Nelly graduated from the University of Washington (UW) with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering. She was preparing to enter the field of medicine, but after working at SeaMar Community Health clinics in Washington she realized community health and chronic diseases were her passion, she then obtained her masters in nursing from Seattle University and started working with the UW quality of life and public health department as a research scientist. She spent half her time in research and the other half working with diabetes, asthma, and AIDS patients through individual clinics at UW-Harborview.

After working in community health for 8 years, she was offered an opportunity by the Bristol Bay Health Corporation and the state of Alaska to work as an Anchorage itinerant nurse. She worked throughout the state of Alaska and saw the need to increase access to behavioral health services. She then obtained a post-masters degree in psychiatric mental health from Marysville University. She enjoys treating those with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, post traumatic stress disorder. She also has experience in perinatal mental health and substance use disorders. She works with ADHD clients, but her approach is to first address any mood dysregulation prior to addressing ADHD.

She will be joining the Bridges team in 2025.