Traditional psychiatric care that treats symptoms without addressing the complex interplay of genetics, nutrition, and biochemical factors – and practitioners seeking to understand how functional medicine enhances mental health treatment – can need more than standard medication management to create lasting healing. Sharon Freeman Clevenger has spent her career pioneering integrative psychiatric approaches, becoming one of the world’s leading experts in combining evidence-based psychotherapy with functional medicine to address the root causes of mental health conditions.
As CEO and Founder of Indiana Center for Cognitive Behavior Therapy and former President of NAADAC (The Association for Addiction Professionals), Dr. Freeman Clevenger brings unparalleled expertise that bridges traditional psychiatry with cutting-edge functional medicine approaches. Her DSc in Integrative Healthcare from Huntington University of Health Sciences, combined with her MSN in Advanced Practice Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing from University of Pennsylvania, demonstrates her commitment to understanding both psychological and physiological factors in mental health. Her role as Senior Editor and Author of landmark texts including Behind the Badge: A Psychological Treatment Handbook for Law Enforcement Officers (Routledge) and Living and Surviving in Harm’s Way (military treatment manual) reflects her specialisation in high-stress populations requiring comprehensive care.
Dr. Freeman Clevenger’s expertise spans cognitive-behavioral therapy, integrative psychiatry, functional medicine, psychopharmacology, addiction treatment, military and law enforcement psychology, and what she calls “evidence-based, science-tested, individualised psychiatric healthcare.” Her approach recognises that many treatment-resistant mental health conditions involve underlying nutritional deficiencies, genetic factors, hormonal imbalances, or toxic exposures that traditional psychiatry doesn’t address. She specialises in complex cases where standard treatments have failed, particularly with military veterans, law enforcement officers, and individuals with treatment-resistant depression, PTSD, or personality disorders.
What sets her training apart is scientific rigor combined with integrative innovation. Freeman Clevenger doesn’t just teach traditional psychiatric approaches – she shows practitioners how to identify and address the biochemical and nutritional factors that often drive mental health symptoms. Her incorporation of genetic testing, advanced laboratory work, and functional medicine principles creates comprehensive treatment approaches that address root causes rather than just managing symptoms.
For your practice, expect to gain specific protocols for integrative psychiatric assessment, tools for incorporating functional medicine into mental health treatment, and frameworks for working with high-stress populations like military and law enforcement personnel. Her approach particularly benefits psychiatric nurse practitioners, those working with treatment-resistant cases, or practitioners wanting to develop expertise in functional psychiatry and integrative mental health care.
Quick Win: Dr. Freeman Clevenger’s “biochemical assessment protocol” helps practitioners identify nutritional and metabolic factors contributing to mental health symptoms – helping to reveal treatable underlying causes that explain why traditional approaches haven’t been effective.
Qualifications
- DSc, Integrative Healthcare, Huntington University of Health Sciences, Knoxville, TN
- MSN, Advanced Practice Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, 2000
- MA, Counseling Psychology, Adler School of Professional Psychology, Chicago, IL
- BSN, Nursing, Purdue University
- Board Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Clinical Nurse Specialist (PMHCNS-BC)
- Advanced Practice Certified Addiction Nurse (CARN-AP), International Society of Nurses on Addictions
Authored Publications
- Cognitive Behavioral Strategies in Crisis Intervention (2024, Contributing Author, 4th Edition, Guilford Press)
- Behind the Badge: A Psychological Treatment Handbook for Law Enforcement Officers (2016, Senior Editor and Author, Routledge)
- Living and Surviving in Harm’s Way: The Psychological Treatment Manual for Pre-and Post-Deployment of Military Members (2008, Senior Editor and Author, Routledge)
- Overcoming Depression: A Cognitive Behaviour Approach (2009, Co-editor, Therapist Manual and Patient Handbook, Oxford University Press)
- Cognitive Behaviour Therapy in Nursing Practice (2005, Senior Editor and Author, Springer Publishers)
Leadership & Professional Service
- CEO and Founder, Indiana Center for Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Fort Wayne, IN, current
- Former President, NAADAC (The Association for Addiction Professionals)
- Former Member, Executive Board of Directors, International Association for Cognitive Psychotherapy
- Co-investigator, DSM-5 Field Trials
- Adjunct Faculty, Psychology and Biology, Indiana University-Purdue University
Clinical & Academic Experience
- Advanced Practice Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, Private Practice, current
- Senior Clinical Supervisor, Indiana Center for Cognitive Behavior Therapy, current
- Mentor in Psychiatry, Medical Residents, University of Pennsylvania
- Multi-disciplinary practice leadership with comprehensive mental health services
Clinical Specialties
- Integrative psychiatry combining functional medicine with traditional treatment
- Military and law enforcement psychological treatment
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy and evidence-based psychotherapy
- Addiction treatment and dual diagnosis presentations
- Treatment-resistant depression and PTSD
- Personality disorders (particularly Cluster B)
- Crisis intervention and emergency psychiatry
- Psychopharmacology with functional medicine integration
Innovation Areas
- Pioneer in functional medicine approaches to mental health
- Developer of integrative assessment protocols incorporating genetic testing
- Expert in nutrition and biochemical factors affecting mental health
- Specialist in combining traditional psychiatry with advanced laboratory work
- Leader in evidence-based, individualised psychiatric healthcare
Ready to transform your psychiatric practice by addressing the root causes of mental health conditions? Discover how Dr. Freeman Clevenger’s integrative approaches can help you combine traditional psychiatry with functional medicine to achieve breakthrough results with treatment-resistant cases while serving the unique needs of high-stress populations.