Meet Our Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners

Dr. Amy Kotarski is a Board Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, with training and experience treating children, adolescents, and adults with psychiatric disorders across the lifespan.  Before completing her doctorate program, Dr. Amy worked as a Registered Nurse on an inpatient psychiatric unit for several years. She helped stabilize and care for patients experiencing mental health crises.  She graduated from the State University of New York at Buffalo with a doctorate degree and worked at an accredited Office of Mental Health clinic for several years before opening Illuminate NP Psychiatry.  She has experience prescribing and managing medications while providing psychosocial support for clients and their families.  It is her goal to develop a personalized treatment plan specific to the needs of each individual patient.  Dr. Amy practices a compassionate philosophy of trauma-informed, holistic and scientific care for mind and body, and a steadfast commitment to comprehensive care.  

Dr. Kristin McKenzie is a Board Certified Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner as a DNP with over 10 years of experience providing psychiatry to children and adults in an accredited Office of Mental Health clinic. She graduated with her doctorate from the University at Buffalo with prior experience working as a nurse on the intensive treatment unit at a psychiatric hospital for children.  She has experience treating several different psychiatric disorders.  She provides trauma-informed care to clients throughout the lifespan, including medication management evaluations for children over the age of 3 that are diagnosed with a neurodevelopmental disorder or have a history of trauma.  Dr. McKenzie provides a safe place for patients to learn more about their mental health and explore both pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic treatment options.  She uses a holistic approach to provide psychiatric assessment, medication management, and brief psychotherapy to help patients manage mental health symptoms.  

Mary Arlow is a Board-Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner 

*Bio coming soon*

Rebecca Shuskie is a Board-Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with a strong clinical background in the treatment of substance use disorders and co-occurring mental health conditions. She has worked in both outpatient and community-based settings, gaining a deep understanding of the complex relationship between addiction, trauma, and mental health.  Her clinical focus includes the diagnosis and management of mood disorders, anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). She provides comprehensive medication management, psychoeducation, and therapeutic support tailored to each patient’s individual needs. Driven by a long-standing passion for mental health care, Rebecca is committed to delivering compassionate, evidence-based, and nonjudgmental treatment. She takes a person-centered, trauma-informed, and holistic approach—addressing not only psychiatric symptoms but the emotional, social, and physical factors that impact mental well-being. Her goal is to create a safe and supportive environment for healing and recovery.  Rebecca earned a Master of Science in Nursing - Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner - from D’Youville University. She has also served as a clinical adjunct professor, mentoring undergraduate nursing students.