Meet Amber Jointer

We recently connected with Amber Jointer and have shared our conversation below.

Amber, thrilled to have you on the platform as I think our readers can really benefit from your insights and experiences. In particular, we’d love to hear about how you think about burnout, avoiding or overcoming burnout, etc.

For a long time, I wore burnout like a name tag—part of the job, part of the hustle. I came up in environments where overextension was celebrated and exhaustion was a weird kind of flex. The more you gave, the more “dedicated” you looked. And as someone who used to be a chronic people pleaser, I didn’t just go along with it—I became fluent in it. I made a full-time job out of saying yes, managing other people’s expectations, and convincing myself that boundaries were optional.

But eventually, it began to impact me. Not dramatically, not all at once—but in subtle, grinding ways. I noticed I was less present, less clear, less effective and less joyful. The empathy I had worked so hard to build felt like it was leaking out of me. And when I looked around for support, the message was always the same: keep pushing.

One day I looked in the mirror and it became visible that I wasn’t getting enough rest and was taking too much on. I realized I had to unlearn a lot of what had been drilled into me. Burnout wasn’t a sign I was doing it right—it was a sign I had been doing it wrong for too long. I had to rewire how I thought about my worth, my time, and my energy. I stopped letting my calendar (and other people) tell me who I was. I learned to say no without spiraling into guilt. And I started giving myself permission to shift my rhythm with the seasons of life instead of pretending I could run at the same speed forever.

Reclaiming my time meant paying attention to myself—not just in theory, but in practice. I started asking what I needed, every day. More rest? Less screen time? Fewer meetings? A walk without multitasking? A vacation? I began to give myself what I used to reserve only for others: space, patience, and care. And because healing isn’t a weekend retreat—it’s daily maintenance.

Now I work differently. I live differently. I protect my peace like it’s my most valuable credential. My advice to others…..put your own oxygen mask on first before helping others. You will end up being able to give more when you are pouring from an overflowing cup.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I serve individuals across Georgia, Iowa, and South Carolina through my private practice Grey Stone Guidance. Sessions are held via secure video platform, offering flexibility and accessibility to clients with demanding schedules, health concerns, or geographic limitations. I provide individual therapy tailored to a range of concerns including anxiety, depression, trauma, neurodivergence (including autism and ADHD), identity exploration, burnout, and life transitions. My work is trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and affirming.

Grey Stone Guidance was created with intention—born from both personal experience and clinical expertise. The name itself is inspired by the Grey Rock Method, a strategy rooted in emotional neutrality and self-preservation, often used to maintain peace in the presence of chaos. To me, it symbolizes what therapy should be: steady, grounded, and protective. Through this practice, I aim to offer exactly that—a safe, responsive space where healing can occur naturally.

My own journey includes years spent in high-demand environments where burnout was the norm and boundaries were blurred. I was a chronic people pleaser, praised for my endurance but disconnected from my needs. Over time, I came to understand that true service begins with self-preservation. Grey Stone Guidance reflects that shift—away from performance and toward sustainability, intentionality, and wellness that honors the whole person.

At Grey Stone, I hold space for those who are tired of holding everything on their own. My practice centers client autonomy, emotional safety, and meaningful therapeutic connection. I offer weekday and limited evening appointments, with private-pay options and sliding scale availability for qualifying clients. I also am in network with most major health insurance companies. I remain committed to improving access while maintaining the quality and consistency of care.

Grey Stone Guidance is a space for clarity, restoration, and self-reclamation.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

1. Clinical Adaptability
My ability to pivot between modalities and tailor approaches to each client’s needs is one of the most impactful tools I bring into the therapy room. Whether I’m drawing from CBT, DBT, ACT, or trauma-focused work, I focus less on the model and more on what actually fits the client in front of me. Therapy isn’t one-size-fits-all. I stay flexible, curious, and responsive—adapting to the client’s pace, language, and goals.

2. Nervous System Awareness
Understanding the nervous system—how trauma, stress, and burnout live in the body—has transformed the way I work. I help clients track their internal cues, regulate their systems, and respond with intention rather than reactivity. This knowledge isn’t just theoretical; it shapes how I pace sessions, and how I support people in returning to safety within themselves through improved nervous system regulation.

3. Authentic Alignment
What I offer in my practice is deeply aligned with how I live. I’ve moved through the cycles of burnout, over-responsibility, and self-neglect—and I’ve done the work to step out of them. That personal evolution informs everything: how I set boundaries, how I design my schedule, and how I support clients in creating lives that feel sustainable. My work is guided by more than theory alone—it’s grounded in experience, and in a commitment to showing up fully, without pretense. That alignment between my values and my practice creates a therapeutic space that’s honest, steady, and deeply human.

Thanks so much for sharing all these insights with us today. Before we go, is there a book that’s played in important role in your development?

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho is one of those rare books that doesn’t just tell a story—it invites you into your own. When I first read it, I didn’t realize how much I needed the reminder that purpose isn’t something you chase—it’s something you live into, one step at a time.

At its core, the book is about listening to what Coelho calls your “Personal Legend”—the inner knowing that calls you toward who you’re meant to be. That idea resonated with me deeply, especially as someone who spent years in roles and rhythms that didn’t fully reflect my values. Like the shepherd Santiago, I had to leave behind what felt comfortable and predictable to follow something more meaningful—something that didn’t always make sense to others, but felt undeniably right to me.

One of the book’s greatest lessons is that the path isn’t linear—and that obstacles are not signs of failure, but initiations. That perspective helped me reframe many of the challenges I’ve faced, particularly during times of transition and burnout. I started to see disruption not as derailment, but as redirection. The Alchemist gave me language for what I already knew in my body: that intuition matters, that timing has wisdom, and that what is meant for us rarely arrives in a straight line.

It also affirmed something I’ve seen in both my life and my clinical work—that fulfillment doesn’t come from reaching a destination, but from becoming someone you can trust along the way. That inner clarity, that quiet alignment—that’s the treasure. Everything else is just part of the unfolding.

The Alchemist continues to remind me that my path is mine for a reason. And that walking it with integrity is not just the journey—it’s the reward.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.greystoneguidance.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greystoneguidance/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61554829409817