Hi, I am a Board Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner based in Northeastern Pennsylvania. I received my Masters as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner from Wilkes University in Wilkes-Barre, PA. I have been working in mental health for over four years. I have many more years working in emergency and trauma nursing. I am licensed to see patients across the life span, but choose to treat patients 16 years and older. I feel pediatrics is a specialty of its own. I have considerable experience treating the young adult population with their particular life stressors, but enjoy treating all age groups. I support a recovery oriented, person centered practice of compassion, empathy and respect to promote dignity and empower individuals with the instillation of hope and healing.

What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?

In our first session, which is typically and hour long; we will begin with brief introductions. I will explain my philosophy of care, which is that we will work as a team. After hearing your history and reason for appt. I may make a suggestion for a medication, if I think it would be of benefit. The ultimate decision though, will be yours. For many mental health conditions, medication is only a temporary fix. It may be necessary to lower the anxiety or improve energy, such as with depression, to get you in a better position to work with a therapist and or make life style changes. I practice from a holistic perspective.

Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.

In my experience, most patients become comfortable with me rather quickly. This relationship based on mutual respect and a sense of being heard and validated promotes hope and confidence and significantly contributes to positive outcomes.

Describe the client(s) you are best positioned to serve.

I enjoy working with young adults as they transition to more independent living such as college and careers. These life transitions can feel overwhelming and sometimes produce anxiety/depression. I also enjoy working with people who think they may have a mood disorder. Mood disorders can be difficult to tease out, as there is an overlap between bipolar 2 disorder, ADHD, PTSD and a personality disorder. As a trauma survivor/thriver, I have spent years reading research and books on trauma. I am trained in a mindfulness based yoga approach to treating trauma. I also have a keen interest in nutrition and mental health. I have a certificate for training in that field. I counsel all my patients on nutrition and vitamin supplementation.

About Colleen Flynn Ries