Jess Romeo

(he/they), PMHNP-BC, MSW

Hi there, I’m Jess Romeo, a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, clinical social worker, and the founder of Integra.

Here are a few things that guide my practice:

  • There’s more than one way of knowing—

    • I synthesize knowledge from research, Western medicine, Eastern wisdom, our innate knowing, and other traditions around the world in my approach to care

  • As a queer & trans person, I know that experiences with medical providers can range anywhere from affirming to traumatic.

    • I have profound respect for the fact that you may be anxious, afraid, or hesitant to trust me initially, and I believe it’s my job to earn your trust over time with my actions.

  • Being a safe space for others who need their voices heard

    • This is one of the greatest gifts we can give one another, and it’s a joy to give to my patients every day

  • The wise path is usually the middle path

    • I believe both/and over either/or—medications can be lifesaving AND Big Pharma has serious problems; systemic oppression drives much mental suffering AND individual treatment can still provide meaningful relief when we understand the full context

Where I’ll do my best work with you:

  • Redefining your treatment strategy after a recent autism or ADHD diagnosis, because all those meds you tried in the past never took that into account.

  • Working with co-occurring medical conditions, especially chronic pain, MCAS, POTS, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and other autoimmune conditions

  • If you’re a member of the trans/gender diverse community and would feel most comfortable working with someone with lived experience

  • Complex trauma and its intersection with neurodivergence, chronic illness, and marginalized identities—especially when you've been told your symptoms are "just anxiety" or "all in your head"

  • Gender diverse adolescents who need both a sound psychiatric care plan and an example of a thriving trans adult in their lives to give them hope for the future

  • 2007-2012

    I received my B.A. in Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, conducting research with leaders in Positive Psychology. I spent the next year in neuroscience research at Penn, where I studied the neurobiology of addiction.

    2012-2014

    Next, I moved to Boston and received a Master’s in Social Work from Simmons University, where I was trained as a psychotherapist. I worked in community mental health and residential addiction treatment during these two years, building a reputation as “that therapist who always talked about the brain” when running addiction treatment groups!

    2014-2020

    After practicing for a few years, I decided I wanted to integrate psychiatric medicine into my practice, so I entered the MGH Institute in Boston to become a nurse practitioner in 2016. I continued working as a therapist, clinical supervisor, and clinical director in addiction treatment during nursing school. I was an adjunct professor at Simmons University School of Social Work, teaching about the Neurobiology of Attachment. I also developed a nursing course at the MGH Institute on evidence-based addiction treatment. My clinical practice during the pandemic was focused on adult psychiatry and addiction psychiatry. I began to build a passion for working with trauma, helping people change the story their nervous system was telling them, and becoming a better healer and teacher to those I served as well as to my colleagues.

    2021-2022

    In 2021, I moved from Massachusetts to Maryland! I continued to work in community mental health, further specializing in LGBTQIA+ affirming psychiatry with children, adolescents, and adults. I opened Integra Mental Health to be a safe haven in a field that sometimes isn’t so safe for folks, and began practicing integrative psychiatry more consistently with the time, autonomy, and flexibility afforded by having my own practice.

    2022-present

    In my current practice, I integrate traditional psychiatry, complementary medicine, and evidence-based psychotherapy approaches to care for my patients. My broad educational and clinical experience informs a uniquely integrative and holistic approach to your treatment. As a queer and trans-identified person, I also care deeply about providing inclusive and affirming care to the LGBTQIA+ population. I know that evidence-based, gold-standard treatments aren’t above reproach and that we must exercise critical thinking, and a decolonizing perspective in practicing wisely with individuals who don’t always fit in boxes.

    My clinical, educational, and life experiences lead me to provide a caring, attentive, empowering approach you will find healing if you’ve struggled to feel heard or understood with psychiatric providers in the past.