Kerry Parsons is Nurse Sunshine

Sometimes space is the greatest thing we share with our clients. As a provider, I hope to use this space to inspire evolutionary thoughts utilizing a humanistic-positive approach. The client starts to see their remarkable qualities by exploring themselves via discussions meaningful to them. Space itself should be warm and inviting with plenty of natural light and elements of nature with plants and landscapes; life’s setting must always be considered to access innate healing abilities. Together we will identify ways to optimize your environment to maintain feelings of safety, security, and comfort.

There are many counseling principles I utilize as a practitioner. Theoretical contexts help support relationships with colleagues; I find it is difficult to choose just one and find it beneficial to be well versed in a variety to best meet the individual’s needs. It is imperative to have a vast network of colleague’s expertise to consult with and learn from. The needs of people change, and providers must be adaptable; providers should discover new information every day, recent studies provide best practices to consider incorporating.

Helping an individual develop a supportive network is also a priority as a practitioner. Our connections to each other and the world around us remain a lifeline for individuals coping with distress. An integrative nursing approach has similar principles to the great nursing theorist Jean Watson; it encourages spirituality, a broader sense of self, unconditional acceptance, and altruism. These values breathe life into well-being and a healthy, optimistic existence.

As a provider, I intend to focus on what the individual deems priority. I will work to accurately diagnose and treat the many comorbidities creating unusual symptoms, sometimes attributed to complex behaviors. Ensuring that individuals feel like they can function and progress in their therapy and life is the most important goal. Watson understands a humanistic/client-centered approach recognizes that each unique individual possesses the qualities to heal and succeed. A humanistic approach is warm, empathetic, and non-judgmental, creating an ideal space for accessing healing abilities. This approach appreciates beauty in imperfection and assists individuals in recognizing the beauty in themselves.

             In closing, mental health is not the absence of symptoms. Mental health is defined by one’s ability to access their inner resources to feel, process, adapt, and prevail. I look forward to opportunities of interaction with my fellow humans and help strive to ease suffering by providing support, understanding, compassion, and the skills necessary to manage the complexities of everyday life and the challenges of humanity.

Traumatic experiences create obstacles for adapting and connecting to our worlds. When we recognize that we can forgive others’ behaviors, we begin to forgive ourselves. Trauma surrounds us all, individual’s process experiences exceptionally differently due to the beauty of perspective. Establishing a trusting-supportive relationship with clients is of the utmost importance. Weaving the principles of trauma-informed care throughout my practice helps meet people where they are ready and start from there, trust is gained in every interaction. Positive Caritas principles enhance an individual’s innate healing properties, and love and kindness are a universal language that awakens our ability to do so.

Considering Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and the effects of trauma helps me, as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, understand that when traumatized; physiological and behavioral adaptations occur to manage experiences.  These individuals no longer feel safe in their bodies, acknowledging that building a relationship with the patient where they feel comfortable being vulnerable is imperative to continue up the hierarchy of needs. The provider should have an awareness and understanding of how the individual views their experiences. It is essential to develop and achieve transpersonal caring-healing relationships to heal holistically.  It is through other people that we understand our world and how to change it for the better. Every individual deserves as many chances as they are willing to take to have a life they deserve.