Dr. Justina Okonkwo, DNP, FNP-C, PMHNP-BC, is a board-certified psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner at Rising Hope Healing and Helping Hands on Muirs Chapel Rd, Greensboro, North Carolina.
Dr. Justina earned her Bachelor of Science in nursing from the University of Alabama in Huntsville. She then received her Master of Science in Family Nursing from South University in Savannah, Georgia, and her post-master’s certification as Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) from East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, where she subsequently earned her doctorate degree in PMHNP.
At Rising Hope Healing and Helping Hands, Justina provides a wide range of mental health services, including treatments for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive spectrum, depression, post-traumatic and dissociative disorders, eating disorders, personality disorders, insomnia, addiction, and sexual dysfunction, psychiatric evaluation, and medication management.
Dr. Justina is a member of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, American Psychiatric Nurses Association, and North Carolina Nurses Association.
Carol Shepard, LCSWA, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker Associate with several years of experience providing compassionate, client-centered psychotherapy to individuals facing a wide range of emotional, behavioral, and mental health challenges. She specializes in working with high-acuity and high-risk populations and has extensive experience in Assertive Community Treatment Team (ACTT/CST) services, wellness coaching, crisis counseling, and trauma-informed care.
Her clinical expertise includes the treatment of anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress, emotional dysregulation, and trauma-related conditions. She utilizes an integrative and evidence-based approach tailored to each client’s unique needs, incorporating modalities such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Motivational Interviewing, Therapeutic Crisis Intervention, Trigger Point Therapy, and Group Therapy.
Carol is passionate about creating a safe, supportive, and empowering therapeutic environment where clients can heal, build resilience, and achieve meaningful personal growth and emotional wellness.