Hi! I’m Dario, a psychiatric nurse practitioner based in Portland, Oregon. I chose this role for many reasons, but simply put, I take great privilege in partnering with people on their unique journeys through life. While I cannot claim to have lived the diverse experiences of those I serve, I know what suffering has meant in my own life. I love exploring what matters most to my clients along with what they find challenging, knowing it’s the sum of these parts that support our healing. I feel that relating skillfully and compassionately to the human experience is an art, one worthy of our time and attention.

Like many in this field, my path to becoming a mental health provider was winding and well-worn. The death of my father to cancer at a young age sent me on the search for “at home-ness,” an elusive experience for a long time. Despite what many on the outside identified as a positive, enthusiastic presentation, it took many years of formal and informal supports to come to appreciate a sense of belonging here on Earth. Looking back, I wish it hadn’t been so confusing and suspect I couldn’t have gotten here any other way.

After a decade of bedside Nursing and working as a professional pianist, I started Graduate School at Oregon Health and Sciences University during the Covid-19 pandemic while continuing to work as a nurse in family medicine. I graduated with a clinical doctorate in psychiatric mental health in June, 2023 and have since worked in county-based behavioral health settings, serving individuals across the lifespan in English and Spanish, as well as in private practice. These experiences have taught me a lot about human resilience and our capacity to grow. I chose to create my own practice in order to more flexibly serve clients with a combination of strengths-based psychotherapy and psychiatric medication management. I am grateful that this role exists and that we live in a chapter in human history where therapeutic support is less stigmatized.

Outside of my clinical role, I perform regularly as a pianist throughout the greater Pacific Northwest. This affords me a vital connection to creativity, community, and balance. Like mental health, music opens doors into unique universes of language, culture, belonging, and collaborative expression…all vital ingredients in the balance of daily life.

To schedule a free phone consultation, please call 503-298-9165 or email DarioLaPomaPMHNP@gmail.com. I would love to hear from you!