Kierra Washington, NP

Kierra Washington is a Board-Certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner who provides warm, compassionate, and individualized care. Kind, curious, and approachable, Kierra believes in understanding the person behind the symptoms and creating a space where clients can show up as themselves without having to know exactly what to say or have everything figured out.

Kierra grew up in Chester, Virginia, in a close-knit community where family and relationships were an important part of everyday life. Raised among strong, caring women, she learned early the value of kindness, community, and showing up for others. Those values became a common thread throughout a career that has included public health, trauma nursing, critical care, and ultimately psychiatry.

Kierra earned her Bachelor of Science in Health Sciences with a concentration in Public Health from Old Dominion University, followed by an Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Drexel University. She later earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice with specialized training as a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner from Samuel Merritt University. Her background includes extensive nursing experience in intensive and critical care settings, along with advanced training in psychotherapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), motivational interviewing, and trauma-informed approaches.

It was during her years in critical care that Kierra became increasingly interested in the connection between mental and physical health. She often cared for people experiencing serious physical illness while hearing stories of stress, grief, trauma, and prolonged periods of simply trying to cope. While she valued helping people through moments of crisis, she found herself wanting to become involved earlier—to help people understand what they were experiencing, develop healthier ways of coping, and build tools that could make life's challenges feel more manageable.

Kierra's treatment philosophy is to understand before she intervenes. Symptoms matter, but she is equally interested in the story underneath them: what a person has experienced, how they learned to cope, and what patterns may be influencing their life today. She practices from a trauma-informed perspective and recognizes that behaviors or emotional responses causing difficulty in the present may once have served an important purpose in helping someone cope or protect themselves.

Her approach is practical, collaborative, and evidence-based, incorporating CBT, motivational interviewing, psychoeducation, and other supportive strategies according to each client's needs. Kierra helps clients explore connections between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors while developing greater awareness of patterns and practical skills they can carry into everyday life. Her goal extends beyond helping clients feel better; she wants them to understand themselves better, strengthen relationships, improve functioning, develop greater emotional flexibility, and create more room to enjoy their lives.

Kierra brings both her clinical expertise and her humanity into the room. She believes clients are the experts on their own lives and encourages them to ask questions and have an active voice in their care. Clients can expect warmth and compassion, but also honesty. She will celebrate progress, offer thoughtful challenges when they may encourage growth, and work collaboratively when something is not working.

Outside of work, Kierra loves spending time with her family, friends, and her very spoiled dog. She enjoys traveling, trying new restaurants, spa days, getting dressed up for a night out, and simply relaxing at home. She values self-care, laughter, and making time to genuinely enjoy life—the same sense of balance and well-being she hopes to help her clients cultivate.