Our therapists offer PTSD & trauma therapy in Lynchburg, VA

Christopher is a Licensed Professional Counselor with 7 years of experience working in a variety of counseling settings, including ambulatory crisis stabilization, inpatient hospitalization, residential treatment, and school-based services. Christopher has extensive experience treating clients with mood disorders; anxiety disorders; trauma- and stress-related- disorders; and disruptive, impulse control, and conduct disorders. 

Christopher completed his Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at Randolph College and Masters Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Lynchburg College. He believes in the power of strength-based and person-centered approaches to counseling and that providing a nonjudgmental and encouraging environment can help to stabilize and support individuals with a variety of mental health conditions. 

Christopher enjoys forming open and empathetic relationships with his clients and walking with them through their path to healing and actualization. He utilizes elements of cognitive-behavioral therapy, humanistic therapy, anger management, mindfulness, and dialectical behavior therapy to assist his clients in reaching their goals and improving the quality of their lives.

Megan is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Virginia who has 10 years of experience in working with youth, adolescents, and adults in various clinical settings. She has experience in working with depression, anxiety, life transitions, ADHD, trauma, relationship issues, stress management and self-esteem issues. Megan graduated from the University of Virginia with her Bachelor's degree in Psychology and obtained her Master's degree in Mental Health Counseling from Longwood University. 

Megan utilizes person-centered, supportive, collaborative, cognitive behavioral (CBT), and mindfulness-based methods to assist individuals with meeting their personal counseling goals. She believes that each individual or couple faces unique challenges and offers a variety of different strategies to assist individuals with meeting personal and relationship goals. 

Megan strives to build warm and supportive relationships with individuals and couples to promote positive growth during services. She believes that everyone has the opportunity to lead full and meaningful lives and should have the opportunity to better themselves!

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor Resident with 2 years of experience in the mental health field. I work with individuals, couples, and families, supporting them through identity development, life transitions, trauma, and grief. I also have experience with ADHD, autism, anxiety, depression, and anger management. My goal is to provide a safe, compassionate space where clients feel supported and empowered to reach their goals.

I received my Master of Arts in Counseling from Eastern Mennonite University, where I trained to work with diverse populations. I use approaches such as expressive arts, emotion-focused therapy, person-centered work, and dialectal behavior therapy. I tailor each session to meet my clients’ needs and honor their unique stories.

I believe that everyone has the ability to change and grow. My role is to walk alongside clients, meeting them wherever they are in their journey, and help them make empowered changes in their lives. I strive to support people through whatever challenges life may bring, ensuring they never have to face those challenges alone.

Kimberly Plourde is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the states of Maine and Virginia with many years of experience in the fields of mental health and child welfare. We are all impacted by traumatic events or serious life stressors, which can make us stronger. Kimberly has a desire to help people find the strength and joy that can come through healing the wounds from those events. Kimberly enjoys working with individuals, couples, and families. She brings a warm and friendly approach to this very important process.

Kimberly has been trained in trauma-focused cognitive behavioral treatment as well as motivational interviewing skills. In 2021, Kimberly completed training in Brain Health Coaching Certification (BHCC) with Dr. Daniel Amen.

She received a Master's degree in social work from the University of New England and a Bachelor's degree in social work from Gordon College.

Kimberly has been a member of ASWIS (Alliance of Social Worker in Sport) since 2020 and has been listed in the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee Mental Health Registry since 2020. She has a history of participating in interscholastic and intercollegiate athletics as a player and coach. Kimberly played in professional athletics (WNFL) as well as senior Olympics. She has also worked with college and Olympic athletes assisting them to improve their personal lives and positively improve their athletic performance.

Stephanie Pitts-Riley is a Resident in Counseling with 5 years of experience. Stephanie is trained in EMDR - She is dedicated to helping others navigate life transitions, process grief or trauma, and explore their identity. Stephanie’s ideal client wants to collaborate to regain control of their narrative. Motivated by her own experience navigating mental health, Stephanie is committed to supporting children, adolescents, and adults on the journey toward embracing their authentic selves. She works with all populations, backgrounds, and diagnoses.

Stephanie holds a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Liberty University. She blends counseling theories and techniques to tailor interventions to meet each client's specific needs. As mentioned, Stephanie offers EMDR therapy, traditional talk therapy, and children's therapies and is bilingual in English and Spanish.

With an extensive background in mental health services and social work, Stephanie effectively advocates for clients in a hands-on manner. She fosters accountability and personal growth by creating a space of acceptance, respect, and kindness. Reach out to start your path to healing and self-discovery!

Cassie Stolec is a Resident in Counseling with 2 years of experience helping clients navigate anxiety, stress, identity development, and significant life transitions. She is dedicated to fostering personal growth and emotional resilience in a safe, compassionate environment. Throughout her career, she has worked with children, young adults, and middle-aged adults, providing tailored support for each stage of life. Cassie’s personalized care empowers clients to gain insight and promotes long-term emotional well-being.

Cassie received her Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Liberty University. She uses cognitive behavioral therapy, rational emotive behavior therapy, and dialectical behavior therapy to help clients challenge negative thought patterns, build emotional resilience, and develop practical coping skills.

Cassie understands that seeking help can feel overwhelming, but she believes in the power of growth through support and self-discovery. With compassion and a client-centered approach, will work with you to navigate challenges and find balance. When you are ready, Cassie is here to help you take the next step toward healing and personal growth.

April Gardner is a Resident in Counseling with 4 years of experience. She works with adults (and their loved ones) dealing with a variety of mental health problems including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, panic disorder, borderline personality disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia and related disorders. April also has experience working with the incarcerated and addiction disorders. She has worked in settings including hospice care, bereavement, community mental health, inpatient hospital, emergency service, and private practice.

April Graduated from Liberty University with her Master’s Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. She specializes in solution-focused brief therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and mindfulness-oriented recovery enhancement. April is non-judgmental and believes that together people can impact the world for the better.

You are the master of your future, and April will partner with you to help set goals and take steps to a better tomorrow. No matter where you have been in the past, the path to healing is only a day away. April warmly invites you to schedule an appointment!

Katie Amar is a Licensed Professional Counselor Resident with 1 year of experience. She specializes in helping individuals navigate anxiety disorders, depression, relationship issues, grief, childhood and sexual trauma, life changes, identity conflicts, and religion. Katie enjoys working with older adolescents and young adults to explore the roots of their issues. She is most familiar with counseling female clients but welcomes individuals of all genders. Katie fosters strong connections through empathy, compassion, and authenticity to create a safe and supportive space where individuals feel truly heard.

Katie received her Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Liberty University. She utilizes cognitive behavioral therapy, cognitive processing therapy, solution-focused therapy, and acceptance and commitment therapy. Katie also offers Christian counseling for those seeking a faith-based approach.

Katie understands that seeking help is a courageous step, and she is here to support you on your journey. She is committed to helping you uncover your strengths and navigate life's challenges. If you're ready to take steps toward a fulfilling and healthy life, Katie looks forward to partnering with you.

I am a Resident in Counseling with over 15 years of experience in the mental health field. My background includes counseling, social work case management, and compliance work with individuals experiencing serious mental illness. I have supported clients navigating trauma, grief, relationship challenges, and complex life transitions, offering care that is compassionate, grounded, and client centered.

I earned my master’s degree in professional counseling from Liberty University. I completed clinical training in both a women’s shelter for survivors of domestic violence and a private counseling practice. My approach is person-centered and trauma-informed, emphasizing safety, trust, collaboration, and emotional awareness.

I am especially passionate about supporting grief, including pet loss, and honoring experiences that are often overlooked or minimized. I strive to provide a warm, nonjudgmental space where you feel seen, supported, and empowered to heal at a pace that feels right for you.

Hi, I'm Geoffrey! I have been practicing as a mental health therapist for more than 3 years, during which time I finished my master's degree in clinical mental health counseling and became a National Certified Counselor (NCC). I have the privilege of serving adults struggling with eating disorders, PTSD, anxiety, depression, and relationship issues.

My therapeutic approach is LGBTQ+ affirming and eclectic, incorporating elements from various modalities. I primarily use cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR).

Therapeutic success is contingent on a few factors: the right provider, with the right modality, at the right time. When you schedule an intake, we can discuss if I am the right provider, if I have the right tools for you, and if now is the right time for you to do therapeutic work. I encourage you to reach out and schedule an appointment.

Carson Winston is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with over 20 years of experience working with children, adolescents, and adults in a variety of clinical settings. Carson attained her professional experience working in residential treatment, outpatient settings, emergency mental health, and hospice. She enjoys assisting individuals in coping with life transitions, grief and loss, postpartum, and relationship issues.

Carson completed both her Bachelor of Science in Psychology and her Master of Education in Community Counseling at Lynchburg College. Carson’s approach to therapy encompasses various techniques from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy, and person-centered therapy. She also uses relaxation and mindfulness-based techniques.

Carson values the individuality of each client and ensures therapy is tailored to clients’ specific needs and preferences. She offers a safe, nonjudgmental space for you to openly express yourself, discover your strengths, and work towards your personal goals.

Jeanie Felty is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in the state of Virginia who has 12 years of experience providing therapeutic services to individuals in a variety of outpatient settings. She has a passion to support those seeking help with perinatal mood and anxiety disorders, perinatal loss and infertility, trauma and adjustment issues, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety, and life transitions. She is trained in perinatal mental health, trauma crisis response, Christian counseling and is an adoption competent counselor.

Jeanie completed her Master's in Professional Counseling at Liberty University. She utilizes an array of therapy strategies with respect to each client’s unique needs and goals as the foundation of a successful counseling experience. She often uses approaches such as cognitive-behavioral, mindfulness-based, person-centered, solution-focused, and narrative therapies. She strongly believes in a collaborative treatment process to build a secure and motivating therapeutic relationship.

Jeanie recognizes that the process of therapy can feel daunting at times and is honored to come alongside those individuals who wish to focus their well-being as they navigate the challenges and opportunities of life.

I am a resident in counseling with 2 years of experience supporting children, adolescents, and adults navigating anxiety, mood concerns, trauma, identity exploration, relationship stress, and life transitions. I have experience working in inpatient and residential settings and provide care to individuals seeking clarity, coping skills, and emotional balance. I focus on helping clients understand patterns, develop practical tools, and create meaningful, sustainable change over time.

I earned my master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling from the University of Lynchburg. My clinical approach is informed by cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, and Adlerian therapy, along with other evidence-based and integrative techniques.

I strive to provide a calm, validating, and collaborative space where you feel heard and supported. Together, we will explore your experiences with compassion and curiosity while working toward goals that align with your values. You do not have to navigate this journey alone, and I would be honored to support you as you move forward.

Jesse Byers is a LPC in the state of Virginia. The client-centered and cognitive approach that Jesse uses has shown to be helpful for clients who are facing issues such as, anxiety, depression, stress, grief, addiction, relationship conflicts, infidelity, men's issues, impulse control, life changes, and premarital counseling. Jesse maintains that people are multifaceted and that spiritual, physical, physiological, emotional, and historical factors can play a role in whether we are living healthy, fulfilling lives. Jesse’s aim is to build trust and respect throughout the counseling relationship so that the experience is positive and clients have the support needed to thrive.

Jesse encourages a safe, therapeutic environment so that clients can explore root causes for hang-ups and begin to make conscious decisions for the positive changes that they seek. He provides feedback and gives clinical assessments throughout the counseling process so that you have all the information that you need to track progress and reach your goals.

Jesse believes that every person is made in God’s image, holds intrinsic value, and is worthy of mutual respect and love by others. Therefore, he encourages clients from a variety of backgrounds, beliefs, and cultural perspectives to reach out for counseling. He has experience using faith-integrated and psychology-based interventions for therapy.

Lynn Lemon is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with over 5 years of clinical experience working with adults in the mental health field. Lynn has experience with individuals diagnosed with anxiety, depression, OCD, PTSD, substance abuse disorder, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. 

She received a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Professional Counseling from Liberty University. Lynn’s therapeutic approach, although eclectic, is greatly influenced by Psychodynamic theory. Each client comes to therapy with different needs and Lynn collaborates with them developing a unique treatment plan. 

She believes in order to move forward one must look within and to the past to uncover obstacles preventing change. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is also used to assist the client in changing negative thought patterns and exposure therapy is also used to overcome the avoidance of situations causing anxiety.

Lynn believes everyone has value and is capable of living the life they dream of. The environment that one is raised in greatly influences how one feels about themselves and interacts with others. There are unconscious patterns that play a role in one’s ability to make choices that will take them from where they are, to where they want to be. To identify the maladaptive automatic responses is the key to growth and to live the life of ones dreams. 

Ruth Ware is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the states of Alabama, Mississippi, and Virginia. She is also Board Certified in Telemental Health. Ruth has 25+ years of experience helping adults and those with issues related to depression, anxiety, life transitions, and addictions issues find their way back to the road of recovery and happiness. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Psychology at Oklahoma State University and received a Master of Human Relations from University of Oklahoma. She also has a Master of Business of Administration. Ruth utilizes collaborative, strengths-based, solution-focused, cognitive behavioral, mindfulness based and experiential approaches to therapy to assist clients to meet their treatment objectives. She remains mindful of individual differences and needs in the process and brings years of experience that allow flexibility and alternatives to meet the needs of each individual. Ruth believes in meeting her clients where they are at the moment. She strives to help them to experience a therapeutic relationship that will allow them to grow and change in the direction they wish to go in their life.

Bryan Hunsley is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) who has 5 years experience working alongside children, adolescents, adults, and couples who are seeking help with depression, anxiety, relationship issues, substance abuse, and crisis intervention. 

Bryan completed his Bachelor of Science (BS) in Religion and his Master of Arts (MA) in Professional Counseling at Liberty University. He utilizes an eclectic approach toward counseling and incorporates techniques from cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), person-centered therapy, and solution-focused therapy. 

Bryan enjoys providing support and encouragement through the counseling process. He seeks to engage with clients in a meaningful way to help them understand how to move forward in meeting their goals and continue their process of personal growth.