Annika Alvarez

As a dual board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) and Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), I am here to guide you through your mental health concerns with compassion and clarity. My approach pairs careful, collaborative medication management, so you walk away from each visit feeling genuinely listened to instead of just given a prescription. Most importantly, I aim to provide a calm, nonjudgmental space where we work side by side to create a realistic treatment plan that suits your life, your needs, and your personal goals.

I see men and women equally. The adults I currently support are mostly between the ages of 18 and 55 and live with serious mental illness, substance use disorders, generalized anxiety, PTSD, or major depression. I especially enjoy treating anxiety, bipolar disorder, PTSD, mood disorders, and depression, and I am also very comfortable working with ADHD and sleep disorders.

I bring a wide range of experience to our work together. I have delivered telehealth psychiatric evaluations and ongoing care to patients of many ages, performed ADHD and autism screenings with standardized assessment tools, and completed Spravato treatment assessments. As a member of an Assertive Community Treatment team, I supported young adults experiencing homelessness or unstable housing, teaming up with multidisciplinary colleagues to address their mental health as well as their day-to-day challenges.

Before focusing on psychiatry, I served as a primary care provider for renal patients and spent years in healthcare leadership. Those roles inform the way I practice today: I look at your physical health together with your mental health, I believe in open and clear communication, and I collaborate closely with your other providers whenever it is helpful. No matter what brings you to me, I want you to feel respected, supported, and fully included in every decision about your care.

My care is collaborative, whole-person, and grounded in evidence. As a dual board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) and Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), I provide thoughtful medication management designed so you leave every appointment feeling truly heard, not just handed a prescription. You know your life best, and I see my role as your partner, helping you make sense of your symptoms and discover what genuinely works for you.

We begin with a thorough psychiatric evaluation. I take time to understand your history, current challenges, and personal goals, and when helpful, I use standardized assessment tools, including ADHD and autism screenings. Together, we create a practical treatment plan shaped around your needs, priorities, and daily life. If medication is part of that plan, we’ll talk through your options openly, monitor how well it’s working, and make adjustments to achieve the best results with the fewest side effects. Your questions are always welcome, because understanding your treatment helps you feel confident in it.

My primary focus is anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder and other mood disorders, and PTSD, and I also have experience treating ADHD and sleep disorders. Along the way, I offer clear, practical education about your diagnosis and strategies to strengthen your coping skills between our visits. The goal is for you to feel capable of managing your health every day, not only during appointments.

With a background in primary care and years of healthcare leadership, I consider your physical and mental health together and recognize how stress, school, work, and relationships affect your overall well-being. With your consent, I coordinate with your other providers so your care feels connected and consistent rather than fragmented. Above all, I offer a calm, compassionate, judgment-free space where you feel respected, supported, and fully involved in every decision about your care.

Our first session is a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation, and my aim is to get to know you as a whole person. As a dual board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) and Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP), I want you to leave feeling truly heard, not just handed a prescription. You’ll find a calm, judgment-free space where you can open up at your own pace.

We’ll start with what brings you in and what you’d like to change. I’ll ask about your current symptoms, mental health history, past treatments and medications, physical health, and important areas of your life such as work, relationships, sleep, stress, and substance use. When useful, I may use standardized screenings, including those for ADHD and autism, to better understand what you’re going through.

With my background in primary care, I also look closely at how your physical health may be influencing your mood, energy, and overall wellbeing. You’re welcome to ask questions at any time. I’ll explain what I’m observing in clear, simple language and share what a possible diagnosis or set of concerns may mean for you.

As our session comes to a close, we’ll start creating a practical, individualized treatment plan together. If medication could help, we’ll review your options openly, talk through benefits and possible side effects, and choose next steps as a team. I may also offer useful education about your diagnosis and practical strategies to build your coping skills, and with your permission, I can coordinate with your other providers. You’ll leave with a clear understanding of the plan and what our follow-up care will involve.

Whether you’re dealing with anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, PTSD, ADHD, sleep concerns, or another challenge, my hope is that you feel respected, supported, and fully included in every decision about your care. Whenever you’re ready, I look forward to meeting you and supporting you on your journey toward feeling better.