I am Lilian Melvis Everts-Ako — a Board-Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, author, and the founder of Everts Psychiatry & Family Medicine in Duncanville, Texas. But more than any title, I am someone who loves people deeply. That love is what pushed me to go beyond the basics — to pursue advanced certifications across multiple areas of mental health so I could truly meet my patients where they are.
My clinical training includes Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT), Interpersonal Therapy (IPT), Motivational Interviewing, and Written Exposure Therapy for PTSD. I am also a Certified Autism Provider trained in ADOS-2 evaluation and assessment. Not because I had to be — but because my patients deserve the very best of me.
I grew up in Cameroon, and I won’t pretend it was easy. We were poor, and there were seasons that tested everything in me. But even as a child, I was a dreamer. I used to watch Dr. Phil on television and something would stir inside me — I wanted to help families. I wanted to help people who were wounded find healing. Anchored in my Christian faith, I always believed God was going to use me to heal wounds. I just didn’t know how yet.
I have loved writing for as long as I can remember. As a teenager in the Netherlands, I wrote poems constantly — it was how I processed the world around me. I entered a poetry competition in high school and won. My poem was read on the radio. That moment told me something: my words had power. They could reach people. They could matter. I never stopped writing after that. I speak English, Dutch, and some French — and I believe that living across three continents has only deepened my ability to connect with people from all walks of life.
My path to becoming a nurse practitioner was not glamorous — it was a climb, taken one step at a time. I started as a CNA, caring for the elderly. I worked in group homes, nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, and one-on-one with pediatric patients with disabilities. Every smile I put on someone’s face told me I was in the right place — but I knew I was meant for more. So I kept going. LVN. Then RN. Then BSN. Then MSN. When I started working in a psychiatric hospital, something clicked. I felt at home. I saw how much hope a single conversation could carry — and I began asking myself: how can I use my words to heal souls, not just manage symptoms? That question changed everything.
Everts Psychiatry & Family Medicine exists because of love — love for my community, love for my people. I know what it feels like to live with anxiety. I know what it means to carry depression quietly. And I know what words can do when someone finally feels heard. My husband has been my greatest source of strength throughout this journey. Together, we built this practice from the ground up. I did not want to be the kind of provider who writes a prescription and sends you home. I wanted to know my patients — their stories, their environments, their needs — and provide care that was truly holistic, truly human. That same philosophy lives in every workbook I write.
Outside of the clinic, I am a wife and a mother of three daughters, and my family is everything to me. We love to travel together — discovering new places, new cultures, and the reminder that life is bigger than any one struggle. I find my deepest inspiration in the park and in my closet — one surrounded by nature, the other quiet and still. Those are my sacred spaces. And then there is the dance floor — when the music takes over, everything else disappears, and I remember that joy is a form of healing all its own.
I am a nurse practitioner, a practice owner, an author, a dancer, a traveler, a storyteller, and above all — a healer. I am living proof that a little girl from Cameroon, with a dream, a pen, and an unshakeable faith, can change the world one life at a time. And I am just getting started.
MSN — Master of Science in Nursing APRN — Advanced Practice Registered Nurse PMHNP-BC — Board-Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Certified Autism Provider — ADOS-2 Evaluation & Assessment Spravato (Esketamine) Certified — Treatment-Resistant Depression BrainView / QEEG Neurological Assessment TOVA ADHD Testing Certified: ACT, SFBT, IPT, Motivational Interviewing, Written Exposure Therapy (WET) Founder — Everts Psychiatry & Family Medicine, Duncanville, Texas
