Kristen Munyan, DNP, RN, FNP-BC

I am dually trained (Family and Psychiatric Mental Health) Nurse Practitioner that is committed to providing evidence based, compassionate care for clients across the lifespan. At Start My Wellness, I specialize in medication management for children and women’s health clients, providing service to clients experiencing a wide spectrum of mental health concerns including anxiety, depression, ADHD (diagnosis and treatment), pre-menstrual dysphoric disorder, post-partum mood disorders, PTSD, OCD, and bi-polar disorders. I believe in partnering with my clients to help them manage their mental health through a collaborative approach. My practice is person/family centered and individualized for each person’s unique needs.

In addition to my practice at Start My Wellness, I love teaching other healthcare providers. I have been an academic nurse for a decade and have taught hundreds of students in many of our area’s schools and colleges of nursing. Teaching and practicing allows me to maintain the most up-to-date standards.

Personally, I am a mom to three kids/teens and many (foster and forever) pets. I love being outdoors, reading, cooking and spending time with my favorite people.

My Unique Approach to Therapy

My practice is heavily influenced by my work as a registered nurse working with medically complex children and adults and as an academic nurse teaching scientific foundations of advanced practice. My approach is informed by an extensive understanding of pathophysiology and the mind-body connection. I seek to support the entire person, considering the impact of physical, mental and emotional concerns. For those desiring medication management and psychotherapy, I partner with our dedicated therapists to create a comprehensive treatment plan.

I consider careful assessment and the presentation of options as foundational to my practice. I am here to make recommendations and to empower my clients/families to be full partners in their care as we work to improve their mental wellbeing. My years of experience working with underserved communities as an RN and NP have given me immense respect for each client’s right to respect and autonomy and I welcome clients from all walks of life. My experiences, personal and professional, surrounding women’s health and children’s health make me passionate about caring and advocating for my clients.

With that said, I welcome clients at any point in their mental health journey. I don’t believe in pressuring anyone to accept medication that is beyond their comfort. I am happy to recommend supplements or lifestyle modifications for those seeking a more holistic approach to their mental health care and routinely include nutrition and supplements as recommendations in plans of care. I am also happy to provide medication recommendations to clients who are family planning while working on their mental health.

Specialized & Extended Training

Having first certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner, I have a strong background in medical and hormonal influences on mental health that I use to inform my care of women with mental health concerns. I am particularly knowledgeable in issues of perinatal and postpartum mood disturbance and infertility. Having had the lived experience of being a previous egg donor and gestational carrier myself, I appreciate the challenges that come with fertility treatments and embrace that families are made in many different ways. I now offer psychiatric evaluations for third party reproduction (surrogacy) for potential gestational carriers and intended parents.

I believe in the power of practicing clinicians engaging in scholarship and have published in many well- respected journals on issues of mental health since obtained my Doctor of Nurse Practice degree from Wayne State University in 2017. My previous published work has included topics such as traumatic stress in healthcare workers, postpartum depression among American fathers and disordered eating among transgender individuals. I am deeply committed to lifelong learning and feel that regularly engaging in research and scholarship benefits my clients. I obtained my Psychiatric Mental Health training from Michigan State University. My therapy training has included Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Motivational Interviewing (MI).

All Start My Wellness therapists attend at least 120 hours of extensive ongoing training and personal development each year on treating a range of mental health concerns. This rigorous instruction allows us to provide clients with the highest quality of service.