LGBT therapists in Asheville, NC

I am a License Clinical Addiction Specialist, License Clinical Mental Health Counselor, and a Certified Trauma Therapist II. I received my Master’s in Counseling from Longwood University. I have been working with those suffering from addiction and co-occurring disorders since 2011 in an outpatient and inpatient setting.

I earned my Masters in Social Work, and am licensed as a Clinical Social Worker. I also earned a Masters in Science in Hospice and Palliative Studies. I started this degree in Michigan, but I did my internship after I moved here in the Bereavement Department of Four Seasons Hospice in Flat Rock NC. I have continued to learn through Continuing Education. I am a lifelong learner, so I continue to learn and to teach and utilize what I have gained with clients in session. I have trained extensively in Mindfulness, Self Compassion, Compassion Focused Therapy, Grief and Loss, and Death and Dying, and Non Violent Communication. I am also trained in and utilize Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, and Motivational Interviewing.

In my past position of working as clinical Therapist, a large part of my clientele was working with clients struggling with anxiety, depression, ADHD, Communication, and focusing on working with women primarily. I would like to continue to with that focus. In the past I also worked with children and families with Intensive In Home, and people who were homeless, primarily women, with ABCCM. I learned a lot through these experiences that benefit me with my current work.

I enjoy empowering clients with ADHD to understand their gifts and strengths, and to learn ways to feel supported with the struggles of living with ADHD, by learning new coping skills, psycho education, to gain new insights, and feel stronger within themselves.

I have focused much of my clinical enjoy working with women, especially older women, guiding them toward fierce compassion, along with re-creating themselves as they are grow in strength and feel their possibilities in a new way.

I am from Charlotte, NC where I was born and raised. To say that my childhood had it's challenges was an understatement. It was through overcoming those challenges that I discovered my heart for helping women heal. I graduated from Appalachian State University in 2011 having studied Psychology. I fell in love with the mountains and working with female survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. This spurred me onward to complete my Masters in Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2015. I have been a licensed therapist since 2016 and recently transitioned into private practice. I have a 3.5 year old son and we live happily in Weaverville, NC where we regularly hike, swim, and take in the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains that we are lucky to call home.

Life is hard. Sometimes you need a helping hand to overcome challenges and to live your best life. I believe you have the ability and power to heal yourself and to improve your situation. My goal is to help you have a life filled with joy and meaning, whatever that looks like to you. I work with children, youth and adults who are struggling with their identity, their relationships, their beliefs, their emotions, their past, their work life, their academics, their athletic performance, and their life goals. People I have helped include those with depression, anxiety, mood disorders, neurodiversity, and gender expression issues.

I graduated with a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor in Belton, Texas and have been working in the mental health field since 2018.

I completed my internship experiences at the Chaplain Family Life Training Center in Fort Hood, TX, and the Community Life Counseling Center in Belton, TX, from 2016-2018.

I have experience working in residential treatment, and a group practice setting in Asheville, NC before deciding to open Auden Counseling. I am licensed as a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor by the North Carolina Board of Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselors.

I am a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor with a background in school counseling and emotional wellness support for children, teens, and adults. I work with clients navigating anxiety, stress, ADHD, life transitions, identity development, and family or relationship challenges. I aim to create a space where clients feel safe, understood, and supported. I value collaboration and use an integrative approach to tailor therapy to each person's needs, strengths, and goals.

I earned my BSN from Duke University in 2014, my Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) degree from Gonzaga University in 2017, and my Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) degree from Johns Hopkins University in 2020. I also completed a Plant-Based Nutrition certification through Cornell University. My background spans both community and mental health care, including experience at a large community health center in Washington, DC, where I worked with individuals from diverse backgrounds and life circumstances. My foundation in family medicine has given me extensive experience caring for people with co-occurring mental health and complex medical conditions. I also have significant experience supporting individuals who have experienced trauma and strive to provide compassionate, whole-person care that meets each patient's unique needs.

I'm Joellen Rhyndress, LCSW, and I specialize in working with veterans, first responders, and executives — and I genuinely love this work. I'm trained in EMDR and have spent years as a trauma expert, particularly around critical incidents and life-disrupting events. I've worked with over 250 clients and I understand your world, your culture, and what it takes to finally ask for help.

I am a dual-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) and Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), which allows me to care for both mental and physical health in a more integrated way. I work with individuals across the lifespan and support a wide range of concerns including anxiety, depression, mood disorders, psychotic symptoms, ADHD, trauma-related symptoms, and stress-related challenges.

My background in both psychiatry and primary care helps me understand how closely mental health is connected to physical health, lifestyle, and overall well-being. I strive to provide care that is thoughtful, personalized, and rooted in evidence-based practice.

Life can leave us carrying experiences that feel too heavy to hold alone. Whether you’re facing the impact of trauma, struggling in relationships, navigating grief and loss, managing anger, or working through challenges related to substance use, therapy can offer a space to pause, reflect, and begin again. The healing is not a "one-size-fits-all" process; my goal is to utilize an evidence-based intervention that you feel really "clicks" with how you view life and approach problem-solving. Common interventions I utilize include: EMDR, CBT, DBT, Motivational Interviewing, Solution-focused Brief Therapy, and Psychodynamic Therapy.