Aloha… and welcome to Liminal Space Mental Health. Here is some information about myself, my approach to treatment, and my own goals as a practitioner of a healing and holistic wellness profession.

Background:

• I started my mental health career unknowingly–as a barista for 9 years–doing what a therapist once described to me as natural therapy… just talking to my customers with compassion and curious listening. Developing the skills of building rapport with others and being a good listener led to my work as a psychiatric RN in an acute inpatient psychiatric hospital, and, eventually, to my current role here as a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP-BC) and Integrative Psychiatric Professional (IPP-C)… providing care in this liminal space between what has been and what will become.

Approach to care:

• The foundation of everything I do lies in mindfulness. With mindfulness, I am more relaxed, focused, and present. This allows me to be peaceful and present for myself and for others–including my clients. This same principle applies to each of us–when we embody mindfulness, we have the opportunity to move positively through each liminal space in our lives.

• My approach to care starts with a mindful and loving presence. I consider that our whole being influences our health–both physical and mental with each element influencing the others in turn. Viewing health through a whole person/holistic and integrative lens, helps us find a balance through supporting biological, mental, and spiritual needs/requirement. When we find this balance and support and empower it through intentional lifestyle choices, we will be in an optimal position to live a healthy and peaceful life.

• Also, with a mindful focus on the storyteller, we will explore the thread of the unique tale of each client’s life–tracing from the past to inform where/who you are in the present and intentionally woven into the tapestry of the future story–allowing one to be the author of their own future.

Treatment planning:

• In developing treatment plans, my number one goal is for you to feel that you made the decisions–a truly collaborative process.

• I am here to provide a mindful and loving presence, support, treatment options/alternatives, an open mind, and an unbiased perspective.

• At the same time, I expect my clients to take an active and intentional role in their own mental health journey–as Dr. Mole says, "The medicine works on its own just fine, but if you need some magic dig deep inside. The healing’s in you, deep within you..."

Areas of care:

• Stress

• Anxiety

• Depression and low mood

• ADHD and executive dysfunction.

Professional goals (short and mid-term):

• Become fully Integrative Psychiatric Professional certified (IPP-C) (I am almost there at the time of this writing)

• Become Experiential Transformation Procedure (ETP) certified (I am half way through at the time of this writing)

• Become Hakomi Method Certified (I am Hakomi informed, as I have completed the initial Hakomi Method workshop… but there is so much more to learn.)

• Become Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) training certified (I have completed the initial course and seek to continue the curriculum)

• Continue to always be learning how to best provide the safest, most effective, personalized, and compassionate care.

How I like to spend my free-time:

• Practicing Tai Ji and Bai Mei Kung Fu

• Exercising (especially HIIT)

• Playing guitar

• Writing, arranging, and recording music

• Finding magic in nature

• Seeking inner stillness

• Most importantly… spending as much time playing with my family as possible.