Gretchen Grierson
College of Liberal Arts Alumna of the Year
It’s difficult for Gretchen Grierson to say with certainty what sparked her interest in psychology — an interest that led to her earning two degrees from her hometown university. Which in turn led to an impactful, rewarding, and diverse career, one whose sole focus is to help others.
As for how she acquired the primary characteristics — empathy, compassion, and a desire to listen without passing judgment — needed to be a successful professional therapist? Now that is something Greierson can pinpoint.
Simply put: It’s part of her DNA.
“When I was in middle school, a friend gave me the nickname ‘Dear Abby,’ because I enjoyed being a listener with my friends and was always curious about why people made the decisions they did in their circumstances,” Grierson says. “For that, I owe a great debt to my beautiful mother and father, who taught me how to love and find the good in others.
“Because my parents passed those traits to me, it was always natural to connect and ally with people. And over time, I instinctively learned how to listen to, learn from, and support others.”
Those unique and revered skills have served Grierson well throughout her career — and on multiple fronts.
As a marriage and family therapist for the past 30 years — the last 25 of which have been spent in private practice — the lifelong Las Vegas resident has provided care, support, and hope to hundreds of families, couples, and individuals (some as young as 6 years old).
As a state-employed mental health counselor at Mission High School — the nation’s first publicly funded recovery high school — Grierson has spent the past seven years as part of a team that assists students who are looking to break free from the grips of substance abuse and addiction get their lives back on track (while also providing ancillary family support).
And as the founder and managing partner of — a fundraising vendor for nonprofits that launched in January 2023 — Grierson has found a new way to fuel her intense passion for giving back (which first surfaced in her early teens).
One entity that is more than a little familiar with Grierson’s generous spirit: 51ԹϺ. Over the years, the university has benefited from the consistent and extensive support of Grierson and her family. It's a family that includes two other 51ԹϺ alumni in husband Steve (’92 BA Psychology; ’97 MS Counseling) and son Andrew (’22 BA Business Entrepreneur), as well as daughter Katie (who attended college out of state, but not before serving as a student intern at the 51ԹϺ-affiliated ).
Among the university departments with which Grierson has aligned herself over the years: the College of Liberal Arts (student mentor and annual giver to the Sam Lieberman Memorial Scholarship); the Department of Psychology (Rebels Give); the Alumni Association (six-year board member serving the College of Liberal Arts, and current Legacy Board member); and the Dr. Duane Grierson Memorial Scholarship, which is administered through the Public Education Foundation.
Not surprisingly, Grierson’s community involvement beyond campus has been just as extensive and important. She has volunteered with the Junior Mesquite Club (Las Vegas’ first ladies-only philanthropic organization that plans fundraising events for local nonprofits); Make A Wish of Southern Nevada; Girl Scouts of Southern Nevada; and Honor Flight Southern Nevada (which supports U.S. veterans of World War II and the Korean and Vietnam wars).
Add it all up, and it makes complete sense that College of Liberal Arts Dean Jennifer Keene enthusiastically supported Grierson for the college’s 2024 Alumni of the Year honor.
“Gretchen’s generous support and affinity [for 51ԹϺ], and her service to the College of Liberal Arts, the 51ԹϺ Alumni Association, and our local community, embodies the true Rebel spirit,” Keene wrote in her nomination letter.
To Grierson, of course, giving back is merely a personal extension of her professional responsibilities to offer a guiding hand to those who need one.
“Connecting with my patients who are in the pursuit of change is the highlight of many of my days,” she says. “Likewise, all the incredible people I’ve met and opportunities I’ve experienced through community service have been enriching and have taught me much about life, history, and purpose.
“Getting to share so many of these activities with my family over the past number of years has made it that much more rewarding.”
What went into your decision to attend 51ԹϺ?
I was born and raised in Las Vegas. However, we had no extended family here — my father’s family lived in Texas and my mother originally lived in Germany — so 51ԹϺ was part of my entire life growing up.
It became an even bigger part when my two older siblings whom I looked up to decided to be Rebels. My brother Victor (’86) graduated with a business and accounting degree, while my sister Dini (’89) earned her degree in nursing.
That doesn’t mean I definitely was going to follow in their footsteps — in fact, during my senior year at Valley High School, I applied and was accepted to the University of Arizona. In the end, though, my heart was stuck on 51ԹϺ. I wanted to keep my roots here, stay close to my parents, and build a life surrounded by family.
Needless to say, I’m glad I did, because I ended up marrying a two-time Rebel graduate. Also, my son and my nephew — my sister’s son — earned their 51ԹϺ degrees in 2022. And I recently learned that my late father applied and was accepted to 51ԹϺ’s accounting program in the 1980s, although he did not attend.
So I come from and am part of a family of Rebels. And I’m very proud of it.
After earning your undergraduate degree in psychology, you immediately returned to campus to pursue your master’s. What went into your decision to jump right into graduate school?
Not long after discovering psychology as an undergraduate, I knew it was right for me. I did not, however, immediately understand all that was needed to become a professional practicing in the field.
That changed when I started paying attention to the conversations of my peers, who were discussing the Graduate Record Examinations (GRE) exam and applying for graduate school. Eventually I realized that was the path I needed to travel to become a practitioner. So I took the GRE during my senior year, applied to 51ԹϺ, and was one of six people selected for the clinical psychology master’s program.
To this day, I remain truly grateful to 51ԹϺ for the opportunity and for what was a great experience.
What academic course at 51ԹϺ still resonates as you go about your everyday business?
In retrospect, a few classes and student experiences still guide me today. One in particular was Dr. Charles Rasmussen’s neuropsychology course — although at the time I was in the class, I was just trying to survive it!
Not long after I started my career working with children in Nevada’s foster care system, I realized the importance of understanding the brain, its functions, and its impact on our relationships. Now, neuropsychology is one of my favorite continuing education areas. It’s such a powerful tool to understand as a practitioner, because it applies to everything — addiction, trauma, our connections, and so much more.
Of the extracurricular activities that you participated in as a 51ԹϺ student, which conjures the fondest memories?
As an undergraduate student, I became involved in Psy Chi, which is the international honor society in psychology. Looking back, I’m glad I made that choice, because that’s how I learned the aforementioned lesson about listening to the conversations of my peers.
As a result of joining Psy Chi, I applied to present at the Western Psychological Association Conference. That’s where I got to know my peers so much better and began to appreciate the importance of having a cohort. Several of these peers would go on to become my graduate school cohorts, as well.
Fun fact: The trip to that conference was the first time in my life that I got on an airplane. I was 21 years old.
Much of your professional experience has been in marriage and family therapy. What drew you to that area of psychology?
Three things: my intuition, personal strengths, and personality.
After completing my master’s, I took a series of coursework required for licensure by the state’s Board of Examiners for Marriage and Family Therapists and Clinical Professional Counselors. I passed those classes, received my license to practice, and haven’t looked back.
Not only did it end up being the absolute right path for me, but there was an element of fate involved: While taking my very last licensing class in summer 1995, I met a fellow classmate who would become my husband.
In addition to running your own marriage and family therapy practice, you work for the state of Nevada as a mental health counselor at Mission High School. How did that job land on your radar, and what is the school’s primary goal?
After 25 years as a private practitioner, I began to explore adding adult mental health to my practice. I met with Ellen Richardson-Adams, who worked as the state of Nevada’s director of outpatient services for the Southern Nevada Adult Mental Health Services agency.
Ellen took a genuine interest in me and discussed a few concepts that the state was launching — one being a mental health recovery high school within the Clark County School District.
Kudos to the state of Nevada for agreeing to fund the positions that were needed to properly support the school and help it achieve its objectives. I was fortunate to be among the initial group of hires, I started in May 2017, and by August we opened school.
As for our mission, it’s simple: Offer direction, opportunity, and hope for students choosing recovery.
What are some positive outcomes you’ve witnessed that confirm the school is making a difference?
That’s difficult to appropriately quantify, because for some of our students, the outcomes are about life or death.
However, two of our alumni have chosen to pursue their Peer Recovery Specialist certifications and now are giving back to our campus. They impress me every day.
The bottom line is this school offers hope to students and families. Both learn about life in recovery — no matter where the student is on their walk through substance misuse, they learn that there is a way through it.
As they complete their required high school coursework, our students learn about the steps and work necessary to live a life free from the destruction that substance abuse and/or addiction bring.
Getting to know these students individually and working with their families has absolutely touched my life in so many ways. The change I have witnessed is inspiring.
Your philanthropic work as it relates to both 51ԹϺ and the greater Las Vegas community is extensive. How did your generous spirit manifest?
I became a “candy striper” at Sunrise Hospital at age 14, which I believe is what set in motion my desire to volunteer. I did this with my sisters and close friends. We learned the many facets of hospital operations and even became acquainted with the concept of leadership.
I enjoyed all the various ways in which the hospital allowed us to volunteer. But more than that, the experience taught me to see the many layers of volunteerism that existed — and how much help was needed.
Then when I was 18, I joined the Junior Mesquite Club with a different group of girlfriends. This is where I discovered many of our community’s nonprofits, learned about their missions, and enjoyed the hands-on manner in which this particular philanthropic group operated.
As an adult, I have continued to love getting involved, whether volunteering for my children’s school PTOs (parent-teacher organizations) or operating my small business — which I run with my son — that supports nonprofits.
A recent 51ԹϺ psychology graduate who is about to embark on their career asks you for one “must do” and one “must don’t.” What’s your response?
Let’s start with the “must don’t”: Do not pretend or claim to be an expert in every mental health speciality. Rather, find the theories that speak to you about how healing is possible and how connections are made, and start there.
As for the “must do”: Keep humbly learning. We have the unique and wonderful privilege of being invited into the most vulnerable areas of our clients’ lives. Stay grounded in that truth.
