Hi! I’m Jen

I am a self-declared, recovering people pleaser and an empath to my core. I spent many years suffering from generalized anxiety disorder and panic attacks, and as an adult, now realize I also have ADHD that presents in a non “typical” way...

I have experienced heartache and grief with the death of my youngest sibling and watched loved ones fight addiction and their own mental health conditions.

I became a nurse to serve others in their time of need and found myself needing help more than ever before! As I battled my own mental health struggles I committed to finding a way to help others. It is each battle, every victory, and all of the individuals I’ve cared for along the way, that have given me the drive I needed to succeed with that commitment.

Beyond the Stigma Az and my role as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner are here for anyone who needs someone in their corner to partner with them in finding mental wellness.

My experiences have given me a HEART for MENTAL HEALTH and helping others in their pursuit of WELLBEING

Woman with an engaging smile and warm eyes in a pink shirt with beautiful curls in her hair, leaning on a chair, indoor setting with plants in the background.

Thank you for stopping to meet me!

So…What now you ask?

Let me first say, I am so proud of you for taking a very important first step in the direction of caring for yourself and your mental wellness!

I can truly empathize with where you are coming from on your journey to living your best life.

Your next step is to push the “connect with Jen” button and tell me a little about yourself. Once you do this, I will reach out to you for your free 15 min consultation and we can discuss if you would like to bring me along on this journey with you!

At Beyond the Stigma Az, we will work together as a team to develop a treatment plan that acknowledges YOU as the key decision-maker in your journey and ME as your trusted, empathetic teammate, providing support and expertise to help you achieve your mental health goals.

Graduate holding diploma and decorated cap outdoors

A little about my Experience, Professional background and the Populations I have had the privilege of caring for.

  • Labor, Delivery, & Postpartum Nursing ~ giving me experience in pregnancy, neonatal loss, mental health struggles during and after pregnancy, and maternal substance misuse with neonatal addiction.

  • Women’s Health Nursing ~ providing a strong foundation to care for the unique mental health needs women face through the care of perinatal mood disorders, trauma, and hormonal changes that present mental wellness challenges.

  • Hospice Nursing ~ here I witnessed the profound impact of anxiety and depression, adjustment disorders, and grief. I was blessed to provide empathetic care to the entire family. It is hospice that gives me my desire to support the mental health of loved ones caring for aging family members. My hospice families taught me that the hardest job any person can do is be the caregiver to a loved one preparing to leave this world.

  • Integrated Psychiatric Care Outpatient Nursing ~ where I have developed expertise in crisis intervention, medication understanding and management, and holistic treatment plans for individuals with serious mental illness (SMI).

  • Teens ~ I spent over two decades prior to my nursing career, mentoring, supporting, counseling, and collaborating with adolescents from middle school through high school as they traversed the challenges faced navigating peers, family, school, social media, and all of the other life changing situations that occur on their journey to independence. The pressure our adolescents face are not for the faint of heart.

My Education

I have cared for people as they inhale their first breaths, exhale their last, and struggle or triumph through all the stages in between.

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I have cared for people as they inhale their first breaths, exhale their last, and struggle or triumph through all the stages in between. 💕

I obtained my Associates Degree in Nursing (ADN) from Yavapai College. I went on to obtain my Bachelors of Science in Nursing (BSN) at Grand Canyon University and then two years later continued with Grand Canyon University to complete my Masters in Nursing Education (MSN). Through all of this education I found myself loving the jobs I was working and the people I was caring for, but I found one trend to be true, not just in my life but in many of those I came into contact with. The trend I saw was that I was drawn to caring for the people who were suffering not just physically but also mentally. My empathetic nature was often commended during times of others facing anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, and addiction. It was through those experiences I realized, that the way I was going to help others push past the stigmas associated with mental health care was to pursue a Post Graduate Certificate as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) through Wilkes University.

I am board certified through the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC).