I was asked today why I decided to become a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner.
It is a question I get often.
People are usually surprised when someone intentionally chooses to work in mental health. There is still so much stigma surrounding mental illness that many people look at the field from the outside and wonder, Why would anyone want to do that every day?
But my answer has always been simple:
I want to help people who want help.
The People Behind the Diagnosis
People struggling with mental illness did not choose their diagnosis.
They did not choose the trauma they endured.
They did not choose the anxiety that keeps them awake at night.
They did not choose the depression that makes getting out of bed feel impossible.
They did not choose the psychosis, the intrusive thoughts, the panic attacks, or the circumstances that shaped them.
Many are carrying wounds no one else can see.
In The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog, Bruce D. Perry writes:
“What happens to you in childhood can shape who you become, but it does not have to determine who you are forever.”
That quote captures so much of what I believe as a provider.
Healing is possible. Growth is possible. Hope is possible.
And it is an incredible honor to walk alongside patients as they try to put the pieces of their lives back together.
My goal with every patient is simple:
To help them have the best quality of life possible and achieve the goals they once thought were out of reach.
The reality is that many people who desperately need mental health care never seek help because of stigma.
According to the American Psychiatric Association, more than half of people living with mental illness do not receive treatment, and stigma is one of the biggest reasons why. Many delay care because they fear judgment, discrimination, or being viewed differently by others.
Even today, mental health is often treated differently from physical health. A 2024 Gallup survey found that 75% of Americans believe mental health conditions are handled worse than physical health conditions within the healthcare system.
That stigma is exactly why compassionate providers matter.
As PMHNPs, we are not simply prescribing medication. We are helping people feel seen, heard, and safe enough to begin healing.
When “I Understand” Comes From Experience
From a personal perspective, I have lived through many different facets of life that allow me to connect with people on a deeper level.
When I tell my patients, “I understand,” it is because I truly do.
My patients do not know my entire story. But I know there were moments in my life where I could have easily ended up sitting in the chair across from someone like me.
I often wonder how different my life could have been.
I was fortunate enough to have certain tools, opportunities, and support systems that helped me survive seasons of life that could have taken me down a completely different path.
That realization never leaves me.
It is one of the reasons I approach my patients with compassion instead of judgment.
God Can Bring Good From Pain
For years, I questioned why I experienced some of the things I did.
Why the trauma?
Why the hardship?
Why the pain?
But looking back now, I can see something I could not see then: God was writing a bigger story.
One of the most powerful verses in the Bible says:
“You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good.” — Genesis 50:20
That verse speaks deeply to my life.
There were situations meant to break me, discourage me, and define me by pain. But somehow, God used those very experiences to give me compassion, resilience, purpose, and the ability to help others heal.
Not only is overcoming adversity possible, but thriving in spite of it is possible, too.
That belief is what inspired me to create my workbook, Surviving to Thriving, where I share many of the tools and mindset shifts that helped me navigate difficult seasons of life.
[Insert your affiliate/workbook link here]
My Journey to Becoming a PMHNP
My journey to becoming a PMHNP was not easy.
I started nursing school pursuing my Associate Degree in Nursing when I was only 18 years old and already a mother to an infant son.
I married young, and there were many moments where life could have convinced me to give up on my goals, especially not having the support of the family that surrounded me, and not having my own family close. But I refused to allow my circumstances to determine my future.
So I kept going.
I completed nursing school, entered my nursing career, and eventually moved to the United States to be close to my family. Adjusting was challenging, but again, I kept pushing forward.
It was while working in a family medicine practice that I truly developed a passion for mental health. I saw patients struggling silently. Patients who could not access care. Patients who felt hopeless. Patients who had spent years suffering without support. I remember one patient kept coming back feeling hopeless, and I would sit with her and allow her to cry, and I tried to give her even the slightest bit of hope. As I worked in different areas of nursing, I began noticing the enormous disparities within mental health care. The need was overwhelming.
What broke my heart most was not only seeing patients suffer, but seeing how difficult it was for them to access care at all.
The United States is currently facing a growing mental health provider shortage. According to workforce projections from the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), the country could face a shortage of up to 21,000 psychiatrists by 2030. Some projections suggest the supply of psychiatrists may decline by nearly 20–27% over the next decade as demand for mental health services continues to rise.
In many communities, especially rural areas, patients wait months for appointments or never receive care at all.
That reality fueled my decision even more.
I realized mental health providers are not just important, they are desperately needed.
Once I knew this was my calling, I went all in.
I applied for my BSN program and then immediately continued into my Master’s program.
By then, I had two children and was working night shift at the hospital while attending school.
It was exhausting. I worked, studied, mothered, and somehow still managed to be present in my children’s lives. Looking back now, I honestly do not know how I balanced it all, but I did.
I kept showing up.
And I succeeded.
My Only Regret
Looking back, my only regret is not doing it sooner.
I have loved every second of this journey.
Even the hard parts. Especially the hard parts.
Because those difficult moments shaped me into the provider I am today.
To me, this is not just a job to clock in and clock out. It is not just a way to make a living. It is my calling.
A New Generation of PMHNPs
One thing that inspires me now is seeing more nurses entering the PMHNP field.
While many people still fear mental health, I see nurses who feel genuinely called toward it.
That matters.
The mental health field needs compassionate providers. It needs people willing to listen, advocate, educate, and help patients heal without shame.
I hope to one day mentor new PMHNPs entering this field and help guide them through the challenges, fears, and uncertainties that come with the profession.
My Story Came Full Circle
Years later, I connected with my biological uncle through Ancestry.
We exchanged messages and slowly began learning about one another’s lives. When he asked what I did for a living and I told him I had become a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, he became emotional.
To him, everything had come full circle.
A child born into circumstances shaped by mental illness, trauma, and loss had somehow grown into someone helping others heal from those very same struggles.
That moment stayed with me deeply.
For so many years, I questioned why my life unfolded the way it did. I questioned the pain, the instability, the trauma, and the adversity. But in that conversation, I was reminded that our stories do not have to end where they begin.
Sometimes the very experiences that could have broken us become the foundation for our purpose.
As Romans 8:28 reminds us:
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.”
I truly believe God allowed me to turn pain into purpose.
And that is why I do what I do every single day.
Sometimes the people who were once fighting to survive become the very people who help others heal.
