Allison Barton, PMHNP

Board-Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner

Allison Barton is a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner; she began her career in psychiatry in 2015. She strives to provide the utmost quality of services to individuals struggling with mental health disorders. She has experience serving individuals with diverse psychiatric conditions including mood disorders, thought disorders, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), eating disorders, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), substance use disorders, and trauma-related disorders. 

Initial appointments consist of a diagnostic interview, where Allison can gain an understanding of each individual’s strengths, challenges, and difficulties. Individualized treatment goals are discussed and utilized to create a comprehensive treatment plan, which will be updated as needed. 

Allison’s clinical vision is to ensure her office atmosphere is a safe place for clients to experience their vulnerabilities while sharing their stories. Allison believes her experience, as a nurse, allows her to assess and manage care in a holistic manner, with a fundamental emphasis on an individual’s culture, values, and future aspirations. In regards to medication management, Allison aims to minimize polypharmacy while taking advantage of known medication side effects. Additionally, Allison implements cognitive, behavioral, and interpersonal psychotherapy interventions in her practice.

Allison integrates cognitive, behavioral, and interpersonal psychotherapy interventions in her practice. Allison is also an EMDRIA trained therapist. EMDR, eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, is a structured therapy that encourages the patient to briefly focus on a negative memory while simultaneously experiencing bilateral stimulation (through eye movements, tapping, or vibrations). This therapy is associated with a reduction in the vividness and perceived negative emotions associated with memories. EMDR is a helpful treatment for trauma related disorders, anxiety, OCD, depression, and substance use. 

Allison has professional experience in a wide variety of psychiatric settings including inpatient, residential, partial hospitalization, and intensive outpatient. She graduated with a BSN from Rockford University and MSN from Alverno College. She is board certified by the ANCC and is a member of the American Psychiatric Nurses Association.