The Stable Mind-Psychiatric Care by Dallas Acker

05/27/2026

I have a very last-minute opening this Friday, May 29th from 10:00–10:30 AM.

If you’ve been trying to get scheduled or have been meaning to reach out, this is a great opportunity to get in sooner than usual. These openings don’t come up often, and once it’s filled, I won’t have availability again for a bit.

If you’d like this spot, feel free to message me AT 814-261-2758 I DO NOT ALWAYS SEE MESSENGER SO PLEASE TEXT THIS NUMBER and I’ll get you scheduled. Thank you!!

05/25/2026

Happy Memorial Day from The Stable Mind 🇺🇸

Today, we pause to honor and remember the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Their courage, service, and sacrifice have made possible the freedoms we enjoy every single day.

What many people may not know is that working with veterans is actually where The Stable Mind first began.

At 16 years old, I volunteered at a therapeutic riding center working with a group of veterans, and something about that experience changed me. I fell in love with the power of connection, healing, and the incredible resilience I witnessed in those who had served.

That experience planted a seed.

I initially pursued the path toward medical school, but I quickly realized that 15-minute appointments and rushed care were not the way I wanted to serve people. I wanted to truly know my patients, understand their stories, and create meaningful, individualized care. That realization led me back to nursing school with one ultimate goal: becoming a psychiatric nurse practitioner so I could build the kind of care I knew people deserved.

Many years later, that dream became The Stable Mind.

Every single day, veterans continue to be a light in my life—not only through the mission of The Stable Mind, but also through my work full-time with the Department of Veterans Affairs. It is truly one of the greatest honors of my life to serve those who have served our country.

To our veterans, military families, and to those we remember today: thank you. We would not have what we have without your sacrifice, strength, and dedication. You inspire this mission more than words can express.

❤️🤍💙

05/22/2026

Are you feeling “stuck” in therapy? You’re not alone.

Have you ever felt like you’ve been in therapy for years… talking through the same struggles, understanding the “why,” but still feeling like something just isn’t shifting?

Sometimes healing needs a different path.

At The Stable Mind, we are excited to SOON begin incorporating EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) alongside equine-assisted therapy—a powerful combination for individuals feeling stuck in patterns of anxiety, trauma, overwhelm, grief, or emotional distress.

🐴 Why horses + EMDR?

EMDR helps the brain reprocess difficult experiences that may feel “stuck” in the nervous system. It goes beyond simply talking about what happened and helps the brain heal and integrate experiences differently.

Horses bring something unique to the healing process:
✨ They respond honestly to emotion and energy
✨ They help increase body awareness and emotional regulation
✨ They create opportunities to build safety, trust, confidence, and connection
✨ They help us stay grounded and present during difficult work

Together, EMDR and equine therapy can create a deeply powerful healing experience—especially for people who feel like traditional talk therapy has only gotten them part of the way there.

Healing doesn’t always happen through words alone. Sometimes healing happens through movement, connection, nervous system regulation, and feeling safe enough to process what has been carried for too long.

If you’ve ever felt “stuck” despite doing all the work, this may be a different approach worth exploring.

We’re looking forward to bringing this innovative, trauma-informed healing opportunity to The Stable Mind and sharing more soon.

📩 Questions about EMDR, equine therapy, or whether this approach may be a good fit? Reach out—we’d love to help educate and guide you.

📌📌📌📌📌📌PLEASE UTILIZE OUR PHONE NUMBER (815-261-2758) AS EMAILS AND MESSENGER CAN GET LOST!! 📌📌📌📌



Pic credit: the amazing Jess Lewis-Korobko

05/14/2026

Y’ALL….I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT THIS NEW THERAPY OFFERING COMING SOON!!! PLEASE LIKE, SHARE, COMMENT AND LET ME KNOW IF THERE WOULD BE INTEREST 😬😬 🌲

I’ve been quietly working behind the scenes on something a little different, and I’m really excited to finally start talking about it.

As many of you know, healing does not always happen best sitting in an office chair or staring at a computer screen. Sometimes it happens while moving your body, getting fresh air, grounding yourself in nature, or simply being around animals that make you feel calm and safe.

Because of that, I’m exploring some new session options, including:

🐴 “Bitching in the Barn”
A more relaxed therapy/med management experience where we spend time around the horses, in the pasture, or at the barn. Horses have an incredible way of teaching us about nervous system regulation, boundaries, trust, presence, and emotional awareness — often without saying a word.

🚶‍♀️ Walk & Talk Sessions
Instead of traditional office or virtual appointments, we would meet in a public outdoor setting and walk during session. Movement can be incredibly regulating and can sometimes make difficult conversations feel a little easier and more natural.

These offerings will require some additional consent forms and education regarding privacy/HIPAA since they take place outside of a traditional office setting. Right now, I’m in the “behind the scenes” phase getting everything set up correctly — billing logistics, consents, policies, safety planning, and all the things you don’t need to worry about but I definitely do. 😂

My goal is to create therapeutic spaces that feel more human, grounded, authentic, and healing.

If something like this sounds interesting to you, I’d love to hear your thoughts or gauge interest. Feel free to comment or message me privately!!

-Dallas
The Stable Mind Owner 🌲

05/06/2026

Hello The Stable Mind Family!

I wanted to share that I will be taking maternity leave beginning in late July, as I am expecting a baby in early August.

My last day for scheduled appointments will be July 24th as of how things stand right now (we all know babies make their own decisions). If you feel you may need follow-up prior to my leave, please make sure you have an appointment scheduled before that date.

To help ensure continuity of care:
• When clinically appropriate, I will provide 90-day medication refills prior to my leave
• Controlled medications cannot be prescribed in extended supplies due to legal regulations, so these will continue to require regular refill requests as usual

During my maternity leave (approximately July 24th through the end of September-again, as long as this baby cooperates):
• I will be checking messages intermittently
• If you anticipate needing a refill, please submit your request at least 5–7 days in advance to allow adequate processing time
• Refill requests submitted with short notice may not be addressed in time

For urgent or emergent concerns, please seek care through:
• Your primary care provider
• An urgent care clinic
• Or the emergency room, if needed

I am also working on arranging limited coverage with local providers for urgent psychiatric needs during my absence. Additional details will be shared as they become available.

I plan to begin gradually returning to the practice in late September, and scheduling for that timeframe will open in August.

Thank you for your understanding and support during this time. Please reach out to the office if you need assistance scheduling prior to my leave.

All the best,
Dallas 🌲

P.S. Thank you ALL for supporting this small business. I have been SO blessed to work with each and every one of you...you have made this work so meaningful, and I cannot wait to see how much better this gets year after year!

04/24/2026

Hi everyone,

Quick (and important) communication update from the practice!!

Because this is a part-time practice alongside full clinical workloads, we are really trying to streamline communication so nothing gets missed.

Right now, messages are coming in from:
📩 Facebook Messenger
📧 Personal email
🌐 Website submissions
📱 Phone/text
…and honestly, things are getting a little chaotic on our end.

To keep everything safe, organized, and actually responded to in a timely way, we are asking that all communication go through:

📲 Spruce secure messaging or office phone: 814-261-2758

Please include your name when you reach out so we can quickly locate your chart.

A little transparency moment: we are currently sitting on way too many unread messages across platforms (think: “I stopped counting” level (example: 1,200 unread emails, 42 texts on my personal phone..halp…😅), and we don’t want anyone to get missed or delayed.

Using one system helps us take better care of everyone and respond more consistently—even when we’re finishing clinical days at 10 or 11pm.

Thank you for helping us keep things organized, secure, and sustainable!!

-Dallas

04/20/2026

📌 Office Update: Paperwork Policy

Hi everyone! I wanted to share an important update regarding paperwork requests.

In order to continue providing thoughtful, thorough care to all of my patients, any paperwork requests (including FMLA, short-term disability, work-related forms, or similar documents) will now require:
• A minimum fee of $150, and
• A scheduled appointment, along with appropriate follow-up appointments as needed

These forms require careful review, clinical documentation, and time outside of regular visits. Requiring appointments also ensures that we are accurately reflecting your current symptoms, progress, and treatment plan—so everything submitted is both appropriate and supportive of your care.

I truly want to make sure that anything I complete on your behalf is done well and reflects where you are in treatment, not just a snapshot.

If you anticipate needing paperwork completed, please plan ahead and reach out to schedule so we can support you appropriately.

Thank you so much for your understanding and for allowing me to continue providing you with quality care!

-Dallas

04/16/2026

04/13/2026

So excited to finally be diving into equine therapy training! 🐴

I feel really lucky to be surrounded by such a great group of people during this process. This has been something on my heart for a while, and it’s amazing to start turning it into reality.

I can’t wait to see where this journey leads and to bring some really special opportunities to others through this work 🌲