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Susan Martin is a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) with a practice in the historic Old Port, where she conducts psychiatric evaluations and provides psychopharmacological treatment for adolescents and adults using evidence-based research.
After spending over twenty years as a clinical psychotherapist working in a variety of settings, she returned to academia and received a Master’s degree in Nursing from the University of Southern Maine. She has worked as a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner in both inpatient and outpatient clinics at St. Mary’s Medical Center in Lewiston and at Spurwink in Portland. Her range of expertise includes working with major depression, bipolar disorder, general anxiety disorder, panic disorder, ADD/ADHD, binge eating disorder, and other psychiatric illnesses.
The initial appointment (your first visit) is a 60-minute psychiatric evaluation. The purpose of the appointment will be to obtain a comprehensive social and psychiatric history. Susan will provide an outline of a treatment plan and recommendations for psychiatric medications if indicated. Lastly, Susan will assess whether she can provide the level of care needed.
Subsequent medication management sessions are approximately 20-30 minutes in length, during which she will assess the efficacy
of your medication(s), review side effects, and adjust the dose as needed.
If for any reason you are unable to keep an appointment, kindly give 24 hours’ notice. Clients who miss two appointments without giving 24 hours’ notice will be discharged from the practice. The only exceptions to this policy are emergencies or unpredictable weather conditions. As a general rule Susan will contact you if she closes her office due to inclement weather.
Your privacy is valued and respected. However, since your mental health treatment impacts your health, most often Susan will communicate with your primary care provider and psychotherapist. Signed releases are valid for up to one year from the date of signature.
Please note that Susan's practice is for outpatient treatment only. If she determines that a client requires a level of care higher than what outpatient treatment can provide (e.g., if the client requires the additional support of an Intensive Outpatient Program or psychiatric hospitalization), or if the client requires a specialized treatment that falls outside the scope of Susan's training, she will provide the client with referrals in order to ensure that they receive the most appropriate care.
Susan cannot ensure the confidentiality of any form of communication through electronic media, including email and text messages, because such communication is not HIPAA-compliant. This also applies to emails and text messages regarding scheduling or cancellations.
Practice hours are Monday-Thursday from 9am to 5pm. Calls will be returned within two business days.
If your call is urgent and you need immediate assistance or you are in crisis, you may seek help at the emergency department of your local hospital, or you may contact any of the following emergency resources:
When Susan is traveling or unavailable for a period of time there will be coverage by her colleague, Marianne Tarazza, PMH-NP. Ms. Tarazza will schedule appointments if necessary to provide refills and will assist with referrals if client requires a higher level of care.
