Bellinda Accime
Who am I? I’m Bellinda, a Board Certified Psychiatric Mental-Health Nurse Practitioner, (PMHNP-BC). I completed my Master’s of Science in Nursing degree at the University of Pennsylvania in 2022. During my time there, I was designated as an Amy Gutmann Scholar, worked with Johnson&Johnson and Microsoft in nursing innovation via Hack-a-thon and had a number of clinical rotations in varying psychiatric settings. Prior to attending graduate school, I was an Intensive Care Unit nurse and became certified in the specialty as a Critical Care Registered Nurse (CCRN). With over a decade of nursing experience and nearly two decades of healthcare experience, I developed a comfort working with patients considered medically complex, which translated well to my first Certified Registered Nurse Practitioner (CRNP) role as a Transplant-Psychiatry Nurse Practitioner at a large Philadelphia hospital. I evaluated and autonomously treated patients in the outpatient (office), inpatient (hospital), and clinic settings. This included general psychiatry, emergency and longterm neuropsychiatric side effects from calcineurin-inhibitors (immunosuppression), and some substance use disorders. Personally, I’m from Philly, I have a cat, like to read and I’m doing my absolute best to keep a ficus alive. Regarding the latter - some days are better than others and if it dies, I’ll have to update this section. Professional interests include the HPA axis, RCCX gene theory, indigenous treatment of trauma and functional medicine.
First session
The first session with me is mostly information-gathering and usually lasts 60-90 minutes. I do not use ambient listening or AI note writers, so that time can include notes. I like to get a pretty in-depth history, so, if you’ve worked with psychiatry before, there will be some questions you have heard before and some you haven’t. After that, I’ll clarify anything unclear, share my overall impression and then present some treatment options. We’ll talk about the risks and benefits of each and together, develop an initial treatment plan. Before our first session, I’ll review your intake form, responses to the screening tools, medical records and diagnostics/labwork you provide, and use those to help me formulate questions that might apply to your case, specifically. Note: Fitting your life’s story into an hour and a half block can be tricky. Depending on the areas that need more clarity, some patients will need a follow up visit to get additional pertinent information before we can develop a plan.
Strengths
In addition to the great education I received at UPenn, my experience across a number of specialties has created a small stockpile of knowledge that has proven quite useful in psychiatry. My priority will always be your safety, and that includes ruling out physical reasons that may be causing psychiatric symptoms. The other thing is - that conclusion is not static. Our bodies are constantly adapting to our environments and what may be “normal” on one day, may not be on another. I also like “homework” and I’m not too proud to tell you that I need to learn more about a topic more before speaking about it; so I’m not intimidated by patients who do their own research and bring their questions and information into session.
Ideal clients
If you’re wondering if we’d be a good fit, here’s a bit more information about the clients who will gain the most out of a patient-provider relationship with me: a.) you’re interested in my clinical perspective and appreciate a line of inquiry that considers a number of factors contributing to your symptoms and experience, including diagnostics and collaboration with other specialties, if appropriate. b.) you’re interested in a multimodal approach, which sometimes includes, but is not limited to psychiatric medication, to address your symptoms and experience. c.) you want to learn about the reasons why I make certain recommendations, so you have the information you need to make the choices that make the most sense for you. d.) you want a patient-provider relationship that, while based in respect and compassion, is authentic as well. Note: if you are presenting with a prior ADHD diagnosis or a concern that you have ADHD, you should know that I do not prescribe stimulants. At this time, I am only accepting adult patients in PA.
Treatment methods
Trauma-Informed Care
In my decade and a half of nursing experience, I’ve met and cared for a variety of people, from all walks of life. The individuals I’ve crossed paths with have shaped my continuously evolving understanding of trauma, where it shows up in the day-to-day for people, and how tender it can be to unpack and explore it. In addition to thorough psychiatric evaluation that respects the trauma, you are a co-creator in how we treat it. In addition to psychiatric evaluation and managing psychopharmacology if appropriate, we will screen for other co-morbidities that can occur with certain trauma exposures, and we can talk through recommendations for both lifestyle and more in-depth trauma treatment, if that aligns with your goals.
Somatic
In addition to exploring how your mental health may be impacting your body, we will also examine how your body may be impacting your mental health and explore body-based practices, if appropriate. We can explore these practices whether you opt for med management, or not.
Location
Virtual sessions
Identifies as
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Serves
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Licensed in
- PennsylvaniaLicense SP026306