Lesley Grzybowski, PMHNP-BC

My journey into psychiatry wasn’t planned – it found me. A couple of years into my nursing career, I was feeling burnt out while working as a traveling nurse for a vascular company. I decided to experiment with psychiatry short-term as a way to transition into hospital nursing and expand my knowledge of behavioral health. But what I thought would be a temporary learning experience turned into something much more: I had found my calling. I began working night shifts on a Behavioral Health Unit (BHU), eventually taking on a leadership role as a unit manager. The experience motivated me to further my education so I could serve as a psychiatric provider.

However, as I stepped into the role of a psychiatric provider, I quickly became frustrated by the limitations of the traditional medical model. I wanted to help my patients achieve true, lasting change, but I felt constrained by an approach that often focused solely on symptom management rather than whole-person healing. I pursued advanced training in integrative medicine, and through my research, I discovered the power of combining psychiatric care with nutrition, lifestyle changes, mindfulness and meditation. I also gained training in advanced treatments like Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and Spravato. I firmly believe that this integrative approach allows me to offer my patients the highest quality of care and the best possible outcomes.