Amanda DuWick
I am a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) specializing in mental health medication management, with nearly seven years of experience prescribing psychiatric medications and over 20 years of nursing expertise in both inpatient and outpatient settings. My approach is warm, compassionate, and client-focused. My passion is education and empowerment for the clients I serve, so that are able to learn more about this component of their lives and feel confident in their steps forward.
First session
In your first session with me, you can expect a detailed and compassionate assessment where we’ll explore your history, concerns, and goals together. My focus is to help you feel heard, understood, and empowered to take an active and collaborative role in your care from the beginning.
Strengths
My greatest strengths are in my ability to create a therapeutic relationship with warmth and empathy and to combine psychiatric and medical experience with a customized approach. What stands out about my therapeutic style is my focus and commitment to educating and empowering clients.
Ideal clients
I enjoy working with first-time patients, those who have felt frustrated by previous healthcare experiences, and anyone seeking education about their current situation and ways to improve their prognosis and quality of life. My goal is always to create a safe, warm and supportive environment where patients feel heard, empowered, and encouraged to take positive steps for their mental health and overall well-being.
Treatment methods
Psychoeducation
As a PMNHP focusing on medication management, I believe that it is important to know and understand your diagnosis, and to learn what treatment options are available for you. It is empowering to learn about those parts of you in order to become part of the collaboration process to improve your mental health, learn to manage your symptoms, and create improved well-being.
Psychodynamic
As a PMHNP, I utilize a psychodynamic approach as a supportive therapy for medication management. Psychodynamic therapy encourages the expression and processing of difficult emotions, which is crucial for healing. By exploring and expressing repressed or unconscious emotions, individuals can experience understanding, insight, emotional relief and gain new perspectives on their experiences and behavior
Motivational Interviewing
As a PMHNP, I use motivational interviewing (with clients for medication management) because it is a guiding style of communication, that sits between following (good listening) and directing (giving information and advice). This is helpful as it is designed to empower people to change by drawing out their own meaning, importance and capacity for change. It is based on a respectful and curious way of being with people that facilitates the natural process of change and honors client autonomy.
Eclectic
As a PMHNP, I do use an eclectic, personalized approach with clients for medication management. Eclectic is a term that features drawing from different methods of care with a focus on developing a therapeutic relationship. I am able to utilize diverse methods in order to meld the therapies to fit the client to their best advantage as opposed to using a "one size fits all" approach.
Trauma-Informed Care
As a PMHNP, I use trauma-informed care with clients for medication management because it allows for the recognition of the impact of past trauma on current health behaviors and treatment engagement. Many patients with trauma have difficulty maintaining healthy, open relationships with a health care provider. For patients, trauma-informed care offers the opportunity to engage more fully in their health care, develop a trusting relationship the provider, and improve long-term health outcomes.
Location
Virtual sessions
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Licensed in
- CaliforniaLicense 95006841