Alicia M. Baird,
RN, MSN, PMHNP-BC

Psychiatric care that honors the complexities of biology, lived experience, trauma, relationships, and meaning.

Why I Do This Work

I know that not only professionally, but personally.

I chose psychiatry because I have seen — and experienced — how debilitating untreated mental health conditions can be. I have also seen how transformative it is when someone receives care that is competent, careful, and deeply human.

Mental health suffering can quietly take everything from you — your clarity, your confidence, your relationships, even your sense of self.

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When I first entered nursing school, I thought I wanted to become a midwife.

That changed quickly after my clinical rotations. I was drawn to psychiatry — to the depth of conversation, the intersection of biology and lived experience, the way trauma, stress, sleep, relationships, and meaning shape the nervous system.

I dual-specialized in Adult Psychiatric-Mental Health and Adult Primary Care because I wanted a foundation in both body and mind. Over nearly two decades in practice, psychiatry has remained my professional home.

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Over the years, I’ve learned that good psychiatric care is not just about what happens during an appointment — it’s about how supported someone feels in the in-between.

Healing doesn’t occur in neatly scheduled 30-minute blocks. It unfolds in real time, in daily life.

Part of my commitment to this work is showing up consistently and responsively as that process unfolds.

I do this work because I believe mental health care should feel both rigorous and relational.

You deserve both.

Book Now

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Who I Work Best With

Many of my clients are high-functioning on the outside but struggling internally.

I work especially well with thoughtful adults navigating:

Depression and bipolar spectrum conditions
Anxiety and panic disorders
ADHD and executive dysfunction
Trauma-related conditions and OCD
Neurodivergence
Addiction and sleep concerns
Complex or overlapping diagnoses

Learn More About My Approach

My clients tend to be…

Deep thinkers

They ask questions, research their symptoms, and have a strong desire to understand and engage in their own treatment.

Creative

They’re sensitive, thoughtful, and artistic. They wonder if the world just wasn’t built for them.

Complex

They’ve tried things that didn’t work and may have been told they’re too dramatic, “too complicated, non-compliant, or treatment-resistant. (They’re not.)

If you value collaboration and nuance, we may work very well together.

Learn more

Credentials & Professional Background

I have nearly 20 years of experience across private practice, hospital settings, crisis stabilization, residential treatment, community-based care, and outpatient detox and rehabilitation programs.

My practice is trauma-informed and LGBTQIA-affirming.

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Alicia M. Baird, RN, MSN, PMHNP-BC

Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
Owner, Rising Song Behavioral Health

Registered Nurse, NC Board of Nursing, License #351300

Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner, NC Board of Nursing, License #BAIR-36WVM

Board Certified Adult Psychiatric & Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, American Nurses Credentialing Center, Certification #2007004266

Bachelor of Science in Neurobiology and Behavior
Cornell University (Magna Cum Laude)

Master of Science in Nursing
Adult Psychiatric-Mental Health and Adult Primary Care
Yale University School of Nursing (Graduated with Honors)

Member, Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing

About Me

Alicia M. Baird is a board-certified Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner based in Asheville, NC, providing comprehensive psychiatric evaluations and medication management for adults 18 and older.

She believes people are much more than their diagnoses. Treatment involves caring for the whole person — mind, body, relationships, and environment. Her practice is collaborative, trauma-informed, and LGBTQIA-affirming.