Psychiatrists in Ferndale, WA

I am a board-certified family psychiatric nurse practitioner. I have a master's degree in psychiatric nursing specializing in mental and behavioral health medicine. I have verifiable experience in treating variety of psychiatric disorders such as; mood disorders including resistant depression, eating disorders, ADHD, OCD, PTSD, schizophrenia, stress and sleep related disorders

I'm passionate about the importance of people having easy access to mental healthcare. Before joining the healthcare field, I taught in low-income and underserved communities. Seeing the impact that a lack of mental healthcare had in these areas drove me to return to school and begin a career focused on providing that much-needed care. In my eyes, treatment can significantly increase the quality of life both mentally as well as physically.

I offer client-focused and compassionate mental health treatment for patients of varying ages, from 18 years and above. My area of expertise includes managing clients with Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Anxiety Disorders, PTSD, ADHD, Autism Schizophrenia, and more. My approach to the treatment of mental health illness is a collaborative approach with the patient. I take into consideration my clients' past experiences and treatments, remaining sensitive to the patient’s perspective and including them in the treatment approach. My treatment plans are client specific and tailored to each client’s specific needs and goals.

As a double board-certified Lifespan Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) & Adult-Geriatric Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGNP), I have a commitment to providing comprehensive care to individuals with complex psychiatric conditions. With over 13 years of experience in the medical and psychiatric fields, I have the expertise in treating a diverse range of patients. With my extensive medical & psychiatric knowledge, I take a biopsychosocial holistic approach to provide a package of medication management and group therapy for various conditions. Feel free to ask about my group therapy sessions!

I take a collaborative approach with my patients. I like to know what my patients’ goals are so I can tailor the treatment to help them achieve their goals as much as possible. Knowing what’s important to my patients helps me know what treatments to recommend or when to suggest a change to the treatment. I find that patients experience the most success if they are open to talking about their treatment options.

Dr. Nwankwo is a doctoral prepared and licensed dual board certified Family Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatry-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. She received her Doctor of Nursing Practice and Post Masters Certification in Psychiatric Mental Healthcare from Brandman University, Irvine California, and Master of Science as a Family Nurse Practitioner from Walden University, Minnesota. Dr. Nwankwo provides her clients with empathetic, evidence-based, patient-centered care with the goal of restoring health and balance. She assesses, diagnoses, and treats mental health disorders using pharmacologic and psychotherapeutic interventions.

Dr. Ma is board-certified by American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. Dr. Ma graduated from Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, and obtained Ph.D. in Neuroscience from University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, he finished residency training in Psychiatry at University of Alabama at Birmingham Medical Center, and completed research and fellowship training at Howard Hughes Medical Institute and University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.