WHS Alumnus Dr. Asa T. Briggs Champions Mental Health Care
For Mental Health Awareness Month, The Woodruff Times profiled Woodruff High class of 1997 graduate Dr. Asa T. Briggs, a psychiatric nurse practitioner and founder of Briggs Psychiatry & Behavioral Health.
The Woodruff Times profiled Dr. Asa T. Briggs, DNP, in May 2025 as part of Mental Health Awareness Month. Dr. Briggs graduated from Woodruff High School in 1997 and went on to Clemson University (2002), a master's at Vanderbilt University (2012) and a doctorate from Yale University (2020). He owns Briggs Psychiatry & Behavioral Health, PC, in Greenville.
According to the paper, he planned to be a lawyer until his senior year of college, when he changed course to address what he called the "silent suffering" he saw in family, friends and neighbors. His practice offers psychiatric evaluations, medication management and supportive therapy.
Dr. Briggs told the paper that mental health conditions are medical issues that deserve the same care as conditions like diabetes or hypertension, and that reducing stigma starts with open conversation and education. He named anxiety, depression, trauma and substance use as pressing local concerns, along with a lack of access to culturally competent care. He works with schools, churches and nonprofits, including the Urban League of the Upstate, and the paper reports his practice planned a community mental health education series and expanded telepsychiatry for rural areas.
He also spoke about his faith grounding his work, and offered encouragement to anyone struggling: "You are not alone, and your pain is valid."
If you or someone you know is struggling, talk to a primary care provider, a trusted friend or faith leader, or call or text 988 (the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline).
Read the full story at The Woodruff Times.