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About Kim, Psych NP & Director of Holistic Psych Care
My Methods & Style:
I strongly emphasize positivity, self acceptance and love, celebration of difference, and the importance of meaning and a sense of purpose in life. When working with you, my goal is to optimize your mental health and overall sense of well-being so you can live your life better. I focus on the importance of you, as an individual, not the needs of the collective. This means I won't expect you to conform to the norms, expectations and trends of society, your culture, your heritage, your community or any common "labels" of the times.
Psych Medications, Holistic Care & Life Coaching:
Some people see me strictly for conventional medication management (pharmaceutical mood medications) and treatment, others see me for options other than pharmaceuticals or to blend in a more natural approach. For these individuals I blend a functional, orthomolecular and integrative approach focusing on metabolic health, optimized nutrition, lifestyle changes, vitamin and mineral balance, and the use of some herbals and other holistic modalities as needed.
Many people like to combine my medication management or holistic care with my specialized life skills & therapeutic coaching. This includes learning improved life skills and focused self-work, in order to improve their overall well-being and learn to Live Life Better.
My practice is not primary care. You will keep your primary care provider (PCP) for your general health needs (non-psych prescriptions, standard healthcare visits, etc.). We will work with your PCP as needed when health changes/improvements impact your medication dosages or require other alterations to your conventional primary care regimen.
Life Coaching & Skills Guidance to Life Your Life Better:
My style and methods are solution focused and progress oriented, with an emphasis on now and future forward. It is most like guidance, counsel & coaching and involves making changes in your life and in your thinking. It also involves building improved life skills such as better distress tolerance, emotion regulation, interpersonal effectiveness, with a "here and now" emphasis (fancy words for better coping and relating skills). Learning these skills also increases your mental positivity, perception of goodness in the world, ability to better interact with other people, and benefits your overall sense of well-being so that you life life better.
What I do is not traditional talk therapy and we will not delve into your past, negative life experiences, or the minutia of your day to day life. Directed focus is on the big picture of life, which involves a lot of self-work on your part: introspection, self reflection, insight into the mind, your sense of self, and emphasizing purpose & meaning in your life. What I do pairs nicely with traditional psychotherapy and people who are also seeing a therapist often progress faster, as they experience an additive, synergistic effect with both together.
I strongly emphasize positivity, self acceptance and love, celebration of difference, and the importance of meaning and a sense of purpose in life. When working with you, my goal is to optimize your mental health and overall sense of well-being so you can live your life better. I focus on the importance of you, as an individual, not the needs of the collective. This means I won't expect you to conform to the norms, expectations and trends of society, your culture, your heritage, your community or any common "labels" of the times.
Psych Medications, Holistic Care & Life Coaching:
Some people see me strictly for conventional medication management (pharmaceutical mood medications) and treatment, others see me for options other than pharmaceuticals or to blend in a more natural approach. For these individuals I blend a functional, orthomolecular and integrative approach focusing on metabolic health, optimized nutrition, lifestyle changes, vitamin and mineral balance, and the use of some herbals and other holistic modalities as needed.
Many people like to combine my medication management or holistic care with my specialized life skills & therapeutic coaching. This includes learning improved life skills and focused self-work, in order to improve their overall well-being and learn to Live Life Better.
My practice is not primary care. You will keep your primary care provider (PCP) for your general health needs (non-psych prescriptions, standard healthcare visits, etc.). We will work with your PCP as needed when health changes/improvements impact your medication dosages or require other alterations to your conventional primary care regimen.
Life Coaching & Skills Guidance to Life Your Life Better:
My style and methods are solution focused and progress oriented, with an emphasis on now and future forward. It is most like guidance, counsel & coaching and involves making changes in your life and in your thinking. It also involves building improved life skills such as better distress tolerance, emotion regulation, interpersonal effectiveness, with a "here and now" emphasis (fancy words for better coping and relating skills). Learning these skills also increases your mental positivity, perception of goodness in the world, ability to better interact with other people, and benefits your overall sense of well-being so that you life life better.
What I do is not traditional talk therapy and we will not delve into your past, negative life experiences, or the minutia of your day to day life. Directed focus is on the big picture of life, which involves a lot of self-work on your part: introspection, self reflection, insight into the mind, your sense of self, and emphasizing purpose & meaning in your life. What I do pairs nicely with traditional psychotherapy and people who are also seeing a therapist often progress faster, as they experience an additive, synergistic effect with both together.
Important note regarding prescription medications: Please note that as a holistic provider, one of my goals is to utilize methods with the least potential harmful effects. Therefore I do not prescribe controlled substances to new clients. This includes: Adderall, Ritalin, & Amphetamines for attention and focus issues (ADHD, ADD, etc), Benzodiazepines & muscle relaxants such as Xanax, Klonopin, & Soma. I also do not provide pain or addiction treatment medications such as buprenorphine, methadone, Percocet, Norco, Codine, Oxycodone, etc., .
Background Info:
I've been involved in healthcare since 1992, primarily in trauma and critical care until 2004 when I changed my emphasis to integrative health and medicine. I did this because I began to realize over the years that conventional medicine is great at addressing emergency and acute concerns, but it really isn't very good at addressing emotions and feelings, helping or healing chronic conditions and especially any health/well-being issues that don't 'fit' an expected pattern or criteria.
In 2001 I began seriously researching alternative, holistic and traditional healing modalities, such as Traditional Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture, Western and Ayurvedic Herbal Healing, Nutrition, Functional and Orthomolecular medicine, Nurse Herbalism, the Power of Consciousness, Mind, Spirituality and Soul, and other non-conventional forms of medicine and healing. My discoveries revealed that there are many very viable and potent healing traditions and methods to be found in alternative medicine and old-world healing practices; and many of these are good at helping people with issues that mainstream medicine doesn't address very well.
These findings, along with my own journey towards wholeness, healing and well-being, compelled me to completely change my practice to a holistic, integrative focus with an emphasis on the often-neglected, yet very important psyche and non-material aspects of life. All that I've learned along the path of my own transformational wellness journey I have imbued into my Holistic Psych & Integrative Wellness practice. It is my hope that I can bring help and healing to others in a way that increases their well-being and helps them life their life better.
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Academic Education
MSN, Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park California, 2012
MA, Master of Arts in Psychology, Imaginal Psychology, Meridian University, Petaluma California, 2012
MBA, Master of Business Administration, organizational effectiveness, Marylhurst University, Lake Oswego Oregon, 2003
BS, Bachelor of Science, Management, Communication & Leadership, Concordia University, Portland Oregon, 2000
RN, Registered Nursing, University of San Francisco, San Francisco California, 2008
AS-RRT, Associate of Science, Registered Respiratory Therapist, Pima Medical Institute, Tucson Arizona, 1991
Licenses & Board Certification:
Nationally Board Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP), 2022 - current (note: practicing psychiatry since 2012)
Nationally Board Certified Family Practice Nurse Practitioner (FNP), 2012 - current
Nationally Board Certified Advanced Holistic Nurse (AHN), 2013 - current
Nurse Practitioner licensed in CA, ID, AZ, FL, TX
Public Health Nurse license in CA
Registered Nurse licensed in CA, ID, AZ, FL, TX
Respiratory Care Practitioner, RRT & CRTT board certified (retired licenses in CA, AZ,OR with inactive status as of 2013)
Certifications and additional Specialty training:
Professional Activities and Memberships:
I've been involved in healthcare since 1992, primarily in trauma and critical care until 2004 when I changed my emphasis to integrative health and medicine. I did this because I began to realize over the years that conventional medicine is great at addressing emergency and acute concerns, but it really isn't very good at addressing emotions and feelings, helping or healing chronic conditions and especially any health/well-being issues that don't 'fit' an expected pattern or criteria.
In 2001 I began seriously researching alternative, holistic and traditional healing modalities, such as Traditional Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture, Western and Ayurvedic Herbal Healing, Nutrition, Functional and Orthomolecular medicine, Nurse Herbalism, the Power of Consciousness, Mind, Spirituality and Soul, and other non-conventional forms of medicine and healing. My discoveries revealed that there are many very viable and potent healing traditions and methods to be found in alternative medicine and old-world healing practices; and many of these are good at helping people with issues that mainstream medicine doesn't address very well.
These findings, along with my own journey towards wholeness, healing and well-being, compelled me to completely change my practice to a holistic, integrative focus with an emphasis on the often-neglected, yet very important psyche and non-material aspects of life. All that I've learned along the path of my own transformational wellness journey I have imbued into my Holistic Psych & Integrative Wellness practice. It is my hope that I can bring help and healing to others in a way that increases their well-being and helps them life their life better.
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Academic Education
MSN, Master of Science in Nursing, Family Nurse Practitioner, Sonoma State University, Rohnert Park California, 2012
MA, Master of Arts in Psychology, Imaginal Psychology, Meridian University, Petaluma California, 2012
MBA, Master of Business Administration, organizational effectiveness, Marylhurst University, Lake Oswego Oregon, 2003
BS, Bachelor of Science, Management, Communication & Leadership, Concordia University, Portland Oregon, 2000
RN, Registered Nursing, University of San Francisco, San Francisco California, 2008
AS-RRT, Associate of Science, Registered Respiratory Therapist, Pima Medical Institute, Tucson Arizona, 1991
Licenses & Board Certification:
Nationally Board Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP), 2022 - current (note: practicing psychiatry since 2012)
Nationally Board Certified Family Practice Nurse Practitioner (FNP), 2012 - current
Nationally Board Certified Advanced Holistic Nurse (AHN), 2013 - current
Nurse Practitioner licensed in CA, ID, AZ, FL, TX
Public Health Nurse license in CA
Registered Nurse licensed in CA, ID, AZ, FL, TX
Respiratory Care Practitioner, RRT & CRTT board certified (retired licenses in CA, AZ,OR with inactive status as of 2013)
Certifications and additional Specialty training:
- Integrative Psychiatry Institute, integrative and functional certificate trainings
- Psychiatry Redefined, integrative and functional med certificate trainings
- Integrative Medicine for Mental Health, IMMH organization, national training conferences x3
- Integrative Mental Health, Allegra learning certificate
- Meditation, Allegra learning certificate
- DBT skills training & workshops, PESI x2 certificates
- Coaching Certificate, Zur Institute certificate
- LCHF/Ketogenic Nutrition Professional Training for Medical providers, Noakes Foundation, Nutrition Network
- Medical Cannabis, Clinical Cannabinoid Medicine Curriculum, Society of Cannabis Clinicians, TCMI Global
- Herbal Medicine, Herbal Medicine Making training program by Tieraona Low Dog, MD
- Certificate in Energy Medicine, Allegra learning
- The Science of Energy Healing, ACEP: Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology
- Wilderness & Travel medicine
- Low Carb nutritional healing, Low Carb Down Under, Low Carb Denver
- Clinical Sexology certification, The Institute of Advanced Study in Human Sexuality
- Restorative Medicine Certification, Association for the advancement of Restorative Medicine
- Faith Community Nursing Certification, Bellarmine University
- Spirituality, Health & Healing Certificate, Allegra Learning
- Lactation Education and Counseling Certificate, University of San Diego
- Life Coaching, Meridian University (part of MA psychology degree)
- Healing Touch, Healing Touch International, level one
- The Science and Clinical Application of Holistic & Integrative Medicine, AHMA trainings x3 (now called ABIHM)
- Food as Medicine, The Center for Mind-Body Medicine (x2)
- Intimacy and Infidelity, Mating in Captivity, and Eros, Ester Perel Psychotherapy Seminars
- IV Nutrition, American College for the Advancement of Medicine
- Western and Ayurvedic Herbalism
- Holistic Nutrition, Weston A. Price Foundation
- Nutrition, Chronic Disease, & Functional Medicine Applications, The Institute for Functional Medicine
- Applying Functional Medicine, Functional Medicine University
- ACLS, CPR, and First Aid Instructor Certification
- Nurse Herbalism, Martha Libster & other pioneers in reimplementing nurse herbalism practices
- Herbal Healing & Natural Medicine courses through: Gaia Herbs, Integrative Practitioner, Natural Standard, Metametrix, Genova Diagnostics, US Biotek, etc.
Professional Activities and Memberships:
- Member, American Holistic Nurses Association www.ahna.org
- Member, American Association of Nurse Practitioners www.aanp.org
- Member, Society of Cannabis Clinicians https://www.cannabisclinicians.org/
- Medical Practitioner Member, Low Carb USA https://www.lowcarbusa.org/
- Member, American Association of Psychiatric Nurses www.apna.org
- Member, Association for the Advancement of Restorative Medicine www.restorativemedicine.org
- Member, California Association of Nurse Practitioners www.canp.org
- Member, Marin MFT Association www.marincamft.org
- Former Board of Directors, American Holistic Medical Association www.holisticmedicine.org
- Past Vice-President, California Respiratory Care Board, www.rcb.ca.gov
- Former Board of Directors, Marin County Mental Health Board