Psychiatric Care
We believe mental health care works best when your provider already understands the context.
At Bywater Health, psychiatric care is rooted in a deep understanding of queer lives as they are actually lived. After more than 20 years providing medical care to LGBTQ+ patients, Chuck Williamson, MSN, FNP-C (he/they) completed post-graduate training as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner at Johns Hopkins University to expand Bywater’s ability to offer truly comprehensive care—medical and psychiatric—within one affirming clinic.
This service exists because queer mental health doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Our patients are navigating relationships, sex, work, family, community, and identity in ways that are often misunderstood or outright pathologized in traditional psychiatric settings. At Bywater, care is informed by cultural fluency, clinical rigor, and long-standing trust within the queer community.
Our Services
Our patients seek thoughtful, relationship-based support for depression, anxiety, ADHD, and mood-related concerns.
Our work is grounded in the understanding that queer people live across a wide spectrum of identities, bodies, relationships, and lifestyles. Mental health care must be flexible enough to meet that reality. Treatment plans are developed with full awareness of a patient’s physical health, sexual health, hormone use (when applicable), and lived experience.
There are times when a patient may need a higher level of psychiatric care than we can responsibly provide in a primary-care–based setting. When that happens, our providers will advocate for patients, providing referrals with the priority of ensuring they receive the depth and intensity of support that best serves their safety and long-term wellbeing.
Our model is intentionally different from many psychiatric practices. We do not rely on rigid visit schedules, punitive policies, or unnecessary check-ins to sustain care. Instead, we emphasize continuity, autonomy, and trust. That means adjusting follow-up and treatment over time based on what is clinically appropriate and genuinely supportive.
Modalities we offer include:
Medication Management
Collaborative, evidence-based prescribing that accounts for the full clinical picture, including other medications, hormones, and long-term health goals.
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)
A trauma-informed, evidence-based therapy that helps patients process distressing experiences without prolonged exposure or repeated retelling, often preferred by those who want meaningful relief without re-traumatization.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
A values-based therapeutic approach that supports psychological flexibility, resilience, and the ability to live well—even amid stress, uncertainty, or ongoing challenges.
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Care that respects your identity, your autonomy, and your reality.
If you’re looking for psychiatric care that understands queer life beyond surface-level affirmation, we invite you to get started.