Welcome!
Annamarie Gallagher
Founder/Clinical Director
I am a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Supervisor (LCMHCS) in NC with over 15 yrs of experience in community, higher education and group private practice settings. I founded Birch Grove Counseling & Consulting with the hope of connecting my passion for counseling with a sustainable model of career/life balance that keeps me offering my best to my clients for years to come.
What I love most about counseling is developing trusting relationships with clients and witnessing their growth as they lean into their strengths and deepen their resilience. I seek to approach my clients with humility, respect, curiosity, acceptance and authenticity in order to gently hold their stories and experiences.
In my work, I draw from EMDR (eye movement desensitization), ACT(acceptance and commitment therapy), brainspotting, mindfulness, expressive arts, internal family systems (IFS) and other trauma-informed practices through a social justice lens. With a deep commitment to equitable care celebrating gender, sexuality, race, and culture, my practice is LGBTQ+ allied and weight-inclusive. My clinical work is informed by extensive continuing education and a masters degree in Clinical Counseling from Wake Forest University (2010).
Outside of work, I enjoy exploring with my family and our sweet pup, Teddy; baking, hiking, photography, interior design, and remodeling.
Renisha Lyon
Counselor
As a provider, I am passionate about helping clients experience wellness holistically, approaching therapy with an understanding of mind, body, and spirit as an interconnected system. My work is individualized and integrative, meeting each client with care, curiosity, and respect for their unique experiences, values, and goals.
Many of my clients are navigating the impact of trauma, major life transitions, women’s health concerns, or questions related to identity, belief systems, and meaning. I work extensively with individuals exploring identity development, self-worth, relationships, spirituality, and the effects of living as a minority or marginalized person in our society. I also specialize in supporting LGBTQ+ and BIPOC clients, as well as those healing from religious trauma or distress connected to past belief frameworks.
My therapeutic approach is integrative and trauma-focused, blending existential therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Motivational Interviewing, and Internal Family Systems (IFS). Mindfulness and trauma-informed practices are woven throughout my work to help clients understand and heal different parts of themselves, build emotional regulation, and move toward meaningful, sustainable change. I utilize spiritually integrated services when requested by the client, always within a respectful and clinically grounded framework.
I earned a dual master’s degree in Counseling and Divinity from Wake Forest University in 2022, uniquely equipping me to support clients navigating religious trauma, existential concerns, and spiritual exploration alongside evidence-based mental health care.
I offer virtual therapy to North Carolina residents under the clinical supervision of Annamarie Gallagher, LCMHCS.