Ellen Minier(She/Her/Hers)

Ellen Minier is a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner located in Asheville, NC and founder of Food for Thought Mental Health and Wellness. Ellen brings an expertise in nutrition and healthy living to sessions with clients who would like to better manage their emotions. Many of Ellen’s clients suffer from anxiety or depression, leaving them on heavy psychotropic medications that have numerous side effects. Their mental health manifests in panic attacks, insomnia, excessive crying, feelings of meaninglessness, disconnection, loneliness, and more. Ellen offers clients the medication management support that they need to decrease their symptoms, while helping them boost their physical and emotional health. Ellen’s goal is to get clients to the lowest possible dose of medications possible and still have them feeling good.

Ellen’s approach to therapy incorporates nutrition, exercise, mindfulness, and other therapeutic wellness activities. As a nurse, Ellen understands the body’s importance when it comes to healing. Ellen believes that the brain works best when it has adequate nutrition, so she educates clients on healthy eating and a balanced diet. As a yoga teacher, Ellen also provides helpful mindfulness and grounding exercises that can be used when clients feel overwhelmed or in distress. When appropriate, Ellen prescribes medications to help clients manage their symptoms. She continues to follow up with these clients to ensure that they have the dosage correct and that there aren’t any debilitating side effects.

Ellen has a Master’s degree in Nursing. She also has a degree in Culinary Arts from Johnson and Wales University. She is passionate about using recovery-focused language that highlights the natural resilience of all suffering mental health conditions. Her goal is to normalize conversations about mental health and to make sure that none of her clients feel judged for what they discuss in session.