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Meet the Clinicians: Obinna Anyanwu, MSN, APN, PMHNP-BC
Nutley Family Service Bureau (NFSB) is thrilled to welcome Obinna Anyanwu, MSN, APN, PMHNP-BC. As a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, Obinna fills an important role for NFSB clients. Not only does Obinna diagnose and treat mental health conditions across the lifespan through counseling, but he also can prescribe medication and provide medication management services, both individually and in collaboration with other members of our clinical team.
Obinna is grateful for this opportunity because it allows him to continue his career-long mission of overcoming the mental health stigma and sharing what he has learned with others.
“I am Nigerian-American,” Obinna said. “Within our population and any minority population, the stigma is real. Conditions like depression and anxiety were always taboo. You couldn’t talk about it because people didn’t think they were real. I went into this field because I wanted to educate my community. That’s why I strive to acquire as much knowledge as I can – to share it with others and disrupt that stigma.”
Professional Background
Obinna has worked in many hospitals and mental health facilities, providing a wide range of services such as child and adolescent counseling, detox and rehabilitation for adults with substance use disorders, psychiatric emergency services, and forensic psychiatry for incarcerated individuals.
Obinna most recent experience includes roles at the following facilities:
- Lavender Psychiatry
- Insite Health
- Luchiee Psychiatric Services
- NYC Health + Hospitals Bellevue Hospital
- St. Mary General Hospital
- NYC Health + Hospitals Coney Island Hospital
Obinna earned his Masters of Science in Nursing – Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner from Fairleigh Dickinson University, Bachelor of Science in nursing from the College of Saint Elizabeth, and Associate of Science in nursing from Trinitas School of Nursing.
“These experiences help me see what each client needs,” Obinna said. “Some clients will do fine in an outpatient program, but others might need inpatient services or even residential placement. I’m comfortable seeing many types of populations across the lifespan. I’ve found that younger populations – children and adolescents – find it easy to build a rapport with me. I’ve seen many young people who have had trouble bonding with other individuals in the past, but our relationship feels very natural.”
Obinna understands how important that rapport is to the client’s improvement. He believes the connection between clinician and client leads to better treatment, adherence, and overall willingness and desire to make progress.
Focused on Client Outcomes
Given the variety of facilities and populations Obinna has served, the one constant has been the reward of a positive outcome. His personalized, client-centered approach is focused on overall well-being, not just symptoms.
“The number one thing I love about psychiatry is knowing we’ve improved a patient’s quality of life,” Obinna said. “If I prescribe medication that improves symptoms but quality of life is poor, that’s not a positive outcome. When I’m listening to clients and we’re going through various assessment skills and medication management, my goal is always to find the right balance and improve symptoms and quality of life as much as possible.”
Obinna is excited to work with a community-driven organization like NFSB, where everyone is welcome and nobody is turned away. Clinicians are eager to collaborate with Obinna and share his approach in creating a safe, comfortable environment and treating the whole person.
“I want clients to gain insights into their mental health,” Obinna said. “That’s a big priority of mine. I don’t want to just hear their symptoms. I want them to tell me about how their life is really going and how their family is doing. I want them to understand their diagnosis and take an active role in their own healing. This will give them a greater sense of control, and more hope.”
The Mental Health Program at Nutley Family Service Bureau (NFSB) provides counseling and psychiatric services for individuals, couples, and families. Immediate appointments are available with English- and Spanish speaking counselors, and we’ll always respect your privacy. Call 973-667-1884 extension 1 to schedule an appointment.
Psychology Today Bio
Obinna Anyanwu, MSN, APN, PMHNP-BC is a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner, providing counseling and medication management services across the lifespan. He has provided a wide range of services in hospitals and mental health facilities, such as child and adolescent counseling, detox and rehabilitation, psychiatric emergency services, and forensic psychiatry.
Obinna earned his Master of Science in Nursing – Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner from Fairleigh Dickinson University and Bachelor of Science in nursing from the College of Saint Elizabeth. His most recent experience prior to joining NFSB includes roles at Lavender Psychiatry, Insite Health, Luchiee Psychiatric Services, NYCHH Bellevue Hospital, and St. Mary General Hospital.
