Dr. Mapendo K. Safari, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC
Dr. Mapendo K. Safari, DNP, APRN, PMHNP-BC, is a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with more than 16 years of experience in the nursing field. Based in Glen Burnie, Maryland, she is the founder and provider behind ACCESS PSYCHIATRY, LLC, a private practice dedicated to delivering comprehensive mental health care through both virtual and in-person services. Dr. Safari earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree from Frontier Nursing University, equipping her with advanced clinical expertise and a strong foundation in patient-centered care.
Throughout her career, Dr. Safari has treated a wide range of mental health conditions, with particular focus on depression, anxiety, and ADHD. She provides a combination of psychotherapy and medication management, tailoring treatment plans to meet the unique needs of each individual. In addition to traditional approaches, she has experience with innovative therapies, including ketamine treatment for patients with treatment-resistant conditions. Her clinical approach emphasizes both evidence-based practices and openness to emerging treatment modalities that can improve patient outcomes.
Driven by a deep passion for helping others, Dr. Safari is committed to ensuring her patients achieve meaningful, lasting improvements in their mental health and overall functioning. She is an active member of professional organizations including the American Psychiatric Nursing Association, the American Nurses Association, and the American Nurses Credentialing Center. Through her work, she continues to expand access to quality psychiatric care while fostering a supportive, compassionate environment where patients feel empowered on their journey to wellness.
• BSN from American Sentinel University
• Master's degree from Walden University
• DNP from Frontier Nursing University
• PMHNP-BC
• DNP
• CPR
• First Aid
• American Psychiatric Nursing Association (APNA)
• American Nursing Association (ANA)
• American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC)
Areas of Specialization/Expertise
- Depression
- Anxiety
- ADHD
- Psychiatric conditions
- Medication Management
- Psychotherapy
- Ketamine therapy
What do you enjoy most about practicing medicine?
What I enjoy most is helping people feel better. It's incredibly rewarding when patients with depression, anxiety, or PTSD come back and they're actually smiling and feeling good. I've seen this especially with innovative treatments like ketamine therapy. When patients who have struggled with treatment-resistant conditions come for their second visit and they're smiling, it's just so rewarding. Sometimes it hurts me to see patients struggling back and forth when traditional medications aren't working for them, and we just keep changing things and nothing is happening. That's why I'm so passionate about finding new treatments and options to help this population feel good and be functional, because that's the whole point of going to the doctor.