Get to Know Mercy Awokunle, PMHNP

UpLift’s “Get to Know” series features our providers—so other providers can get to know them, learn from each other, and connect. 

This month’s featured provider is Mercy Awokunle, PMHNP.

What are you passionate about when it comes to psychiatry?

Doing the best we can for clients. People seek treatment because they’re struggling with different kinds of mental health challenges.  

I offer compassion, attentive listening, and patient-centered care. I want to help people achieve their goals for their mental health—by listening to their experiences, providing support, teaching skills to help overcome challenges, and inspiring hope. I want to be able to help inspire change in my clients and improve their quality of life.

What type of clients or areas do you specialize in working with?

I specialize in working with adult clients with a range of mental health challenges. I have a range of experience as a Registered Nurse prior to becoming a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. Having those years of experience as an RN combined with my experience in psychiatry makes it easier to identify and differentiate underlying medical problems in certain client populations. 

As a psychiatric nurse practitioner, I provide care and counsel through a multisectoral approach for individuals with disorders such as depression, anxiety, ADHD, bipolar disorders, adjustment disorders, PTSD, and many other different psychiatric disorders. I diagnose, educate, and provide psychopharmacological treatment, while also coordinating with different disciplines for complex psychiatric cases. 

How do you believe change happens for a client? 

Change happens when we’re willing to identify and accept that there’s a problem. 

As humans, we can go through stages of contemplating, acknowledging there’s a problem, and then being willing to seek help for change to occur. We have to be prepared to let go of dysfunctional/ maladaptive behavior and  irrational beliefs that could be impacting overall mental health wellness. 

Everyone’s path to change is also different. It is not one size fits all. Some people may have hesitations, but we have to be understanding and work with clients to develop a treatment plan that works for them. 

What inspired you to get into psychiatry?

I've always known I wanted to work in psychiatry. When I was in the 10th grade, AP Psychology was my favorite subject. I was so fascinated with the workings of the mind and human behavior, so I knew I was going to pursue a career in something related eventually. 

Teachers can also be really impactful, as I remember my AP Psychology teacher made the subject so fascinating. It fostered my curiosity about human behavior and I wanted to learn as much as I could about it, and how to eventually help individuals struggling and offer helpful intervention. My mother’s background as a Registered Nurse and her lifelong dedication to the profession played a role in my pursuit in the field as well. 

Combining psychiatry with nursing—it just made sense, hence becoming a PMHNP. I’m very passionate about mental health as a whole.  

Are there any resources you tend to share with people? 

Resources will depend on someone’s individual needs. But generally, the NAMI website is a good source for mental health information and support. There are also other educational resources online, that can provide additional information and offer tips on healthy coping mechanisms for managing different challenges.  

I also encourage therapy sessions a lot, especially with clients being managed with medications who are not already enrolled in therapy. There’s evidence that a combination of medication management with therapy sessions—where you can learn cognitive restructuring, for example—is crucial in achieving improved mental wellness. 

What is your favorite way to practice self-care that you’d recommend to other providers? 

My favorite thing to do to unwind is paint. I love to paint. I’ve found that when I’m really stressed out, it’s a big stress reliever for me. I paint a lot of nature-related things and landscapes.. 

I also love listening to music. When I’m painting, I’m listening to music as well but I also do both independently. I listen to all genres, from Afro-pop, to country, to hip-hop, to jazz, everything. It just depends on my mood.

When I'm very stressed out, another thing that I do is drive. I go on long drives and I’ve found it very helpful. Possibly something about the motion of the car helps me think things through and relaxes me.

What’s the last book you read or what book did you read recently that you would recommend to anyone?

I’m still in the middle of reading this but it’s called The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. It’s about the idea that your thoughts can have a direct impact on your life, pretty much about “laws of attraction”, stating you can attract what you think, and how to be more in control of your energy and thoughts. 

What would you tell a therapist about working with UpLift psychiatry?

It’s a good place to work and make a difference. Collaborating is also straightforward and easy. 

UpLift’s EHR also provides easy access for multidisciplinary collaboration to occur. Collaboration efforts have been seamless so far. 

Why did you choose to use UpLift?

The policies and vision align with mine. Everybody’s been nice, and I appreciate  the people that I work with. Everybody’s very professional and passionate about providing quality care. 

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