Crystal Adkins
Understanding Childhood Anxiety: Signs and Strategies for Parents
Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental health issues affecting children. While it's normal for kids to feel worried or nervous..
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Crystal Adkins, MSN, APRN, APN-C, PMHNP-BC
"Helping children, teens, and adults to reach their fullest
potential and experience a brighter life."
Let me congratulate you for taking the first step at improving your tomorrow.
Making the decision to seek support for your mental wellness can be overwhelming. As a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, my role is to assess, diagnose and develop a personalized treatment plan based on your needs.
If medication is recommended, it will be prescribed in combination with other healthy lifestyle modifications important for us all. Making gradual improvements to your sleep habits, exercise routine, diet and other self-care behaviors will greatly enhance your overall mental wellness. I work with clients across the life-span assisting them to live high quality lives.
I understand from personal experience the impact psychotropic medication can have on one’s life. If you are facing challenges in your personal or professional life due to feeling sad, irritable or anxious you may benefit from medication. I specialize in treating post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety disorders, depression, mood instability, adjustment disorder and attention concerns.
I offer psychiatric evaluations and medication management for children, teens and adults at our offices in Fort Lauderdale, Coral Springs, and Plantation, Florida.
Call me today for your complimentary phone consultation at 954-391-5305 so we can discuss how I can help you and your loved ones!
Learn More About How I Help Kids & Adults Live Their Best Lives...
My Counseling & Psychiatric Medication Management Services
Psychiatric Evaluation, Diagnosing, & Treatment Planning:
Our initial session will run over the course of an hour. During this time we will start the foundation of our therapeutic relationship. We will discuss your symptoms, the way they are impacting your life, and what your goals for treatment are. I may ask you to complete questionnaires that will guide your treatment plan.
Depending on your presenting symptoms and past medical history, blood work may be required prior to prescribing medications. It is important for me to be able to work collaboratively with your mental health and/or health care providers. I will ask you to sign the necessary consent forms allowing me to speak with them regarding your care. By the end of our session, I hope to have a good sense of who you are and your treatment expectations.
Collaboration & Treatment Planning Session:
Two weeks following Initial evaluation After your initial psychiatric evaluation you and I will both have tasks to complete in order to create your optimal treatment plan. My goal is to connect with your other healthcare providers to learn more about you. If you would like family involved and have requested I contact them, I will do so during this time. Your obligation is to complete the needed laboratory work so I can have the results for this session.
At the start of this session I will review my impressions from our initial visit as well as the information gathered from lab work, questionnaires, and individuals I spoke with. Together we will explore different evidence-based treatment options, including the risks vs benefits of each. Once you are comfortable with our treatment plan we can set it to the action!
Psychiatric Medication Management Follow-up Visits:
Following the treatment plan we crafted, we will meet for follow-up visits to discuss how your treatment is progressing. Together we will identify methods to improve the effectiveness of your treatment, including medication adjustments and lifestyle modifications. Supportive psychotherapy techniques will be used to reinforce skills you have learned in therapy and maintain the gains you have made through treatment.
Substance Use/Abuse:
I am highly skilled at working with clients battling substance use disorder. Assisting clients during such a vulnerable period of life is truly a great honor of mine. I find working with impaired professionals highly rewarding. If you are looking for help with substance abuse management, my ideal client has successfully completed a detox/treatment program and is now stable on maintenance medication.
If you are just starting to look for treatment and need assistance with your recovery, I can connect you to helpful resources. In order for me to be your prescribing maintenance provider, regular urine drug screens will be required in addition to frequent prescription drug monitoring program checks to ensure your best care. You will also be required to have regular visits with a therapist specializing in substance use/abuse.
My Story
At age 29, I found myself facing unimaginable challenges. One minute everything was “perfect” and the next it seemed like my entire world shattered. My husband’s sudden death left me feeling scared, alone, even hopeless. How was it possible for me to be a mother, pregnant and widowed? Insane right? The early months following his death were so bleak and dark.
Thankfully, I sought out a grief therapist to help me on my journey of life after loss. Once able, I began an antidepressant to augment grief therapy. Over the next year I started to like the healing version of myself. I started to live again. When I returned to work as a nurse practitioner I transitioned into psychiatry motivated to help others find their own mending path. Assisting those suffering from grief and loss is a passion of mine.
Fast forward several years, I am now remarried to a widower with several children of his own. I understand the delicate balance needed to blend families; especially grieving families. I am sensitive to the strain and reward of step-parenting. Whatever your life stressor is; divorce, death, remarriage, parenting, my goal is to work with you to help you achieve homeostasis within yourself as well as your homelife.
I named my practice Brighter Life Psychiatry because no matter how devastating your life seems, if you are committed to change; a Brighter Life is possible.
My Background in Psychiatric
Medication & Evaluations
I am a dual certified Certified Adult Nurse Practitioner and Board Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. My professional nursing career spans over 18 years with a focus on psychiatry, addiction medicine, medical-surgical nursing and oncology.
In 2003 I completed my Associates of Science in Nursing at Santa Fe College in Gainesville, Fl. From there, I earned my Bachelors of Science in Nursing at the University of South Florida in Tampa, FL in 2006. As I continued my trend of moving South, I completed my Masters of Science in Nursing from Florida Atlantic University in 2009. As a nurse practitioner I have worked with some of the top psychiatrists and addictonologists in South Florida providing me with in-depth training, mentorship, clinical oversight and continued use of up to date evidence based medicine.
My collaborative physician is Dr. Richard Seely who is Board-Certified in psychiatry, child and adolescent psychiatry, addiction medicine and addiction psychiatry. He is a provider and evaluator for Florida’s Impaired Professionals Programs and professional athletes.
Just For Fun
When I am not working, I am acting as the chaos coordinator of my large, blended family. We love to get out and experience life whether it is going out to eat or traveling on a new adventure.
One of my most favorite places to be is near the ocean. I find the salty air, warm sun, the sound of the waves and the feel of the sand to be incredibly calming. The beach is my happy place.
I love turtles. I have raised the same Florida box turtle for the past 32 years. She has traveled with me to Kentucky for a period of time and survived the cold winters. Her name is Eurtle and she is still alive and well.
Why Work with Me?
As you are exploring possible providers I understand the pressure to find a good match. One of the many benefits of working with me is time. I am creating my private practice around you. I will not overbook or double book. I won’t be rushed from one appointment to the next. During your session, you will have my undivided attention. I want you to feel valued, understood and excited to keep working towards improving your mental wellness.
I am a skilled provider with years of clinical practice and experience. I am invested in helping you achieve your treatment goals as modestly as possible. During your time with me you can expect compassion, empathy and tons of motivational interviewing.
I offer psychiatric evaluations and medication management for children, teens and adults at our offices in Fort Lauderdale, Coral Springs, and Plantation, Florida.
Call me today for your complimentary phone consultation at 954-391-5305 so we can discuss how I can help you and your loved ones!
Schedule Your Psychiatric Medication Evaluation Today!
If you are ready to take the next step towards your Brighter Life, contact Crystal Adkins at Brighter Life Psychiatry today at (954) 391-5305 to schedule your first psychiatric medication appointment today.
I offer psychiatric evaluations and medication management for children, teens and adults at our beautiful counseling offices in Fort Lauderdale, Coral Springs, and Plantation, Florida.
Call me today for your complimentary phone consultation at 954-391-5305 so we can discuss how I can help you and your loved ones.
I look forward to speaking with you!
Psychiatric Medication Management
Provider in Coral Springs, Fort Lauderdale, & Plantation, FL:
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