Meet Our Providers

**ACCEPTING LIMITED NEW PATIENTS AT THIS TIME**

Dr. Payne graduated from the Wake Forest School of Medicine in 1999 and completed a general adult psychiatry residency at Duke University Medical Center in 2003. This was followed by the Duke/GlaxoSmithKline Clinical Psychopharmacology Research Fellowship in 2004 and the Department of Veterans Affairs Special Fellowship Program in Advanced Psychiatry in 2008. She has worked in a variety of settings, including the Durham VA teaching medical students and residents, research institutions, and various locations in the community. Her practice includes, but is not limited to, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and psychotic disorders using a combination of psychopharmacology and psychotherapy.

She is Board Certified in Psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. She is accepting children and adolescents for comprehensive psychiatric care, including medication management and psychotherapy. Currently in training to become a child and adolescent psychoanalyst, she brings a developmentally informed, emotionally attuned approach to treatment. Care for children and adolescents is grounded in close collaboration with parents and caregivers, recognizing their essential role in understanding the child’s inner world and supporting meaningful, lasting change. Treatment is individualized, respectful, and integrative, combining evidence-based psychiatry with psychodynamic insight to promote emotional growth and long-term well-being for patients and families.

Susan is a Board-Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC) with experience in medication management, psychoeducation and therapy.  She completed her B.A. in psychology and B.S. in nursing at the University of Minnesota and her MSN at the University of North Dakota.  She has worked teaching with AmeriCorps, counseling with the National Suicide Hotline, as a university clinical instructor, research assistant, inpatient nurse and psychiatric prescriber.

Her experience has given her particular interest in working with the LGBTQ+ identifying people and with individuals managing issues with ADHD, social and generalized anxiety, panic disorder, disordered eating and OCD.  She enjoys seeing adults and adolescents ages 12 to 60.  In her free time, she enjoys studying languages, painting, gaming, travel and outdoor adventuring with her dog and family.

Samantha is a board-certified Physician Assistant with a Certificate of Added Qualifications in Psychiatry (CAQ-Psych). She is currently accepting new clients for medication management, including children (ages 8+), adolescents, and adults. Appointments are available both virtually and in-office.

Samantha is passionate about providing patient-centered care. Using evidence-based practices, she works collaboratively with patients to create personalized treatment plans through shared decision-making and a strengths-based approach. She values getting to know each patient as an individual and strives to foster a welcoming, judgment-free environment where patients feel heard and respected.

She takes a holistic approach, integrating lifestyle changes, psychotherapy, and psychotropic medications to support patients and their families. Samantha has experience treating a wide range of psychiatric conditions, including mood disorders, anxiety disorders, ADHD, PTSD, and more.

With over 10 years of healthcare experience, Samantha earned her Bachelor of Arts in Biology from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2015 and her Master of Physician Assistant Studies (MPAS) from Emory & Henry College in 2021.

Outside of work, Samantha enjoys spending time with family, hiking with her dog, traveling, and listening to music.

Jason approaches mental health in the context of overall wellness, taking both physical and psychiatric strengths into consideration when partnering with clients to develop personalized treatment plans. His professional passion is working with individuals experiencing mental health challenges impacting quality of life, such as anxiety, major depression, OCD, PTSD and bipolar mood disorders. Jason specifically embraces working with LGBTQ+ clients and those otherwise marginalized. He works with adults and adolescents ages 18 and up.

With extensive experience treating substance use disorders, Jason feels it is an honor to partner with clients on their recovery journey. Clients with opiate use disorder are encouraged to meet with him regarding medication for opiate use disorder treatment (Suboxone or naltrexone), which is the standard of care and harm reduction for those struggling with opiate recovery challenges.

Jason is a dually Board-Certified Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC) and Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP-BC) with 30 years of healthcare experience. He completed a Master’s in Nursing FNP and a Post-Master’s certification as a Psychiatric-Mental Health NP at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. He has been involved with several organizations providing care and resources to underserved populations for over 15 years.

Jason enjoys spending time with his family, including their rambunctious pup, camping, and discussing the challenges of the day with good friends. Also, he is a big Sci-Fi geek!

Lydia Johnson, FNP-C, is a board-certified Nurse Practitioner offering mental health medication management, and specializing in addiction medicine for the treatment of Substance Use Disorders. Lydia thrives on working collaboratively with her clients, and has a deep appreciate of the therapeutic value of seeking to understand patients through their own eyes instead of seeing them as their diagnosis. She also works closely with each client’s therapists when appropriate, to fully support individual needs and goals, and to ensure strong and comprehensive care with a focus on both mind and body.

In addition to mental health medication management and substance use treatment, Lydia is able to offer limited primary care service clients, including annual physical labs and monitoring, evaluation and treatment of acute illness, review of chronic symptoms and specialist medical referrals, and basic primary care medication management.

Prior to joining Psychiatric Associates of NC, Lydia spent 3 years working in an intensive outpatient psychiatric clinic where she provided mental health evaluation and medical management. It was also during this time that Lydia trained under a physician who is board certified in Addiction Medicine, and discovered her passion for working with clients struggling with Substance Use Disorders. As a buprenorphine (Suboxone) provider for the treatment of opiate use, and 3 years of intensive experience working with Medication Assisted Treatments (MAT) for alcohol, benzodiazepine, and Kratom use, Lydia’s area of specialty is in working with and supporting those contemplating, seeking, or in active recovery.

Lydia Johnson, FNP-C, is a board-certified Nurse Practitioner offering mental health medication
management for conditions such as anxiety, depression, insomnia, and ADHD (assessment and
treatment). Lydia is also buprenorphine (Suboxone) prescriber, and specializes in addiction
medicine for the treatment of Substance Use Disorders (opiates, kratom, benzodiazepines,
alcohol). Lydia thrives on working collaboratively with her clients, and has a deep appreciation
for the therapeutic value of trusting her clients experience of symptoms and challenges as they
are reported. She works closely with each client’s therapists when appropriate to ensure full
support of individual needs and goals, and to ensure strong and comprehensive care with a
focus on both mind and body.

As a provider specializing in Substance Use Disorder, Lydia particularly enjoys working with and
supporting those contemplating, seeking, or in active recovery. In addition to Medication
Assisted Treatment (MAT) for opiate/ kratom use, Lydia offers specialized and medically
managed benzodiazepine tapers (using the Ashton Protocol) to avoid benzodiazepine
withdrawal, and medically managed home alcohol detox for appropriate candidates.
Prior to joining Psychiatric Associates of NC, Lydia spent 3 years working in an intensive
outpatient psychiatric clinic where she provided mental health evaluation and medical
management, and primary care services. It was also during this time that Lydia trained under a
physician with board certification in Addiction Medicine, and discovered her passion for
working with clients struggling with Substance Use Disorders.

Lydia spent the first two and a half years following graduate school working in Internal
Medicine, where she provided primary care to a complex client population, and helped clients
and families navigate sensitive and difficult health concerns. It was here that Lydia first
developed a strong appreciate for the immense importance of connecting patients to
appropriate resources, close follow up, and patient advocacy, as integral parts of direct medical
management. Lydia’s population focus at this time included chronic and co-morbid care
management, geriatric and end of life care, pain management, mental health and dementia.
Lydia earned a BA in Literature from the University of North Carolina at Asheville (2008). She
became a Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholar, and completed a Master of Creative
Writing at the University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand (2010). After returning to the
United States, Lydia returned to her academic pursuits, earning a Bachelor’s of Science in
Nursing from the Duke University School of Nursing (2012), followed by a Master’s in Nursing
Science through the University of South Alabama (2018).

Lydia is certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner through the American Academy of Nurse
Practitioners. Lydia completed her specialty training in Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT)
for the treatment of Substance Use /Opioid Use Disorders through the American Association of
Nurse Practitioners (AANP) in conjunction with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Association (SAMHSA) in 2020. Prior to becoming a Nurse Practitioner, Lydia worked in
various hospital and outpatient mental health settings. Experience as an RN includes general
medicine, post-surgical, postpartum and neonatal care.