About Turning Tide Health
Care for when chronic pain, anxiety, and depression have started to feel overwhelming and nothing has fully made sense.
When symptoms don’t fit neatly into one diagnosis, it can be hard to know what to do next.
You may have already tried multiple providers, treatments, or medications without getting a clear explanation of why things aren’t improving.
At Turning Tide Health, care is designed to connect the full picture so you can move forward with more clarity, stability, and direction.
Turning Tide Health provides integrated psychiatric care for adults with chronic pain, anxiety, and depression. Care may include medication management, cognitive behavioral therapy for chronic pain (CBT-CP) informed coping skills, Neuro Pain Patient Education, nervous system regulation strategies, and function-focused treatment planning.
You're not alone in this
If you’re here, you may have felt:
Frustrated after being passed between providers
Unsure what’s actually driving your symptoms
Dismissed or not fully understood
Exhausted from managing pain, mood, and daily life all at once
Overwhelmed by medications or conflicting recommendations
These experiences are common and they make sense given how care is often structured.
Meet Your Provider
I’m Cherith Zorbas, PMHNP-BC, FNP-BC, a dual board-certified nurse practitioner and founder of Turning Tide Health.
I created this practice because I kept seeing the same pattern: people with chronic pain were
often treated in pieces – one provider focusing on pain, another on mood, another on medication
without a clear, connected plan.
Many of the adults I work with have already tried multiple treatments and still feel unsure what is
driving their symptoms or what to do next.
My goal is to change that experience.
At Turning Tide Health, I take time to understand the full picture: your pain history, mood, sleep,
stress response, medications, medical history, daily functioning, and goals. From there, we build
a treatment plan that is thoughtful, medically sound, and tailored to your life.
My approach is:
- Calm and nonjudgmental
- Your symptoms and concerns are taken seriously.
- Grounded in both psychiatric and primary care training
- Care considers both the mental and physical sides of chronic pain.
- Structured and practical
- Treatment focuses on clarity, stability, and realistic next steps.
- Function-focused
- The goal is not just reducing symptoms – it is helping you function better in daily life.
How this approach is different
Chronic pain rarely exists on its own.
It often affects:
- Mood and emotional health
- Sleep and energy levels
- Stress response and nervous system function
- Daily functioning and quality of life
When these are treated separately, care can feel incomplete.
At Turning Tide Health, the focus is on putting the pieces together so treatment actually
makes sense.
Why people choose this practice
Patients often choose this approach because:
- You are seen as a whole person not just symptoms
- Care connects physical and emotional health
- You receive a clear, structured plan
- Decisions are collaborative and transparent
- The focus is on real-life function not just diagnoses
What care focuses on
Care is intentionally structured and designed to reduce confusion and guesswork.
This may include:
- Treatment for anxiety and depression
- Chronic pain-informed psychiatric care
- Thoughtful medication management when appropriate
- Nervous system and stress response support
- Functional improvement and daily life stability
The goal is not just symptom reduction it’s helping you move forward with a clearer, more
manageable plan.
Medication philosophy
Medication can be an important part of care but it is never the only focus.
Treatment is guided by:
- Careful review of each medication
- Clear discussion of risks and benefits
- Avoidance of unnecessary or high-risk combinations
- Shared decision-making at every step
If opioid medications are part of your care, support is:
- Structured
- Nonjudgmental
- Focused on safety and function
When appropriate, tapering may be discussed at a pace that prioritizes stability.
Long-term opioid prescribing for chronic pain is not a primary focus of this practice.
Who this approach is for
This practice works with adults who:
- Live with chronic pain affecting daily life
- Experience anxiety related to health or symptoms
- Feel emotionally exhausted or burned out
- Have complex or unclear treatment histories
- Want a more thoughtful, connected approach to care
A respectful, nonjudgmental space
If you’ve felt dismissed or not taken seriously in the past, you are not alone.
Care here is grounded in:
- Listening carefully and taking your concerns seriously
- Offering clear, honest guidance
- Creating a plan that feels manageable and sustainable
- Treating you as a whole person not just a diagnosis
You are part of every decision.
Credentials & Training
Board-Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC)
Board-Certified Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP-BC)
Graduate education from Duke University School of Nursing
Advanced clinical training in psychiatry and primary care
Focus on chronic pain, anxiety, depression, and integrated care
Serving Northern Virginia
Turning Tide Health provides care for adults across:
Fairfax
Arlington
Alexandria
Vienna
Reston
McLean
Telehealth appointments are available throughout Virginia.
Getting Started
If things have felt confusing, overwhelming, or stuck. This is where care can start to make more sense.
A more structured, connected approach may help you move forward with greater clarity and stability.