Debra Santos

With over 25 years of experience in psychiatric nursing, Debra Santos is an advanced practice nurse board-certified by the American Academy Nurse Credentialing Center in Mental Health. Licensed to practice in Ohio and Connecticut, she holds a bachelor’s degree from Southern Connecticut University and a master’s degree in nursing from Yale University. Throughout her career, she has supported patients across inpatient, outpatient, and private practice settings, including 15 years dedicated to emergency and mobile crisis intervention. Her background includes collaborating with police and community outreach workers to manage complex crisis situations. Debra’s clinical scope focuses on adult patients and includes medical and psychiatric evaluations, health promotion, medication management, and both individual and group therapies. She employs an integrative approach to symptom management, utilizing existential, psychodynamic, narrative, and cognitive-behavioral modalities. Her primary areas of specialty include the treatment of anxiety, depression, sleep disorders, and stress management, as well as providing grief counseling and support for identity issues. Additionally, she is interested in the intersection of public mental health and behavioral health, frequently engaging in community education and outreach.