Banyan Tree Counseling & Wellness

03/20/2026

As the seasons change, so can our emotional landscape. Grief is not always tied to death. It can stem from life transitions, stress, and loss in many forms.

Psychotherapist, Les Gura explores how to recognize grief and offers supportive ways to care for yourself through it.

Taking care of your mental health is an important part of your overall well-being.

Read our latest blog here:

Grief is not always about death. Learn how seasonal changes can trigger loss, how to recognize grief symptoms, and practical ways to cope with transitions, relationships, and life changes.

03/12/2026

Big news! 🎉

Banyan Tree Counseling & Wellness was voted a 2026 Triad Moms On Main Choice Award Winner (x3)!!!

🏆 Best Adult Mental Health Provider
🏆 Best Child Mental Health Provider
🏆 Best Marital Counselor

Thank you to our Winston-Salem community for trusting us with your care. We are so grateful to do this work. 🌿

03/11/2026

Happy ! 🥑✨

Today we are celebrating Abby Olmstead, MS, RDN, and the incredible work she does to support clients in building a healthier, more confident relationship with food.

Abby takes a compassionate, evidence-based approach to nutrition and works with adults, children 5+, and families. Her specialties include eating disorders, ARFID, GI conditions such as celiac disease and IBS, diabetes management, and helping people feel empowered in their food choices. She is also a proud Health at Every Size (HAES) advocate who believes that all foods can fit.

Abby is currently accepting new clients!

📍 In-person in Winston-Salem
💻 Virtual appointments across NC and VA

Book with Abby here: www.banyantreecounseling.com/aolmstead

03/10/2026

Who are the women who shaped you?

In our newest blog, psychotherapist Brittany Proxmire reflects on the women who modeled courage, compassion, and resilience in our lives.

March is a time of renewal and reflection. In honor of International Women’s Day, we reflect on the women who shaped us, inspired us, and helped us grow.

03/10/2026

energy at the office:
you’re loved, you’re beautiful, and everyone’s a princess 👑

Even one of our male therapists, Les agrees
(hehe!) ✨

03/06/2026

We’re excited to welcome two new therapists to the Banyan Tree Counseling & Wellness team. 🌳 Please join us in welcoming Andrew Shaw, MEd, LCMHC, NCC and Kyra Willeford, MSW, LCSWA!

Andrew works with adults and offers LGBTQIA+ affirming and neurodivergence-affirming counseling. They have additional training in EMDR for trauma and PTSD and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy for OCD. Andrew also supports clients navigating anxiety, depression, and gender-affirming care.

Kyra specializes in working with children ages 4 and up. Her work focuses on childhood trauma, anxiety, depression, ADHD, and behavioral concerns. She incorporates play therapy into her sessions and works closely with families to create a supportive and compassionate environment for healing and growth.

We’re grateful to have both Andrew and Kyra bringing their passion and expertise to our community!

Visit www.banyantreecounseling.com/ashaw or www.banyantreecounseling.com/kwilleford to book your session!

03/03/2026

Spring sports season is almost here, and with it comes packed schedules, high expectations, and game day nerves!

We are highlighting two new blogs to support the whole athlete this season:

🏅 Five Tips for the Anxious Athlete by psychotherapist, Sarah Vanderpool
🥗 Fueling Your Body for Game Day by registered dietitian, Abby Olmstead

Read here: https://www.banyantreecounseling.com/blog/fueling-your-body-for-game-day

https://www.banyantreecounseling.com/blog/5-tips-for-the-anxious-athlete

Struggling with pre-competition nerves? Therapist and former competitive athlete Sarah Vanderpool, MA, LCMHCA, NCC, LPSC, shares five practical strategies to help athletes manage anxiety, build confidence, and perform their best on game day.

02/27/2026

Our latest blog invites parents and caregivers to look at behavior through a new lens.

What if children aren’t acting out, but learning with the skills they have right now? In this thoughtful piece, Banyan psychotherapist Gregoria Arreola Meza explores how curiosity, empathy, and connection help children build emotional understanding and confidence.

Read the blog and step into the world through a child’s eyes:

When children struggle with behavior, they may be learning rather than acting out. Explore how empathy, skill-building, and connection support emotional development and healthier responses.

02/23/2026

It's National Eating Disorder Awareness Week! We’re challenging the idea that eating disorders have a certain look. Recovery is valid in every body.

Read our latest blog post, written by psychotherapist, Abbey Lefko: https://www.banyantreecounseling.com/blog/you-dont-look-sick-how-stereotypes-and-weight-stigma-create-barriers-to-eating-disorder-recovery
Abbey is accepting new clients.

Weight stigma and harmful stereotypes can prevent people from receiving support for eating disorders. Learn how the belief that someone must “look sick” creates barriers to diagnosis, treatment, and recovery and how we can challenge these misconceptions.

02/19/2026

We’re celebrating a special milestone… 🎉 the 1-year anniversary of our sister company, Banyan Integrated Health!!

Over the past year, we’ve had the honor of supporting our community through psychiatric services, medication management, and nutrition counseling. We are deeply grateful for the trust our clients and partners have placed in us.

Pictured is our very first psychiatric provider, Miriam Dineen, MMS, PA-C, CAQ-Psych, whose leadership helped bring BIH to life. Since our launch in February 2025, we’ve grown to include Larisa King, MSN, PMHNP-BC, and Abby Olmstead, MS, RDN.

We’re so proud of how far we’ve come and incredibly thankful for everyone who has been part of this journey. Here’s to many more years of supporting the mental health and wellbeing of our community 💚

02/19/2026

We’re honored to share that we’ve been nominated in three categories for the Triad Moms On Main Choice Awards!

If you’ve experienced our work or believe in our mission, we would truly appreciate your vote. Your support helps amplify the impact we strive to make in our community each day. 💚

Vote for us here:

02/17/2026

Today is Random Acts of Kindness Day! 🫶 Psychotherapist Alexa Brenner DeConne, MSW, LCSW shares ways to make kindness part of your daily routine. Read more here:

Discover how small, intentional acts of kindness can brighten someone’s day and strengthen connections. In celebration of Random Acts of Kindness Day, therapist Alexa Brenner DeConne, MSW, LCSW, shares practical tips for incorporating kindness into your d