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<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\u201cIt was a challenging time,\u201d she recalled. \u201cBut SUNY Poly felt like a second home. The small classes and the accessibility of the faculty made it easy to build real relationships.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Those relationships proved formative. VanEtten worked closely with faculty mentors such as Dr. Paul Schulman and Dr. Joanne Joseph, completing independent study and research that shaped her professional philosophy. \u201cWhat stayed with me most was learning about resiliency,\u201d she said. \u201cUnderstanding how people adapt, heal, and move forward\u2014even when life is difficult\u2014became the backbone of everything I do.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n After completing her bachelor\u2019s degree, VanEtten earned a master\u2019s degree in psychology and spent many years working in counseling and higher education. Over time, her path evolved, eventually leading her back to school and into nursing, a shift that allowed her to combine psychological insight with medical care.<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n Today, VanEtten is a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner in private practice in New Hartford. Her approach is intentionally personal and flexible, shaped by decades of experience across counseling, education, and clinical care. \u201cI don\u2019t believe in fixing people,\u201d she said. \u201cI help them understand themselves so they can help themselves.\u201d<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/webapp.sunypoly.edu\/stories\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/FC3C878C-F391-46B5-9480-604B64E6FC36-1-554x1024.jpeg\")
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