 2024 in order for everything to come together and finding a property was more difficult than expected. Thankfully we found our office at the end of August, and moved in at the first of October.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Our counseling practices focuses on therapy for children and families. We also see individual adults. Within our group we have counselors who specialized in anxiety for adolescents, behavioral challenges, trauma, grief and divorce, and play therapy. As a group we often look at an individuals needs through the lens of attachment, understanding that our behaviors and big emotions are communication and expression of needs. I love the diversity of our team. In our practice, families will find a place where kids feel comfortable and parents are engaged.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
I always say that I couldn’t have written my story. It was a plan I never had, but parts I definitely dreamed of. I think the key is to be faithful with the step that is in front of you. The next piece will unfold from that.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.abidegreenville.com
- Facebook: Abide Greenville
