I am a psychiatric nurse practitioner, with seven years of clinical practice at this level. I became an RN for 15 years. During my years as psychiatric provider, I have cared for patients, both acute and ambulatory, with a wide array of behavioral health disorders, including depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, suicidal ideation, substance abuse, personality disorders, autism, intellectual disability, intermittent explosive disorder, ADHD, PTSD and others. My formats of practice have been both the in-person and virtual formats. In my practice, care is centered around the patient and each patient is unique and is treated with respect, and their personal choices, circumstances and wishes are central in the plan of care. Recovery from mental illness happens step by step, and is a journey that is characterized often, by increments and decrements.

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

The silent expectation of the patient and the provider is the start or continuation of the journey to recovery. The first session sees the patient and provider recognizing the need and embarking on a plan of the journey together towards the recovery of the client, with the client assured of the provider's commitment to working with the patient to walk towards recovery.

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

Patience, perseverance and understanding are key in this work with the patient. Despite this, it is a strength to stear the patient towards sound professional judgment, correcting myths. These are my strengths.

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

Mental illness is unique and some of the disorders are challenging, particularly to the victims. These disorders do not discriminate the age, gender or anything else about the patients. The patient that seeks for care has often admitted that he or she has a problem, and that admission is key. Once this is so, the patient is ready to set out on this journey of recovery. The ready patient is the willing patient and, for me, this is a big part of what is needed. Such are my dream clients.

About Ephraim Fombo