Find a therapist in Lynchburg, VA — covered by insurance

This field is everything to me. I have been fully licensed for a short time but have worked in mental health for over 10 years in many roles. Working with clients, being alongside them through their most difficult and profound experiences is, I feel, the biggest honor one could have.

I believe therapy should feel like a place where you can finally exhale. You don’t have to have the right words, know exactly what you need, or arrive with everything figured out.

My approach is warm, compassionate, and deeply human. I work with people who may feel overwhelmed, stuck, disconnected from themselves, or exhausted from carrying too much for too long. Together, we make space to understand what you’ve been through, what your nervous system has learned to protect you from, and what you need now in order to heal and move forward.

I created Gentle Ground Therapy with the hope of offering exactly what the name represents—a soft place to land, where you can feel supported, understood, and safe enough to grow.

You are more than what has happened to you, and healing does not mean becoming someone new. Sometimes it means gently finding your way back to yourself.

I want you to know that my heart is to walk with you. No matter what you are bringing into counseling with you, I desire to provide you with a safe space where you can be confident in knowing that you are seen, heard, and known.

I am Dr. LaTaya T. Whitaker, DNP, PMHNP‐BC, FNP‐BC, a dual‐certified Nurse Practitioner with more than twenty years of experience in primary care, urgent care, occupational health, and psychiatric mental health. My practice is grounded in whole‐person, evidence‐based care that supports both physical and emotional wellbeing. Over the years, I’ve worked in federal agency clinics, community health settings, and academic nursing programs, where I’ve had the privilege of teaching and mentoring students at the undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral levels. I specialize in treating anxiety, depression, trauma‐related concerns, mood disorders, and life transitions. I am deeply committed to providing accessible, equitable mental health care and helping individuals move toward stability, clarity, and long‐term wellness.

Thank you for reaching out for assistance. I have been providing mental health interventions and support for 36 years as an LCSW. I have also been credentialed as a trauma and ICU nurse and very early on in my professional life I was a special education teacher and received a masters in education as well.

My first few decades in practice was dedicated to the care and treatment of children 4 -12 years of age and adolescents 13 to 18 many who had been adjudicated for protection. Because of my nursing background and work in oncology I also have experience in providing supportive care for loss and grief issues as well as education and support for chronic illness, and post trauma care.

I have in the past 15 years began to work also with adults. I am licensed in EMDR interventions for PTSD both acute and chronic post trauma effects.

Because of my medical background i try and include a holistic approach to understanding both the physical and psychological issues my clients may be experiencing .

I am a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) with almost 20 years of professional work experience addressing a range of mental health issues across the lifespan. Most of my life was spent in East Tennessee but my career experience began in Virginia where I obtained my counseling license in 2014. In 2020 I moved to Yuma, Arizona, and am eligible to work with clients in both states.

Education and Credentials:

I received my Bachelor's degree in Psychology in 2003 from Radford University in Radford, Virginia. I soon followed it with my Master's degree in Counseling in 2007 at East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee. In 2021 I received my School Counseling Certificate from the state of Arizona.

Hi there! I'm Courtney Goolsby, an LPC in the state of Virginia. I have been working in the mental health field for over 10 years and truly love assisting in the creation of change. I specialize in working with individuals experiencing anxiety, depression, stress, burnout, and communication challenges.