Anxiety and depression therapists and psychiatrists in Lynchburg, VA

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 am a Licensed Professional Counselor in Virginia and a Healing-Centered Engagement Practitioner trained through The Flourish Agenda in California. I am passionate about helping clients build self-confidence and self-worth while making sense of life’s complexities. I have been serving clients as as mental health professional for five years in private practice, group counseling settings and experience in emergency services.

⭐Rita Ososanya, DNP, PMHNP‐BC, is a board‐certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with more than twenty years of nursing experience and six years dedicated to advanced psychiatric practice. She specializes in comprehensive psychiatric evaluations, diagnostic formulation, and evidence‐based medication management for adults with complex mental health needs, including mood disorders, anxiety, trauma‐related conditions, psychotic disorders, ADHD, and substance use disorders. Her DNP training strengthened her leadership, clinical decision‐making, and commitment to measurement‐based, patient‐centered care. Rita is known for her calm, empathetic communication style and her ability to collaborate effectively across interdisciplinary teams to support safe, individualized, and trauma‐informed treatment.

I’m Dr. Carly Ellman, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and sports social worker with over 15 years of experience supporting individuals, families, and athletes across a wide range of life transitions.

My therapy style is warm, honest, collaborative, and grounded in compassion. I believe you are the expert of your own life, and my role is to help you build clarity, confidence, and tools that support your wellbeing both inside and outside the therapy room.

Whether you’re navigating anxiety, burnout, life transitions, relationship challenges, sport-related stress, or a desire for deeper self-understanding, you’ll find a safe, non-judgmental place to explore and grow.

My background includes clinical practice, college teaching, and working directly with youth, parents, and coaches to strengthen mental health, resilience, and relationships through evidence-based approaches.

I’ve also earned a Sports Social Work Certificate and serve on the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee Mental Health Registry, where I work with athletes navigating performance pressure, identity, anxiety, and stress.

My practice is rooted in delivering high-quality, patient-centered care designed to help you navigate and improve your mental well-being. I believe in a comprehensive treatment model with evidence-based medication management and tailored interventions.

I specialize in treating depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, psychosis, and the mental health complexities of chronic medical illness. My expertise also extends to sleep disorders, stress reduction, and dual diagnosis.

If you’re looking for an LPC in Virginia, I offer a welcoming space to talk through what’s bringing you to therapy. I’m accepting new clients.

I'm April — a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has worked alongside people in some of the hardest chapters of their lives: crisis moments in emergency settings, school hallways with overwhelmed teenagers, and outpatient rooms where families were trying to figure out how to be in the same room again. That range of experience has shaped how I work. I know that anxiety looks different in a 15-year-old than it does in a 40-year-old. I know that couples who love each other can still feel like strangers. And I know that healing isn't linear — it takes time, trust, and the right support.

I specialize in anxiety, depression, trauma, relationship and marital concerns, family conflict, parenting challenges, life transitions, and emotional regulation. I work with children, teens, adults, couples, and families. For clients who want it, I also offer faith-integrated counseling that weaves Christian beliefs and values into the therapeutic process — thoughtfully, ethically, and at your pace.