Resources from South Chesapeake Psychiatry

Insights on Mental Health

Explore effective treatments for mental health challenges.

A client in conversation with a psychiatric nurse practitioner during an office visit.

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner vs. Psychiatrist in Virginia: What Is the Difference, and Does It Matter?

A psychiatrist is a physician; a PMHNP is an advanced practice nurse. Both diagnose and prescribe in Virginia. Justin Ray, MSN, PMHNP-BC explains how the roles differ, how Virginia regulates nurse practitioners, and which questions matter more than the letters after a name.

Illustration of inflammatory signaling between the immune system and the brain, representing immunopsychiatry and inflammatory depression

Immunopsychiatry & Inflammatory Depression: Clinical Insights and Biomarkers

A clinical review of immunopsychiatry, inflammatory depression, CRP biomarkers, the kynurenine pathway, and how inflammation tracking may inform treatment-resistant depression care.

Clinician and patient in consultation with a translucent figure made of insurance paperwork between them and a glowing brain network overhead

The Third Person in the Room: Neuroscience, Clinical Judgment, and Insurance

Insurance is often an invisible third party in psychiatric care. Justin Ray, MSN, PMHNP-BC of South Chesapeake Psychiatry examines how neuroscience, clinical judgment, and coverage intersect, and what it means for clients seeking psychiatric care and medication management in Chesapeake, VA.

Figure skater on champion's podium with gold medal, glancing back at shadowed images of her past struggles, symbolizing burnout recovery and reclaimed agency

She Quit at the Top: Burnout, Agency, and What Recovery Actually Looks Like

Burnout and recovery are often misunderstood. Justin Ray, MSN, PMHNP-BC of South Chesapeake Psychiatry uses Alysa Liu's story to explore agency, rest, and recovery, and where clients can find psychiatric care and depression treatment in Chesapeake, VA and across Hampton Roads.

The Psychoplastogen Question: Plasticity Without Psychedelia

A new class of compounds aims to harness brain plasticity without hallucinogenic effects. Justin Ray, MSN, PMHNP-BC of South Chesapeake Psychiatry examines psychoplastogens and what they could mean for the future of depression treatment for clients in Chesapeake, VA and across Hampton Roads.

Winding mountain path infographic showing progression from Symptoms (persistent symptoms impact daily life) to Response (meaningful improvement in symptoms) to Remission (symptoms minimal or absent)

Foundations: Response, Remission, and What Research Is Actually Telling Us

Understanding the difference between response and remission changes how treatment success is measured. Justin Ray, MSN, PMHNP-BC of South Chesapeake Psychiatry lays the foundations and explains what the research means for medication management and depression treatment in Chesapeake, VA.

Recent Videos

Content to Help You Navigate Your Journey

Check out our videos where we share helpful tips and insights to support you every step of the way.

Details

Justin Ray, MSN, PMHNP-BC introduces the South Chesapeake Psychiatry channel: mental health topics, new and emerging treatments, and how the mental health landscape really works — one conversation for clinicians and everyday people alike, explained without the jargon. Start here.

Watch Now Read the transcript

Recent Videos

8:57

minutes

You remember the conversation, but the appointment time is gone: brain fog, or a memory problem? Justin Ray, MSN, PMHNP-BC, follows Elena, a fictional example, from a missed appointment time to a clear account she can bring to a visit. The episode covers what brain fog describes, a simple picture of how memory works, why the timeline and the situation matter, where sleep, mood, medicines, and medical conditions fit into a careful assessment, when persistent changes deserve an evaluation, and why sudden confusion needs immediate medical care.

Watch & read the transcript →

8:14

minutes

You get a reassuring answer, feel better for a few minutes, and then the doubt comes back. Justin Ray, MSN, PMHNP-BC, follows Maya and Theo, a fictional couple, through one evening in which “Are we okay?” keeps returning after it has been answered. The episode looks at why reassurance can wear off, how to tell information, certainty, and connection apart, where the same behavior can show up (including health anxiety and OCD), what useful support can look like, and how one brief example can make a treatment conversation more specific.

Watch & read the transcript →

8:56

minutes

An invitation arrives and you feel no pull toward saying yes. Justin Ray, MSN, PMHNP-BC, follows Marcus, a fictional client, through four checkpoints of a rewarding activity: anticipation, the cost of getting started, what arrives in the moment, and what carries forward. The episode also looks at what the word anhedonia can and cannot tell you, why it is not one dopamine dial, and how one ordinary before/during/after example can make a healthcare conversation more specific.

Watch & read the transcript →

8:07

minutes

You finally take a few days off, and you still feel exhausted. Justin Ray, MSN, PMHNP-BC, follows Maya, a fictional client whose break didn't restore her, to look at what actually stopped, the difference between sleepiness and fatigue, sleep that isn't restorative, mood, physical health and medication effects, symptoms that worsen after activity, and what getting through the day is costing.

Watch & read the transcript →

7:52

minutes

Your mood is better, but ordinary life still feels hard. Justin Ray, MSN, PMHNP-BC, follows Daniel, a fictional client whose mood has improved while everyday tasks still take too much out of him, to look at remaining symptoms, treatment burden, practical demands, meaningful goals, and three questions to organize your next follow-up conversation.

Watch & read the transcript →

7:52

minutes

Replaying a conversation can start with wanting to understand what happened, then become repeated scrutiny of what you fear went wrong. Justin Ray, MSN, PMHNP-BC, follows Maya, a fictional employee whose meeting follows her home, to look at post-event processing, useful reflection versus stuck replay, uncertainty, proportionate repair, the cost to daily life, and three questions for a useful response.

Watch & read the transcript →

Press Releases

In The News

Fri

30

Oct 2026

Justin Ray in AJMC: Shortening the Road to a Bipolar Diagnosis

The American Journal of Managed Care (AJMC)

Justin Ray, MSN, PMHNP-BC, talks with The American Journal of Managed Care about why bipolar disorder takes years to diagnose and how to catch it sooner.

View the Release

Sat

24

Oct 2026

Justin Ray on Mindful Moments with Pedro Morante

Mindful Moments with Pedro Morante (LinkedIn Live)

Justin Ray, MSN, PMHNP-BC, joins Pedro Morante on Mindful Moments to talk about recovery beyond symptoms, cognition, emerging treatments, and the caregiver.

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Wed

14

Oct 2026

Justin Ray in The American Journal of Managed Care

The American Journal of Managed Care (AJMC)

Justin Ray, MSN, PMHNP-BC, talks with The American Journal of Managed Care about stigma, missed bipolar diagnoses, and the gaps in care after a crisis.

View the Release

Wed

7

Oct 2026

Justin Ray on KY3's Mindful Monday with Jazlyn Summers

KY3 (Springfield, Mo.), Mindful Monday

Justin Ray, MSN, PMHNP-BC, joins KY3 streaming anchor Jazlyn Summers on Mindful Monday to talk about bipolar disorder during Mental Illness Awareness Week.

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Mon

5

Oct 2026

Justin Ray on WNKY News 40 for Mental Health Awareness Week

WNKY News 40, Bowling Green, Ky.

Justin Ray, MSN, PMHNP-BC, talks with WNKY News 40 about depression, the mental health provider shortage, and why telehealth access matters.

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Sat

3

Oct 2026

Justin Ray on Energize & Revitalize with Dr. Amy

Flagler Radio, Energize & Revitalize with Dr. Amy

Justin Ray, MSN, PMHNP-BC, joins Dr. Amy Coopersmith on Flagler Radio to discuss hormones and mood, ketamine and SPRAVATO®, GLP-1s, and psychedelics.

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Thu

3

Sep 2026

Justin Ray on Holding It Together (Kinda)

Holding It Together (Kinda), hosted by Michael Mackniak

Justin Ray, MSN, PMHNP-BC, joins Michael Mackniak on Holding It Together (Kinda) to discuss ACT teams, severe mental illness, and gaps in crisis care.

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Mon

31

Aug 2026

Justin Ray on Inside Out: Mental Health at Work and in Life

MHScot Workplace Wellbeing, Inside Out podcast

Justin Ray, MSN, PMHNP-BC, joins the Inside Out podcast to discuss workplace mental health, support before a crisis, and community psychiatry.

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Sun

1

Oct 2023

Justin Ray on WAVY’s Hampton Roads Show

WAVY-TV 10, The Hampton Roads Show

Justin Ray, MSN, PMHNP-BC, joins WAVY’s Hampton Roads Show to discuss South Chesapeake Psychiatry and staying accessible to clients.

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Wed

29

Jul 2020

WAVY: Pandemic Parenting and Kids' Behavior

Wavy.com

On WAVY, Justin Ray, MSN, PMHNP-BC, explains how parents can respond to children's poor behavior during the stress of the pandemic.

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Thu

23

Jul 2020

WAVY: Back-to-School Anxiety and Decisions

Wavy

Justin Ray, MSN, PMHNP-BC, talks with WAVY about easing the anxiety parents and children feel around back-to-school decisions.

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Take the first step towards medication and care that can help you feel better.

Schedule an appointment today to get diagnosed, receive a prescription, and continue your journey towards mental peace.

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The lobby of South Chesapeake Psychiatry with seating and a front desk.