About Me

Hi!  I started my medical career driving an ambulance as an EMT.  Fifteen years later, the habit of figuring out whether something is an emergency has stayed with me.  I worked as a psychiatric RN for six years before going back to school to become a nurse practitioner. I am board-certified in psychiatry, and have been treating patients as a PMHNP since May of 2015.

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People are not a diagnosis.  It's not always the case that if a person feels depressed that the answer is an antidepressant.  The most important thing is to figure out why a person is depressed.  Sometimes there could be more than one reason, and sometimes one reason is more important or impactful than another.  Many times a person's physical health affects their psychiatric wellness.

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For that reason, I start with a medical screening to determine whether there is a medical reason why you feel the way you do.  There are quite a few common problems that seem psychiatric but are really medical.  Sometimes a simple solution is right at your fingertips, but you have to check and see.  With a thorough medical history and a lab draw, many times we will find something that can help you feel better right away.  For example, I can't just talk someone out of a magnesium deficiency, so if that's the problem, we should find out.

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I am always continuing my education through nursing classes, research, and reading books / listening to the podcasts of other physicians. ​I learned that medical illness can mimic mental health problems, and vice versa, mental health symptoms can mask medical illness. For example, Hashimoto's thyroidisis is often misdiagnosed as bipolar disorder. However, mood stabilizer medications don't work for thyroid issues. I always want to rule out a medical issue before prescribing psychiatric medication.

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I tailor your treatment plan to fit your life.  There are only so many hours in the day so your self-care routine can only take so much time.  The rest of your life is important!  If there is something you don't want to do, it's OK.  Maybe there's another way to go that you would find easier, or maybe we can put something off until later when you feel more like taking on a new challenge.  Treatment has to work, and it has to fit your life.