Maria Swisher

More About Maria Swisher

Clinical Interests:

I am a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. I treat adolescents and adults for medication management. Areas of interest include depression, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), bipolar disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and perinatal mood and anxiety disorders.

As a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP), I provide specialized psychosocial oncology care to children and their families navigating the emotional and psychological impact of cancer and serious illness. My work focuses on supporting patients across the continuum of care—from diagnosis and active treatment through survivorship or end-of-life—addressing anxiety, depression, trauma responses, behavioral changes, and family stress.

I take a developmentally informed, family-centered approach, recognizing that a child’s illness affects the entire family system. Care includes therapeutic support for children and adolescents, guidance for parents and caregivers, and collaboration with medical teams to promote emotional resilience, coping skills, and quality of life. My goal is to help children feel seen, safe, and supported while empowering families with tools to manage uncertainty, grief, and the demands of long-term treatment.

Through evidence-based interventions and compassionate presence, I strive to reduce suffering and strengthen emotional well-being during one of the most challenging times in a family’s life.

Clinical Approach:

Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. Early intervention reduces the risks of chronic diseases related to anxiety, stress, and substance abuse. Furthermore, mental health treatment empowers us to navigate challenges, build meaningful relationships, and destigmatize how we think about, approach, and identify mental health issues in our society.

My goal is to improve access and quality of psychiatric services in rural communities through a holistic patient-centered approach. I will provide psychopharmacologic management while creating a collaborative relationship with a diverse patient population.

Hobbies:

In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my family (including 3 Maine Coon cats), reading and staying up to date on literature as it pertains to inclusive psychiatric care.