Dr. Chika Ogbolu, NP

Chika Ogbolu, DNP, PMHNP-BC, FNP-BC is a dual board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health and Family Nurse Practitioner and Founder of Waterside Psychiatry, where she specializes in evidence-based psychiatric evaluation and treatment across the lifespan. She is committed to integrating neuroscience, psychopharmacology, psychotherapy, and lifestyle interventions to deliver personalized, measurement-informed mental health care.

Dr. Ogbolu earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice from the University of Pennsylvania and brings extensive clinical experience spanning psychiatry and critical care. Her clinical philosophy emphasizes the application of current psychiatric evidence, neurobiology, and whole-person care to improve diagnostic accuracy, treatment outcomes, and long-term psychological well-being.

Her scholarly interests include athlete mental health, psychiatric aspects of identity transition, stress physiology, and resilience, and sports psych. She has presented research on collegiate athlete transition and mental health, with a focus on developing sustainable, evidence-based interventions to reduce psychological distress during major life transitions. As a former NCAA Division I soccer player, assistant semi-professional soccer coach, and ESPN+ women’s soccer color analyst, she brings both clinical expertise and lived experience to the evolving field of sports psychiatry.

In addition to patient care, Dr. Ogbolu is passionate about advancing psychiatric practice through research, education, public speaking, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Her mission is to bridge clinical science with compassionate care, ensuring every patient receives treatment that is both evidence-based and deeply individualized.