Alicia Ellison, DNP, APNP, PMH-BC

Psychiatric Mental-Health Nurse Practitioner

Dr. Ellison is a board certified psychiatric mental-health nurse practitioner caring for the mental health of individuals from young adulthood through their elder years. From over a decade of experience of working in mental health and hospice care settings, Dr. Ellison’s theory of practice is holistic, compassionate, trauma-informed, and quality of life centered to help her patient’s become the happiest and healthiest versions of themselves. She believes in giving each and every one of her patients the time and space they need to feel understood and heard; approaching clinical challenges with curiosity and open-mindedness in a team-based approach with her patients of other care team members.

Dr. Ellison’s psychiatric evaluations are comprehensive in nature, diving into mental health throughout the lifespan as well as ongoing medical history with a firm respect for and passion for education on the mind-body connection. While Dr. Ellison strives to have a minimalistic approach with medication management, wanting to only have patients on medications at lowest therapeutic doses and only keeping medications if they show strong efficacy, she also has thorough experience in management of treatment resistant mental health disorders and complex medication regimens to improve quality of life and functionality. To compliment medication management, Dr. Ellison will provide brief supportive, CBT, DBT, and mindfulness-based trauma-informed therapeutic approaches. For patients who require more intensive psychotherapy, Dr. Ellison recommends collaboration with psychotherapist colleagues to create a supportive mental health team for her patients. Additionally, Dr. Ellison has a background as a previous psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner program director and believes educating her patients to understand their psychopathology and medication regimen is of high importance to empower them to make the best informed and evidence-based life choices.

Dr. Ellison’s Areas of Expertise and Interest include:

- Major Depressive Disorders

- Bipolar Spectrum Mood Disorders

- PMDD/peri/menopause symptom management/PCOS/Infertility emotional support

- Psychotic Spectrum Disorders

- Trauma and Related Disorders

- Anxiety and Related Disorders

- Sleep-wake Disorders

- Personality Disorders

- Neurodevelopmental Disorder Behavioral Management

- ADHD

- OCD and related Disorders

- Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders

- Binge Eating Disorder and Restrictive eating disorders

- Geriatric Psychiatry Cognitive Evaluations and behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia management

- Management of mental health in medically complex patients/chronic conditions/medical trauma management

- Palliative Psychiatry

- Healthcare workers

- Military/veteran care

Dr. Ellison offers both in person and telehealth sessions Tuesday through Friday 8am-5pm and alternative times may be available by request.

Education & Training:

- BA in Science of Nursing; minor: Military Science at Marquette University

- Doctorate of Nursing Practice at Rush University

- Dialectical & Behavioral Therapy Certified

- Motivational Interviewing Certified