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Avis Hershfield, PMHNP - California Psychiatric NP at Grow Therapy

Avis Hershfield

Avis Hershfield

(she/her)

PMHNP
35 years of experience
Virtual

I am a passionate and enthusiastic dual Board-Certified MSN, APRN, FNP-BC, PMHNP-C with 35 + years of experience in direct patient care and demonstrated expertise in building rapport and relationships with patients and families. I am seasoned at bio-psycho-social & psychiatric evaluation and assessment, diagnosis, treatment planning, and psychiatric disease-state management. I am self-motivated, a lifelong learner and gifted with emotional fortitude, empathy, and tenacity in the face of a myriad of patient circumstances and environments. My clinical experience includes Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care, Inpatient Pediatric and Adolescent Psychiatry, Pediatric and Adult Home Care, Pediatric and Adult Home Infusion, Hospice and Palliative Care, Clinical Coordinator, Clinical Educator and Sexual & Reproductive Medicine”

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

During our first visit together, we will meet for about 1.5 - 2 hours with a primary goal of building a trusting patient-practitioner relationship, establishing a DSM-5 TR (Psychiatric Diagnostic Manual, 5th Edition, text-revision) diagnosis, identifying treatment goals and creating a treatment plan. My practice is both an Art and a Science and that means I will combine my wisdom, creativity, compassion, and healing spirit with the most up to date Evidence-Based Practice (EBP) in psychiatry, psychopharmacology and psychotherapeutic modalities to partner with you to meet your personal and unique psychiatric and mental health goals.

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

I welcome all cultures and minorities, all races and religions, POC and the LGBTQIA+ communities. I love all things artistic and creative, everything related to nature, philosophy, reading, swimming, cooking and baking, yoga, learning, and anything related to a deeper search for meaning in my life. I am down-to-earth and witty. I have been told I have an "old-soul" and a calming voice. I especially enjoy bringing my education, persona, and life/career experiences to the patients I serve

About Avis Hershfield

Identifies as

Specializes in

Serves ages

Licensed in

Accepts

Appointments

Virtual

My treatment methods

Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)

I use CBT to guide my patients to find ways to change their current thought patterns, feelings and behaviors that are negatively impacting their life. I weave CBT in all visits with my patients to foster resilience and positive change in their life.

Existential

I use concepts from Existential Therapy to guide my patients to grow in self awareness, create meaning and purpose in their life, and understand that suffering itself has meaning from which we can learn.

Humanistic

I love using Humanistic Theory principles with my patients because it offers me a holistic approach to our therapeutic relationship. Using a Humanistic Theory lens allows me to focuses on my patient's human potential , self-discovery, creativity, freedom, strengths, spirituality, values, personal responsibility, freedom of choice, and self-mastery.

Solution Focused Brief Treatment

I believe that when we focus on the problem, the problem increases, and when we focus on the solution, the solution increases. Solution Focused Brief Therapy allows us to look at your current life circumstances and your future hopes. We focus on what is changeable and possible in your life. Solution Focused Brief Therapy principles include: a. change is both constant and certain, b. patients must want to change, c. patients are the experts and can outline their goals, and d. patients have their own inner resources and strengths to solve and overcome their problems.