Bani'ci' Townsend-Harrison

Who am I? A dreamer. A story weaver. Daughter. Friend. Detective. Community volunteer. Advocate. Teacher. Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner committed to listening to your narrative, traversing the challenges, and partnering with you to forge a path to mental wellness and recovery. Whether utilizing medication management, psychoeducation, creative arts therapy or any combination of evidenced-based treatments, I tailor my approach to your specific needs. Most importantly, I am your partner in mental wellness.

Everyone has a story that has shaped their present. Mental wellness begins with unfolding that story and creatively fashioning those tools into resources for the future. As a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, I embrace active listening, the creative arts, and evidence-based research to partner with clients to enhance overall mental wellness and address substance use disorder. Being a former educator, I integrate the foundations of education with those of mental health nursing.

Understanding how the client learns, recognizing the social determinants of health, and drawing from the individual’s value-system stand to enhance outcomes. As such, a few approaches utilized and embraced are Howard Gardner's Theory of Multiple Intelligences, Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, and Carl Roger's Person-Centered Therapy.

Clients should expect to be treated with respect within a nonjudgmental atmosphere. After the initial introduction, clients are guided through the process of revealing the pages of their story at a pace which is comfortable for them. The initial meeting establishes fluidity, safety, a rapport, and helps me to understand the individual expectations, concerns, and learning styles.

During this session, baseline information is collected regarding mental/physical health history, treatment expectations, barriers, and important cultural aspects. I also explain policies, procedures, and my expectations. I think it is important to know I accept clients as young as age 5. Although I treat ADHD, I begin with nonstimulants and depending upon available documentation, may require additional evaluations. I also do NOT view benzodiazepines as long-term treatments for anxiety. All controlled substance prescriptions require a signed contract, regular drug screens, and will be checked against the prescription drug monitoring system.