Dr. Nena Butterfield is a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with a background in experimental psychology, autism research, and psychiatric care across the lifespan. At Ascend Psychiatry and Wellness, she provides personalized psychiatric evaluations and medication management, with areas of focus including ADHD, anxiety, depression, autism spectrum disorder, mood disorders, trauma-related concerns, and sleep difficulties.

Nena earned her PhD in Experimental Psychology from the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom, where her research focused on child development and cognition in children with autism. Her work examined how children with autism manage distractions and inhibit responses, contributing to research published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. She subsequently completed postdoctoral research at the University of Alabama Autism Clinic and earned her psychiatric nurse practitioner degree from Regis College in Massachusetts.
Her combined research and clinical background brings a developmental perspective to care, recognizing that mental health needs change from childhood and adolescence through adulthood and later life. Nena takes a warm, collaborative approach, listening carefully to each patient’s concerns and developing treatment plans that reflect their symptoms, daily challenges, and personal goals. She strives to help patients feel understood, involved in their care, and supported as they work toward greater stability and well-being.