LGBT therapists in Suffolk, VA

I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with 15 years of experience in mental health and substance misuse services. I also have a postgraduate Certificate in Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy, and am passionate about helping folks with post-psychedelic integration. Our therapeutic partnership begins with the understanding that you are a whole person — not a diagnosis, a symptom, or a set of circumstances. Together, we will explore how the intersections of identity, lived experience, trauma, mental health, and substance use shape your inner world and outer life across biological, psychological, social, and spiritual dimensions.

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 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. It needs to be your safe place.

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 feel comfortable and safe.

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 graduated from EVMS with my degree in Art Therapy and Counseling in 2016, and since then have worked with a variety of different people in many different settings. My approach is collaborative and eclectic - I feel we are all on a path of growth, healing, and self discovery and that therapy can truly help this process along.

Life can leave us feeling disconnected from ourselves, our relationships, or the life we imagined. You may be carrying anxiety, grief, loneliness, or the weight of life’s many transitions. Therapy offers a place to slow down, be deeply heard, and gently reconnect with yourself. I believe healing begins in a caring, trusting relationship where you feel accepted just as you are. Together we’ll explore the patterns that have shaped your life, discover new possibilities, and help you move toward greater peace, confidence, and connection.

I bring 18 years of professional experience, along with the wisdom that comes from a lifetime of living. As an elder I hold a compassionate, curious space to help you grow into the person you are meant to be. Clients often tell me they appreciate my calm, compassionate presence and the feeling that they can simply be themselves. My role is to walk beside you with warmth, curiosity and gentle guidance.

Healing happens through connection, and that is what I am here to offer. I am Kaliyah Hughes, a Licensed Professional Counselor with a Doctorate in Professional Counseling and deep roots in community mental health, crisis support, and psychiatric care. I work with adults, children, and families navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, PTSD, ADHD, and more. Whether you are facing something acute or working toward your next chapter, I bring both clinical expertise and genuine care to every session. I would love to walk beside you.

I'm an LCSW with expertise in brain and behavior and additional specialty in addiction

I believe in the inherent wisdom and strength within all human beings and I utilize a number of approaches to reveal that wisdom and strength within my clients.