Beth Carter

Welcome and congratulations on exploring ways to improve your wellbeing! I am glad to be considered for part of your treatment team.

I have a background of providing psychiatry through community mental health clinics and private practice for several years in Oregon and have been working at Monterey County Behavioral Health since 2020. I am a graduate of Vanderbilt University Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program, and am board-certified in psychiatry. I am trained in Problem-Solving therapy, utilize Adlerian philosophy, and am certified in Master Psychopharmacology and Accelerated Resolution Therapy for trauma. I am also a trained Waldorf teacher and adjunct faculty in Psychiatric Nursing with Walden University.

I live and work in Monterey County and like to meet clients in person to get to know you, if possible. I enjoy travel, cooking, gardening, and exploring a variety of art projects in my free time.

My approach to treatment is reflective listening with collaborative treatment planning. I enjoy working with clients to consider what might be helpful for them and allow you to determine your path to wellness.

I work with clients to make progress toward their goals using modalities of lifestyle modification, psychopharmaceutic medications, and supportive therapy. I specialize in helping adults with life transition and situational depression. I especially enjoy working with older adults and welcome seniors. I am happy to collaborate with your therapist for coordination of care and consult with other health professionals on finding medications that work well with medications for physical health conditions. I do also have availability for medication management for other mental health diagnoses for adults. I am non-judgmental and work with clients with histories of co-occurring substance use and post-acute withdrawal symptoms. I do not prescribe controlled substances including benzodiazepines or stimulant medications.

I realize that, while medication can be helpful to support mental health in times of stress or transition, many people do not want to be on medication for their lifetime. Others have found medication allows them to live the life they want to live without suffering with chronic mental health symptoms interfering in the things they want to accomplish. My goal is to meet clients where they are and offer treatment options that honor their specific needs and aspirations.

Together we can find options to address the specific issues that may be contributing to depressive symptoms, develop and implement lifestyle changes to support contentment, and develop skills for future problem solving. It is possible to feel good again!

Expect acknowledgement for making the effort to prioritize taking care of yourself and ongoing validation of the importance of self-care! We often sacrifice ourselves to take care of others, but we have to fill our own cup before we can pour anything out to help others.

Initially, there will be a lot of listening, discussion of what you would like to address and outcomes, and treatment planning based on your objectives for treatment. We can discuss medication considerations as well as recommendations for other complimentary modalities of treatment. If your goal is to start a medication to get feeling better as soon as possible, I can prescribe same day. If you are just wanting to consult and explore treatment options, we can discuss various types of medication to address mental health symptoms, and you can take time to research these to determine if a medication is a choice you feel comfortable with.