Dr. Janell M. Mihelic
Founder of Sandstone Psychological Practice
Ph.D., Licensed Psychologist
I am a Licensed Psychologist, trained in Clinical Psychology, and I provide psychological services to adolescents and adults with a wide range of presenting problems. I provide intervention (individual and group therapy), as well as comprehensive psychological assessment services. I am a generalist, which means I treat a myriad of mental health concerns and do not specialize in one specific mental health condition. However, some of my particular clinical interests include:
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Anxiety
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Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
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Autism Spectrum Disorder in Adolescents and Adults
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Emerging Adult Concerns
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Group Therapy
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Mood Disorders (Depression, Bipolar Disorder)
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Neurodivergence and Learning Differences
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Trauma
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Test Anxiety
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Psychological Assessment
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Identity Development
I am also invested in improving equity in access to mental health care in our community. Access to mental health care should not be reserved only for individuals who have financial privilege. It is with my personal understanding, coming from a humble, hard-working family myself, and value in social justice, that I remain committed to accepting health insurance when many providers in Nevada do not.
Therapeutic Approach
I practice with an evidenced-based, flexible therapeutic approach that is best described as psychodynamic, with infusions from interpersonal process and client-centered therapies. It is my experience that it is important to understand a person's presenting concerns within the context of their life experiences. Even though this can be very difficult and complex to answer, I always want to know why someone is experiencing what they are experiencing before we embark on treatment. I help clients gain insight into how their presenting problems are likely related to past and childhood experiences. I also believe that the relationship between therapist and client is very important; I strive to create and maintain a warm and empathetic environment where clients feel safe to be vulnerable and work on their presenting concerns. I also recognize the importance of relationships on our wellbeing; I create opportunity for exploring relationship dynamics and how they may relate to presenting concerns and our past relationship experiences. Lastly, I hold a strong value for being a strength-based, multiculturally competent, affirming presence in the therapy room and while conducting psychological assessments.
Education and Experience
My career in psychology grew out of my love for politics and advocacy work. I initially wanted to use psychology in an advocacy role to raise awareness and inform policy change regarding various human rights issues. However, an abnormal psychology class changed the trajectory of my life when I became amazed at the psychological healing power of psychotherapy. I changed my career paths to become a practicing psychologist.
I earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from Nevada State College (NSC) in 2005. I intentionally took two years off after graduation to cement my career aspirations. During that time, I was an academic advisor where I predominately worked with first-year and first-generation students. I absolutely loved that work; I found the students inspiring and higher education to be supportive and growth promoting. Working along side some incredible professors in their respective fields reinforced my dream to continue my education and earn a doctorate in psychology. After a two year break, I continued my education at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) where I earned a Master of Arts in 2010 and a Doctorate Degree in Clinical Psychology in 2013. My graduate program was a scientist-practitioner program, which trained me how to integrate rigorous, scientific research into applied clinical practice. My research interests in graduate school focused on pristine measurements of experience with my dissertation focusing on the inner experience of individuals with major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder. I completed my pre-doctoral internship at the University of Oregon (UO) Counseling and Testing Center (UCTC) where I concentrated in Training and Supervision. I completed a post-doctoral fellowship at UNLV’s Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS), with a particular focus in Test Anxiety and ADHD Treatment.
I have experience working in a variety of settings including universities, hospitals, community mental health centers, and private/group practices. I also regularly teach psychology courses at UNLV and provide supervision to trainees in various mental health fields. I am also a provider with the Interjurisdictional Practice of Psychology (PsyPACT) and, in addition to Nevada, can provide psychological services for people in over 30 states. I have been a licensed psychologist in Nevada for almost a decade.
Personal Interests
My preferred name is Nellie and my pronouns are she/her. I am originally from a small town in Kansas and moved to Southern Nevada when I was 10. While that was quite a transition in my life, the desert has become my home. I have two children (and three fur-babies) who keep me busy! I am happiest when I am outside doing all sorts of fun activities with my kids and husband (rollerblading, walking the dogs, playing soccer, playing at the park, swimming, walking/hiking, drinking coffee and chatting). I am also enthralled by summer storms, I relax on road trips (good music is a must), read anything and everything (fiction mostly! - this is my escape), listen to an assortment of podcasts (topics including psychology, functional medicine, media/politics, and true crime), and can never watch too many natural disasters and apocalyptic movies (I'm sure Freud would have a lot to say about this particular fascination of mine). I also have a slight obsession with boba (bubble) tea and everything cozy. I am also someone who strongly believes in the power of laughter and fun as an antidote to the stressors of life.