Dr. Kelly Witbeck
DNP, FNP, PMHNP, Doctor of Nursing Practice, Psychiatry
and Family Medicine
Kelly began her formal medical training in 2005 at Jacksonville University in Jacksonville, Florida practicing as a registered nurse working in cardiac, heart transplant, and surgical ICU. In 2013 she studied at the University of Alabama - Birmingham completing her Masters of Science degree and becoming certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner. During her work in primary care, in-home primary care, and urgent care settings she encountered challenges referring her patients for psychiatric care. This experience prompted her to pursue her Doctorate in Nursing Practice as a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner in 2017.
Through partnership and collaboration in integrative practice settings to completing additional training in functional medicine with the Institute for Functional Medicine, she continues to hone her approach to whole-person care. She has witnessed firsthand the value of assessing an issue from all angles and incorporating different treatment modalities to aid in building health. This combination allows her to provide a unique perspective to clients. She performs psychiatric evaluations, assessments, medication management, counseling, and therapeutic interventions for children, adolescents, adults, and the elderly. Some of her practice specialties include Depression, Anxiety, ADHD, and Bipolar.
Kelly’s philosophy of practice uses a salutogenic model of health which shifts the focus from a disease/problem-focused model of care to a broader scope of one’s health on a continuum and how it responds to stressors, strains, and trauma. This allows her to evaluate the patient’s concern looking at all of the factors that may influence the pathology of a particular illness and potentially reverse the pathology and prevent it from occurring in the future. Instead of simply focusing on symptoms alone, she evaluates mental health from a lens that measures all aspects of wellness across eight elements including emotional, social, spiritual, intellectual, physical, environmental, financial, and occupational. This approach offers individualized, science-based treatment plans to identify root causes of illness and psychiatric disorders and address elements that contribute to the patient’s health.
Call or email Pohala today at scheduling@pohalaclilnic.com or (503) 572-4196.
