Provider Directory · Buncombe County
Mental Health Providers for Older Adults in Buncombe County
By Asheville Senior Care Guide · Updated June 2025
Buncombe County has several established behavioral health practices with experience treating older adults, along with individual clinicians who focus specifically on late-life mental health. What follows is a curated directory of practices and providers relevant to older adults and their families, including psychiatric medication management, therapy, and geriatric-specific expertise.
For context on why mental health care in older adults requires specialized attention, see our Mental Health and Aging guide and our Geriatric Psychiatry guide.
A note on this directory
Provider availability, accepting status, and insurance participation change frequently. Always call the practice directly before scheduling. We verify information regularly but cannot guarantee accuracy at any given time. We do not accept payment for inclusion in this directory.
Full-Service Behavioral Health Practices
The Pisgah Institute
Largest Behavioral Health Practice in Western NC · New Patients Welcome
The Pisgah Institute is the largest and most comprehensive behavioral health practice in Western North Carolina, with a team spanning psychiatrists, psychiatric nurse practitioners and physicians assistants, doctoral psychologists, and licensed clinical mental health counselors. The practice accepts new patients for both therapy and medication management and offers care across the full spectrum of adult mental health conditions. Multiple clinicians have experience with older adults and late-life concerns including grief, loss, life transitions, dementia, and geriatric medication management.
Clinicians with Older Adult Experience
Leif Johnson, M.S.N., P.M.H.N.P.
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner · Accepting new patients for medication management
15 years of psychiatric nursing experience across a wide range of settings including nursing homes and the VA hospital. Has worked extensively with elderly patients and is comfortable with the unique medication management needs of older adults.
Neal Jones, Psy.D.
Clinical Psychologist · 30+ years experience · Accepting new patients for therapy
Works with adults navigating life transitions, losses, end-of-life decisions, depression, and anxiety. His broad, integrative approach is well suited to the complex emotional terrain of later life.
Doug McKee, Psy.D.
Clinical Psychologist · Accepting new patients for therapy
Sees adults of all ages. Addresses depression, anxiety, grief, PTSD, and relationship issues using cognitive-behavioral, experiential, and family-systems approaches. 30+ years of clinical experience across multiple settings.
Danielle Mitchener, M.S.N., A.N.P., P.M.H.N.P.
Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner · Accepting new patients for medication management
Treats depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, trauma, substance use, psychotic disorders, and personality disorders. Background includes neurological intensive care at Duke University Medical Center and neurology research.
Address
158 Zillicoa Street, Asheville, NC 28801
Phone
Hours
Monday–Friday, 8:30 am–4:30 pm
Availability
Currently accepting new patients; in-person and virtual appointments
Apogee Behavioral Medicine
Psychiatry · Therapy · TMS · Telehealth
Apogee Behavioral Medicine is a multi-location behavioral health group with an Asheville office. Services include psychiatric medication management, individual therapy and counseling, TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) for treatment-resistant depression, Spravato (esketamine) treatment, and telehealth. The practice treats a wide range of conditions including depression, anxiety, dementia-related concerns, grief, bipolar disorder, and psychotic disorders. Accepts Medicare and most major insurance plans.
Asheville Office
77 Central Avenue, Suite D, Asheville, NC 28801
Phone
Services
Psychiatry, therapy, TMS, telehealth, medication management, Spravato
Insurance
Medicare, BCBS NC, Aetna, Cigna, Humana, Optum, UHC, TriCare, WellCare, and others
MAHEC Psychiatry and Behavioral Health
Mountain Area Health Education Center · Academic Medicine
MAHEC’s Psychiatry and Behavioral Health program provides outpatient psychiatric services including evaluation, medication management, and TMS therapy. As an academic medicine center, MAHEC also operates a psychiatry residency training program, which means patients have access to resident physicians supervised by faculty psychiatrists. The partial hospitalization program serves patients who need more intensive support than outpatient care provides but do not require inpatient admission. MAHEC accepts Medicaid and Medicare in addition to most major commercial insurers.
Address
125 Hendersonville Road, Asheville, NC 28803
Phone
(828) 257-4400 · Mon–Fri 8am–5pm
Services
Outpatient psychiatry, medication management, TMS therapy, partial hospitalization
Insurance
Medicare, Medicaid, most major commercial insurers; sliding-scale fees for uninsured
Geriatric-Focused Practices
Golden Oak Medicine
Concierge Geriatrics · Mental Health for Adults 55+
While primarily a geriatric medicine practice, Golden Oak Medicine explicitly provides mental health care as part of its concierge geriatric model. This includes evaluation and management of depression, anxiety, cognitive-mood intersections, and the emotional challenges of aging. For patients who want their mental health care integrated with their geriatric medical care rather than divided between separate providers, Golden Oak’s model is worth considering. Concierge membership required; ages 55 and older only.
Location
Asheville, NC (Biltmore Forest area)
Contact
Finding Individual Therapists Who Specialize in Older Adults
Beyond the practices listed here, Buncombe County has individual therapists who specialize in working with older adults, grief and bereavement, late-life transitions, and end-of-life concerns. Psychology Today’s directory allows you to filter by specialty (“Elderly Persons’ Issues” or “Grief”) and by age group served, which is a useful tool for finding a therapist whose training and focus aligns with your loved one’s specific needs.
When seeking a therapist for an older adult, it is worth asking directly: how much of your current caseload is older adults? Are you familiar with the ways depression and anxiety present differently in people over 70? Have you worked with clients navigating dementia, caregiver burnout, or end-of-life anxiety? A therapist whose experience is primarily with younger adults may be less well matched than their general competence would suggest.
Starting with your primary care physician
For many older adults, the most accessible entry point to mental health care is a direct conversation with their primary care physician. A good primary care provider can screen for depression and anxiety, rule out medical and medication-related contributors, and provide referrals to appropriate specialists. If you are not sure where to start, start there. The Council on Aging of Buncombe County also offers free benefits counseling and care management: (828) 277-8288.
Mental Health Guidance for Buncombe County Families
Our guides on Mental Health and Aging and Geriatric Psychiatry provide context for understanding when and why to seek specialized mental health care for older adults.
About this directory: This directory is maintained by AshevilleSeniorCareGuide.com as a free community resource. Listing here does not constitute endorsement. Provider availability, insurance acceptance, and clinician accepting status change — always verify directly with each practice. Last updated June 2025.