Introduction to my practice
I have been a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner since 2013. I have been in my current practice since that time. Before this, I was a Family Nurse Practitioner for several years. I am board certified as both a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner and a Family Nurse Practitioner. I feel my family practice experience helps me to better treat patients who have physical symptoms that may be related to mental health concerns, as well as treat patients who have physical illnesses that complicate and contribute to their mental health. I treat a wide variety of mental health conditions including, Anxiety disorders (GAD, PTSD, OCD, Panic Disorder), Depression and ADHD, as well as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. I evaluate for all mental health conditions and prescribe medications based on that evaluation.
Due to being a one-person practice, I do not offer crisis services. I am available during business hours and can offer urgent appointments within 1-2 days. Patients in immediate crisis will be advised to call 911 or go to the emergency room.
I do not do mental health evaluations for parenting plans, SSDI, or for legal reasons. I can refer you to specialists who do these evaluations.
I do not offer psychotherapy or counseling but can help you find a therapist or counselor who is a good fit based on the many relationships with therapists I have built over the years.
My philosophy of care is “never work harder than your patients.” While that may seem harsh, I believe mental health has many facets, and these almost always will not be resolved by medication alone. Your mental health involves not only the chemicals in your brain but your life experiences, current stressors, and ability to cope or be resilient to life’s challenges. That being said, I often ask my patients to consider other methods to treat their symptoms, which may include: sleep hygiene, psychotherapy, exercise, diet changes, meditation and mindfulness practice, massage or other forms of body-work, genetic testing, and vitamins or supplements. You will leave my office with a to-do list! I consider myself an integrative practitioner (combining eastern and western treatments and addressing the root cause of the issue instead of just medicating the symptoms). I have found that in almost every case, medication alone will not be enough to get and keep you feeling your best. So if you are willing to make some changes and put in a little work, I think you will find you get a lot out of my services – if you want to be “medicated but not better” we probably aren’t a good fit.
If you are interested in becoming a part of my practice, please click on the TouchHealth button below, and we will call you to set up an appointment. If I am unable to accommodate you within a reasonable time frame, I will be happy to give you some other options for care.