Member Spotlight Mary McKinney Mary McKinney grew up in Spruce Pine. She earned a master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Appalachian State University and remained in Boone for about a year, returning in 2001 with her husband and daughters to open her private practice. Mary’s mountain heritage is aptly reflected in the birthday tribute recently penned by her younger daughter who described their family as “a country, mountain, snuff-chewin’, shotgun-pullin’, porch-sittin’, home-cookin’, Spam-eatin’, trail-stompin’, sweet, lovin’, self-healin’, fierce, loyal, Appalachian royal family.” Mary’s passions include her blood, legal, and chosen family, her fur babies, trees, shattering stigma, and mental health justice. Much of her 29-year mental health career has been devoted to supporting clients in prevention of and healing from trauma. She seeks opportunities to embrace the dignity and worth of every person – including those of us who experience trauma and who struggle with addiction and other mental illness – and to shatter stigma against us in her professional, faith, and family life. She is proud to be part of WCCI’s work in the community, as a sometime speaker and as part of the prevention subcommittee. Mary is the chairperson of the W.I.S.E. (Welcoming, Inclusive, Supportive, and Engaged for all mental health and illness) team for her church, High Country United Church of Christ. Mary’s understanding of how trauma affects all health has developed during more than 29 years working in the mental health field and through her own lived experience with an ACE score of 7, as a survivor of domestic violence, living with PTSD, and as the mother of daughters and stepsons who experienced developmental and other trauma, and daughters and a stepson who experience(d) severe addiction and other mental health struggles. | 
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