About
Shireen Ambersley, PMHNP-BC, FNP-C, MSN, MHA
Shireen Ambersley is a dual board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health and Family Nurse Practitioner licensed in New Mexico and Texas. With over 24 years of healthcare experience, she specializes in supporting individuals with acute and chronic mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, panic disorders, mood disorders, insomnia, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder.
Shireen earned her Master’s degree in Nursing with a Family Nurse Practitioner specialization from Walden University in 2016 and a Post-Graduate Certificate in Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner from the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley in 2019. Her career began in 2017, serving medically underserved communities as a primary care provider while addressing anxiety and depression. In 2019, she transitioned to an integrated practice, delivering both primary care and mental health services.
Panic Attacks
A disorder characterized by sudden attacks of fear and panic. The episodes may resemble a heart attack. They may strike at any time and occur without a known reason but more frequently are triggered by specific events or thoughts, such as taking an elevator or driving. The attacks may be so terrifying that some people associate their attacks with the place they occurred and will refuse to go there again. Symptoms of panic attacks may include tachycardia 'rapid heartbeat,' chest pressure or pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, tingling, and anxiety. Hyperventilation, agitation, and withdrawal are common results.
Substance Use Disorder
Also known as addiction, is a medical condition characterized by the compulsive use of a substance despite harmful consequences. It's a brain disease that affects how a person thinks and behaves, leading to the inability to control substance use, even when facing significant problems.
Depression
An illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts, that affects the way a person eats and sleeps, the way one feels about oneself, and the way one thinks about things. A depressive disorder is not the same as a passing blue mood. It is not a sign of personal weakness or a condition that can be wished away. People with a depressive disease cannot merely "pull themselves together" and get better. Without treatment, symptoms can last for weeks, months, or years. Appropriate treatment, however, can help most people with depression.
Bipolar disorder
A mood disorder sometimes called manic-depressive illness or manic-depression that characteristically involves cycles of depression and elation or mania. Sometimes the mood switches from high to low and back again are dramatic and rapid, but more often they are gradual and slow, and intervals of normal mood may occur between the high 'manic' and low 'depressive' phases of the condition. The symptoms of both the depressive and manic cycles may be severe and often lead to impaired functioning.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Post-traumatic stress disorder is a common anxiety disorder that develops after exposure to a terrifying event or ordeal in which grave physical harm occurred or was threatened. Family members of victims also can develop the disorder. PTSD can occur in people of any age, including children and adolescents. More than twice as many women as men experience PTSD following exposure to trauma. Depression, alcohol or other substance abuse, or other anxiety disorders frequently co-occur with PTSD. The diagnosis of PTSD requires that one or more symptoms from each of the following categories be present for at least a month and that symptom or symptoms must seriously interfere with leading a normal life:
- Reliving the event through upsetting thoughts, nightmares or flashbacks, or having very strong mental and physical reactions if something reminds the person of the event.
- Avoiding activities, thoughts, feelings or conversations that remind the person of the event; feeling numb to one’s surroundings; or being unable to remember details of the event.
- Having a loss of interest in important activities, feeling all alone, being unable to have normal emotions or feeling that there is nothing to look forward to in the future may also be experienced.
- Feeling that one can never relax and must be on guard all the time to protect oneself, trouble sleeping, feeling irritable, overreacting when startled, angry outbursts or trouble concentrating.
ADHD
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common mental disorders. Symptoms of ADHD include inattention (not being able to keep focus), hyperactivity (excess movement that is not fitting to the setting) and impulsivity (hasty acts that occur in the moment without thought).
Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are serious illnesses marked by severe disturbances in a person's eating behaviors. Although many people may be concerned about their health, weight, or appearance on occasion, some become fixated or obsessed with weight loss, body weight or shape, and controlling their food intake.
Mood Disorders
Mood disorders are a group of mental health conditions that primarily affect a person's emotional state. They are characterized by persistent and intense emotional highs (mania) or lows (depression) that significantly impact daily life. These disorders can cause difficulty in functioning, relationships, and overall well-being.
Insomnia
Trouble falling asleep, staying asleep (usually through the night), or waking up too early in the morning. Episodes of insomnia may come and go or be long-lasting. The quality of your sleep is as important as how much sleep you get.
Schizoaffective Disorder
Schizoaffective disorder is a mental health condition where a person experiences symptoms of both schizophrenia (like hallucinations and delusions) and a mood disorder (like depression or mania). It's characterized by a mix of psychotic and mood-related symptoms, often occurring simultaneously or at different times.
Schizophrenia
One of several brain diseases whose symptoms that may include loss of personality 'flat affect,' agitation, catatonia, confusion, psychosis, unusual behavior, and withdrawal. The illness usually begins in early adulthood.
Clients & Families
Restoring
Mental Health
Offering comprehensive psychiatric evaluations, medication management, and supportive therapy, Shireen collaborates with clients and their families to restore mental health, enhance quality of life, and strengthen personal relationships. Her empathetic listening and focus on individual goals foster a strong therapeutic connection.
Psychiatric Evaluations
A comprehensive assessment to evaluate an individual’s emotional, psychological, and behavioral well-being.
Medication Managment
Prescribing and administering medications in a safe and effective manner to achieve optimal therapeutic outcomes.
Supportive Therapy
Providing emotional support, encouragement, and guidance to individuals facing challenges in their lives.
Personal Relationships
Close, intimate and interdependent connections.
Support
Compassionate Support
Shireen’s approach blends a humanistic philosophy of holistic mind-body care with personalized, evidence-based treatment plans, ensuring compassionate and comprehensive support tailored to each client’s needs.
In need of mental health help?
Fulfillment Policy for Cancellations, Refunds, No-Shows and Terminations:
Clients will be deemed absent from an appointment if they are more than 15 minutes late for the scheduled appointment time. Clients may cancel their scheduled appointment free of charge no later than 24 hours of the scheduled time via on our website, Zocdoc, or any other affiliated patient platform. Cancellations made less than 24 hours of scheduled time will result a late cancellation fee of $50. A “no-show” for an appointment by a client will result in a fee of $50.00 from the client, payable to Apple Tree Health and Psychiatry PLLC. Apple Tree Health and Psychiatry PLLC, its provider, and staff may cancel a patient’s appointment or terminate the patient’s relationship with this clinic for actions or words deemed detrimental to or threaten the physical and emotional safety of the provider and or clinic staff. Payment refunds will not be issued if provider attended to a client.
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