LGBT therapists in Lynchburg, VA

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’m Ine Saka, PMHNP-BC, FNP, and founder of Empathy Wellness Center, currently serving Maryland and Virginia. As a board-certified psychiatric and family nurse practitioner, I provide compassionate, holistic, evidence-based care for children, adolescents, and adults. I specialize in ADHD, mood disorders, anxiety, and trauma, integrating traditional psychiatry with wellness-focused approaches to support mind, body, and spirit.

Are you worried that therapy will feel awkward and formal? It doesn’t have to be. As a Licensed Professional Counselor with over 10 years of experience, I have learned that people are more complicated than a diagnosis, a history, or a list of things that have gone "wrong." Therapy should be a place where you can be honest, curious, and fully yourself. You shouldn't have to worry about saying the 'right thing', or knowing exactly what you want out of the experience.

As a child growing up in New Orleans, LA, I struggled feeling seen, heard, and as if I truly belonged. I realized at a young age people (of all ages) shared with me their vulnerable, intimate and personal stories. And as I listened and held space for their concerns, these story-tellers felt a sense of relief, seemed lighter and a smile spread across their face.

I began wondering why people do what they do. This led me to gain education, strategies and tools to understand human behavior and development, learn how to effectively hold space for another, and begin supporting others with empathy; allowing them to feel seen, heard, and belong.

In the process, I chose to become a stepmom. I learned first hand how hard it is to blend a family and co-parent. If no one gives the biological parents a manual upon the birth of their child, there really is nothing for steps. This experience has given me a desire to fill this gap; helping steps, bios, and the children navigate and build a more content settled home.

I believe therapy can transform your beliefs, feelings, and relationships with the right support. It offers deeper self-understanding, stronger relationships, and greater overall well-being; often, the strength and resilience that come from working through pain are the most lasting gifts of the process.

I bring compassion, generosity, hope, humor, and a spiritual perspective to our work together. My goal is to create a space where fear has no room to grow, and sharing feels natural, because seeking therapy is already an act of courage, and I celebrate that in every session.

My approach is built on honesty, self-discovery, empowerment, and accountability. Together, we'll work to shift your perspective and bring more relief and freedom into your life.

Sometimes just getting through the day can feel like a full-time job. Finding a mental health provider who truly understands you may seem out of reach, but it’s absolutely possible. Before anything else, I’m human. I’m also a woman, born overseas and shaped by the diversity of a Southern metropolitan city. I’ve had the privilege of working with people from all walks of life and am passionate about partnering with patients as they move toward greater health, balance, and fulfillment. You don't have to navigate it all alone. You can exhale- we’ll take it from here, together.

Hi, I’m Emileigh! I’m a Licensed Professional Counselor who has worked in the mental health field since 2018 with children, teens, and adults of all genders, backgrounds, and identities. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Regent University, and I have also served as a Clinical Director and supervised counseling interns. I believe strongly in dignity, cultural humility, and creating a practice where people from all backgrounds and identities feel valued and understood; outside of work, I love coffee, sunshine, the beach, dancing, and spending time with family and friends.

My path into psychiatry is both professional and personal. I moved to the U.S. alone at 17 while navigating complex PTSD and periods of misdiagnosis, which shaped how I understand mental health today. I began with a bachelor’s degree in psychology at Nankai University, then trained as a nurse and nurse practitioner at Charles R. Drew University and Purdue University.

Over the past 7 years, I’ve worked across medical and mental health settings, developing an approach that balances clinical precision with individualized care. I specialize in anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and complex PTSD, particularly for individuals who feel stuck or haven’t found relief in traditional treatment.

I’m licensed in California, Virginia, New York, Washington, and Oregon, and provide care via telehealth.