Zinnia Kidane, MSN, PMHNP-BC

Founder & Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner

I’m a mom of two boys, a wife, and a UC San Diego–trained, board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner. My journey in healthcare began seven years ago as an ICU nurse, where I learned the importance of precision, resilience, and high-stakes decision-making. Despite the life-saving interventions I provided, I often felt something was missing in my career.

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I realized that so many of the chronic conditions I treated were driven by behaviors linked to mental health, including decisions shaped by stress, trauma, unresolved emotions, and psychological patterns. I wanted to help patients on a deeper level, to intervene before crises occurred, and to empower them to heal from within.

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This led me to transition into psychiatry, a field where I could support patients not just in moments of crisis, but across the full spectrum of their mental and emotional well-being. As I immersed myself in the mental health field, I began to see the limitations of traditional psychiatry. I saw patients prescribed medications without a true understanding of the underlying causes of their symptoms. I wanted something different, an approach that didn’t just mask symptoms but healed at the root.

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That drive led me to pursue advanced training in both integrative reproductive psychiatry and functional psychiatry. I learned to view mental health as an interconnected system in which biochemical processes, psychological and social dynamics, spiritual well-being, environmental influences, and lifestyle patterns all play a critical role.

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But for me, this understanding goes beyond just professional experience. It’s also personal.

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I became a mom during the pandemic and had a traumatic labor experience, including an urgent C-section and two failed epidurals. Postpartum was a storm of anxiety. I spent sleepless nights watching my son on his baby camera, terrified he would stop breathing, or that someone might take him away. When I returned to work, I struggled with guilt, torn between my career ambitions and being fully present with my son. I lived the conflict of trying to excel in two worlds and feeling like I was failing in both.

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I founded Elle Maternal Wellness, Nursing PC to give high-achieving moms the support, solutions, and understanding they deserve. My practice isn’t just about quick fixes; it’s about helping you reclaim your peace, optimize your health, and feel fully present where it matters most.

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Education & Training

• UC San Diego - Nurse Practitioner Training

• CSU, San Marcos - Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Post-Master's Certificate

• University of San Diego - Master of Science in Nursing

• University of California, Irvine - Bachelor of Arts in Public Health Policy
   

Certifications & Licenses

• California Nurse Practitioner License 

• Board-Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP-BC)

• Fellowship in Reproductive and Integrative Psychiatry Certification 

• Psychiatry Redefined - Integrative & Functional Psychiatry Fellowship (expected completion in 2025)