James Quackenbush, PMHNP-BC
Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
I transitioned to nursing after a career in banking and finance, seeking a more meaningful path. Working through school, I ultimately became a nurse practitioner. While working my way through school I worked as a psychiatric registered nurse at McLean Hospital. During my time there, I ran therapeutic groups, shadowed group therapists, trained newer nurses and mental health specialists, and collaborated with interdisciplinary teams, including psychiatrists, social workers, and nursing staff.
My focus was on treating patients with various mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia, in inpatient psychiatric units. Later worked as Nursing Program Director at McLean Hospital’s Trauma & Dissociative Disorders Inpatient Unit, where I collaborated with a multidisciplinary team to treat a diverse population of patients with a range of psychiatric diagnoses.
My personal mission is to provide psychiatric care for those who don’t know where else to turn.
Approach
My aim is always to first develop a compassionate and clear understanding of who you are, your needs, and goals. Together, we will create an evidence-based plan, exploring various medication options to ensure you can safely decide how your treatment should proceed. I encourage open communication in our sessions, fostering a safe space for feedback and insight into the plan we develop. This approach helps me become a better provider for you and empowers you in your medical decision-making.
My sessions incorporate brief therapeutic interventions and discussions of skills to use during crises. The primary modalities used in my sessions are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)/mindfulness, and motivational interviewing.
Experience
Amoskeag Health, Manchester, NH: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner working in a primary care setting.
Harriet Johnson & Associates, Bourne, MA: Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner working in a primary mental health clinic.
University of Massachusetts, Boston: Psychiatric Mental Health Clinical Adjunct Faculty
McLean Hospital, Belmont MA: Inpatient Staff Nurse, Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder Program and the Resource Team (Dissociative Disorders and Trauma, Geriatric Neuropsychiatry, Addiction Treatment, Depression and Anxiety Treatment).
BMC HealthNet – Nurse Care Manager
Innovive Health, MA: Primary Nurse Case Manager
Education
Rivier University, Nashua, NH – Master of Science in Nursing
Southern New Hampshire University, Hookset, NH – Bachelor of Science in Nursing
Bunker Hill Community College, Charlestown, MA – Associate Degree in Nursing
Bentley University, Waltham, MA – Master of Business Administration
Bentley University, Waltham, MA – Bachelor of Arts, International Studies
Licenses
MA & NH RN, APRN