Bipolar disorder therapists & psychiatrists in Chesterfield, VA

Dr. Rivera employs an integrative style that focuses on the individual's sleep, diet, physical and mental fitness. He enjoys working in particular with weight loss, men's wellness, de-prescription from psychotropic medications, and detox from long-term substance use: tobacco, alcohol, opioids, and benzodiazepines. Furthermore, he specializes in the diagnosis and management of attention, mood, anxiety, and psychotic disorders.

Life can be hard and sometimes overwhelming, but there is light, even if you can’t see it right now. You don’t have to carry everything alone. With support, healing and growth are possible. You deserve a space where you feel heard, understood, and supported without judgment. Starting therapy can feel vulnerable, but I’m here to walk alongside you. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Virginia with over 10 years of experience in the helping profession, including clinical mental health work since 2020. I earned my Master of Science in Education in Clinical Mental Health and School Counseling from Old Dominion University. I work with adolescents, young adults, adults, couples, and veterans ages 11 to 40 supporting concerns such as life transitions, relationships, anxiety, depression, stress, trauma, self-esteem, and personal growth. I focus on building a genuine connection and creating a safe, welcoming space where you can be yourself. I value cultural humility and honor your unique experiences and strengths, meeting you where you are while supporting your growth. I believe healing happens in supportive relationships. Whether you’re facing challenges, processing the past, or moving into a new chapter, I’m here to support you. There is hope, and together we can help you move forward. Outside of counseling, I enjoy singing, painting, music, travel, and exploring different cultures, which help keep me grounded and inspired.

Feeling overwhelmed, lost, or unsure where to start? You've come to the right place.

With over 17 years of clinical experience across a variety of settings, I specialize in creating a warm, judgment-free space where you can explore your concerns at your own pace. Whether you arrive with specific goals in mind, need help identifying them, or simply need somewhere to exhale.

I work with children, adults, couples, and families navigating a wide range of challenges, including depression, anxiety, behavioral concerns, relationship difficulties, and life transitions. Whatever brings you here, I bring deep clinical expertise, genuine compassion, and a commitment to helping you move toward the mental health and life you deserve.

My work is grounded in developmental psychology, neuroscience, and trauma treatment. I mostly use Brainspotting in my practice because it's effective for regulation. My approach focuses on identifying and disrupting the developmental patterns driving those experiences by working with the brain and nervous system where they were formed and continue to be reinforced. Rather than teaching you how to better manage the same struggles, my goal is to help you create meaningful, lasting transformation so you can move forward with greater freedom, clarity, and confidence.

As a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, I believe mental health care should be collaborative and centered on who you are as an individual. I support adolescents and adults navigating anxiety, depression, ADHD, PTSD, OCD, mood disorders, and more. Through trauma-informed care, evidence-based practices, individualized treatment plans, comprehensive medication management, and therapeutic support, I create a judgment-free space where we can show up authentically and work together toward meaningful progress. My background includes experience as an outpatient psychiatric provider, inpatient psychiatric registered nurse, and in community reproductive health, allowing me to bring a broad and well-rounded perspective to the care I provide. I hold a Master of Science in Nursing and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Sociology, which have shaped my understanding of the many varying factors that impact mental health.

I work with adults from all backgrounds and experiences. I will help you achieve your goals, reduce symptoms, and develop the life you envision.

My name is A.J. Esguerra. I am a Licensed Professional Counselor and have been working in the mental health field since 2001. I have split my time primarily between working in residential treatment with abused and neglected children, and most recently in a private therapeutic day school for children and adolescents with special needs (which remains my full-time job). However, after COVID, I felt it was part of my purpose and mission to begin providing online therapy part time. My belief is that the world needs connection more than ever, and there are few things more protective or more resilient than a positive relationship with another person

When navigating challenges like anxiety, depression, or trauma, it is easy to assume that something is fundamentally wrong with you. If you are struggling with low self-concept, anger, or substance usage, you might view these obstacles as personal failures. My goal is to completely shift that narrative. Together, we will look at what is going on with you, rather than what is wrong with you.

Since 1993, I have spent over 30 years helping individuals recognize their innate strengths and leverage them to overcome life’s hardest hurdles. Throughout my career, I have developed deep clinical expertise, obtaining specific, formal certifications across multiple states to ensure you receive highly credentialed and adaptive care.

Taking that first step to reach out for support can feel intimidating. Because of this, our introductory session is designed to be a safe, collaborative space. We will explore what is currently going well, examine the challenges you are experiencing, and align on your expectations for therapy. My primary objective is to establish an empowering professional relationship built entirely on your strengths.

Hi, my name is Austin and welcome to my private practice. As a man who has been deeply affected and healed by counseling, I get the need and role of counseling firsthand. This is why I love counseling: I believe humans were created to share their stories and to work through difficulties together. Counseling is my life’s passion. I am truly honored and delighted to now walk alongside others in dark places toward durable hope and lasting change.

I am personally acquainted with the pain of grief. After the loss of my mother to suicide, I began a counseling journey that revealed many unexplored areas in my life that needed compassion and care. These experiences have brought me face to face with life’s difficulties.

I received my Bachelor’s Degree from the United States Air Force Academy (Colorado Springs, CO) in Foreign Area Studies (Russia and Eastern Europe). After graduation, I worked as a military aviator and US Air Force Officer in domestic and international locations. I returned to graduate school to pursue a Master’s of Arts in Counseling and a Master’s of Divinity at Covenant Theological Seminary. Over the years, as a counselor, I have worked in a community-based counseling center, as a staff counselor for a church counseling center, and I am now in independent practice, working with men, veterans, couples, and families navigating trauma and PTSD, and the many ups and downs of life.

I have traveled throughout the world during my Air Force career. Seeing the many ways humans experience the world, in all its pain and joy, has only increased my passion to care for others. From working with teenagers and their struggles to individuals seeking hope to the married couple with decades of experience to everyone in between. I love working with people who are struggling and want change.

I believe therapy works best when clients feel safe, heard, and genuinely supported. I strive to create a warm, nonjudgmental, and collaborative environment where clients can show up as their authentic selves. My approach is compassionate, direct when needed, and focused on helping clients build practical tools for everyday life while also exploring deeper emotional patterns and experiences.

I enjoy working with individuals navigating anxiety, life transitions, relationship concerns, self-esteem challenges, stress, identity exploration, and emotional overwhelm. I am passionate about supporting LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC clients and creating an affirming therapeutic space where clients feel respected and understood.

I understand that starting therapy can feel vulnerable, and my goal is to meet clients where they are while helping them move toward healing, clarity, and meaningful growth.

I work with adults 18+ and families navigating trauma, PTSD, anxiety, grief, burnout, boundaries, communication breakdown, relationship conflict, and emotional cycles that feel stuck. My style is warm, direct, collaborative, and grounded in real-world tools that fit your life. You should know this isn’t about perfection or starting fully “ready”—it’s about being met where you are, making sense of what’s been heavy, and building clarity, resilience, and momentum forward in a supported space.

Personal Statement

Trauma has a way of convincing you that you're stuck, broken, or always waiting for the next bad thing to happen. The good news? None of that has to be your forever. I work with young adults who are tired of just surviving. Whether you're dealing with PTSD, childhood trauma, anxiety, relationship patterns that keep repeating themselves, or emotions that seem to have a mind of their own, we'll figure it out together. My therapy style is anything but robotic. I show up as a real person, and I invite you to do the same. Therapy with me is collaborative, creative, and tailored to who you are.