Bio

Welcome to Live Oak Mental Health Services. I’m Ellie Kenemer, PMHNP-BC, a Board Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner trained to provide psychotherapy and psychopharmacology (therapy and medications) for individuals across the lifespan. I completed my graduate work at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN earning a Master’s of Science in Nursing in the Psychiatric Mental Health specialty. My undergraduate education began at Guilford College in Greensboro, NC where I majored in Psychology and minored in Studio Arts; and culminated at the University of Georgia in Athens, GA where I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology. My full credentials including education, licensure, and certification are Ellie Kenemer, MSN, BA, RN, APRN, PMHNP-BC.

As a psychiatric nurse practitioner, I have worked with patients from 3 to 86 years old. Prior to transitioning into independent practice, I worked in a private practice clinic in Nashville, TN, rural pediatric clinics in Shelbville and Tullahoma, TN, and community health clinics in Wilmington, NC. In these positions, I developed experience in mental health diagnosing, individual psychotherapy, psychiatric medication management, lab work and diagnostic study interpretation, psychiatric genetic panel interpretation and application, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS), and non-medication treatments for mental health symptoms.

Before becoming a psychiatric nurse practitioner, I worked as a behavioral therapist for children on the Autism Spectrum and with other special needs. Treatment focused, primarily, on Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) techniques - a therapy based in the science of learning and behavior- and Occupational Therapy (OT) techniques. This work occurred in a variety of environments including home, school, community, and nature. In this highly individualized treatment style, I adapted learning environments, adjusted for overstimulation or understimulation, increased helpful behaviors and decreased harmful behaviors, taught interpersonal communication skills, and fostered self-soothing behavior.

I was born and raised in Atlanta, GA. Since leaving for college, I have lived in Greensboro, NC; Athens, GA; Breckenridge, CO; Wilmington, NC; and Nashville, TN. I have traveled to many other countries and engaged in extended stays in Costa Rica, Guatemala, France, and Spain. In addition to the professional experience listed above, I was a life-guard and a camp counselor, waited tables and bartended, worked in a snowboard shop, made and sold jewelry, and spent a Summer wrangling horses. I enjoy spending time creating and appreciating art, dancing salsa, riding horses, gardening, practicing yoga, reading books, and telling stories with friends and family.

This variety of experiences has cultivated a well-rounded perspective for the needs and challenges of mental health treatment, and a diverse repertoire of treatment resources. I look forward to traveling with you on your journey toward thriving in wellness.