Natalie Grubbs

Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Practice, Georgia State University, 2013
M.Ed. in School Counseling, Georgia State University, 2003
B.A. in Psychology, Spelman College, 1998

Preschool and Elementary school counseling
Independent (private) school counseling
Creativity in counseling
Responding to trauma and crises in schools
Diversity, equity, and inclusion
Parent training and education

Natalie Grubbs is a clinical assistant professor in the College of Education & Human Development’s Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS) department and the coordinator for CPS’s school counseling graduate program.

Before joining Georgia State University’s faculty full time, Grubbs worked as a school counselor in both public and independent (private) schools for 18 years, working with children ranging from age three through high school. She is a licensed professional counselor in Georgia and has also worked with children, adolescents and their parents through a limited private practice, specializing in the management of stress, anxiety and disruptive behaviors.

Grubbs has extensive experience in responding to trauma and crises in schools and in the development of trauma-informed school counseling programs and interventions. She has a special interest in creativity in counseling and loves incorporating creative counseling approaches utilizing play, children’s media and literature, art and activity in her work with children, teachers, parents and colleagues. As a counselor educator, she draws from her experiences and interests to integrate creative experiential activities into lessons and assignments in order to enhance student engagement and learning.

She approaches counseling and counselor education through a lens of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and has worked to promote anti-racist education in schools through the delivery of culturally responsive school counseling programs, the creation of community resource guides to further multicultural knowledge and skills, the facilitation of “critical conversations” about DEI among school faculty members and parents, and through the implementation of school affinity groups.

She loves sparking excitement and passion about counseling in counselors-in-training and early career counselors, and she has served as a supervisor, instructor and mentor to many throughout her career. She has maintained active involvement in several professional associations and organizations and has been recognized by peers for her outstanding work as a counseling practitioner.