Dr. Donald is a Board-Certified Family Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner and an ADD/ADHD-Certified Clinical Services Provider. Dr. Donald has extensive experience working in a wide range of practice settings, including private practice, community mental health, correctional services, and addiction medicine. Dr. Donald's clinical experiences have equipped her with the needed skillset to provide holistic, quality, individualized, evidence-based care. Her overarching goal is to establish and maintain therapeutic relationships with her clients to achieve and sustain overall mental and physical wellness to become their BEST selves. I strongly believe the mind and body are interrelated, and therefore, must work together in harmony. I look forward to working with you and together, finding your desired level of optimum health both mentally and physically. Through therapy and prescriptive measures, it can be obtained as well as maintained. Together, our goal will be for you to achieve a level of increased satisfaction with life that manifests itself daily. I look forward to your future visit and the opportunity to serve you.
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
Above all, you should expect a therapeutic environment that is compassionate, confidential empathetic, and safe. My sessions offer you insights into your experiences, advice, support, validation and evidence-based treatment for mental health conditions.
What treatment methods and tools do you utilize?
I use a variety of treatments – including various forms of talk therapy, medications, psychosocial interventions and other treatments depending on the needs of each patient. There are several types of treatment for mental health conditions. They include: Psychotherapy or counseling. This also is called talk therapy. It is one of the most common treatments for mental health disorders. It involves talking about your problems with a mental health professional but is so much more. The is an education element, a focus on relaxation exercises and coping skills as well as stress management. There are many types of talk therapy. Some common ones include cognitive behavioral therapy or dialectical behavior therapy. Talk therapy is often done one-on-one. It can also be done in a group setting or with your family. Individual and group talk therapy is sometimes helpful. This type of therapy can be useful even for those who do not have a mental health condition and are simply going through challenging life situations (grief, divorce, etc.). Prescription medicine. Prescription medicine is another popular treatment method. Medicines for mental disorders make changes to brain chemicals that are involved in emotions and thought patterns. Medicines don’t cure psychiatric conditions or health problems. But they can improve your symptoms. They can make other treatments, such as counseling, more effective. There are many kinds of prescription medicines available that work in different ways. Your doctor will make a recommendation and share any side effects. Support groups. Self-help and support groups can help you gain insight into your condition. They can provide friendships, support, resources, and tips on how to live with your condition. They also help address the feelings of isolation that often go along with mental health conditions. Other therapies. There are many types of therapies people use to help treat mental health problems. These can include physical activity, such as exercise or yoga. They can also include creative therapies. These are therapies done using means of expressing yourself creatively. They can include using art, music, movement, or writing. Hospital or residential treatment program. Sometimes your mental health issues become so bad that you need to receive treatment in a hospital or a long-term program. This can happen when you can’t take care of yourself. Or it happens when you are in danger of harming yourself or others.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
My biggest strengths are excellent communication skills to manage a wide range of relationships with colleagues, and patients and their families, emotional resilience, a calm temperament and the ability to work well under pressure. I work collaboratively with others, foster teams and can lead multidisciplinary teams. problem-solving and diagnostic skills.