Nik Wilde

PA-C

Pronouns: He/Him

You deserve to feel better—and feel like yourself.

Thoughtful psychiatric care that honors your story, welcomes your questions, and treats medication as one tool to support meaningful change. Together, we'll find a path guided by your needs, values, and goals.

LET'S START HERE

Maybe you learned early which parts of yourself felt safe to show and which were better kept quiet. Years later, that habit may still run in the background—even when you wish you could let your guard down. You might be living with anxiety that won't settle, a low mood that colors everything, or difficulty focusing enough to get through the day.

You can want relief and still have reservations. Will medication make you feel less like yourself? Will a prescriber see a checklist instead of a person? Those are fair questions, and you deserve thoughtful, honest answers.

We'll make space for those concerns and explore what might help. Medication may be one part of that process, with the goal of helping you feel better, trust yourself more, and have more room to be who you are.

What would you say to someone who’s nervous or unsure about starting therapy?

"Will I still feel like myself?" That's one of the first questions people ask me about psychiatric medication, and it's a good one. I'm Nik Wilde, a physician assistant providing psychiatric care at Tides Mental Health. I work with teens and adults dealing with anxiety, depression, ADHD, and the weight of old experiences. My job is to help you feel steadier while staying fully you. So bring that question with you. We'll answer it together.

What It’s Like to Work Together

Your first visit starts with your story: what you're experiencing, what has shaped you, and what you hope will feel different. We'll explore how sleep, daily habits, thought patterns, focus, and relationships affect your well-being. We'll also review your physical health, medications, and supplements to identify anything that may contribute to your symptoms.

Together, we'll talk through treatment options and find a starting point that fits your needs. If medication could help, I'll explain why, what benefits we're hoping for, possible side effects, and the alternatives. I see symptom relief as a way to create more room for therapy, self-understanding, and meaningful change—with attention to both how you feel now and what may be keeping you stuck.

Follow-up visits are about how you're doing as a person, including how treatment is working. We'll discuss what's improving, what remains difficult, any side effects, and how things are going in your daily life. Your feedback helps us adjust the plan, work through concerns, and keep care aligned with what matters to you.

What does a session feel like?

Visits with me are a conversation, not an interrogation. You can show up tired, guarded, or unsure what to say. We'll talk about how the last few weeks have really gone, what's helping, and what isn't. If something about your treatment doesn't sit right, tell me. Your voice is part of the plan, and there's room here for honesty, hard feelings, and a little humor too.

Why I’m passionate about this work

I care about this work because so many people learn early to doubt their own voice: about who they are, what they believe, or what they need. I've seen how much healing starts with simply being seen. Before psychiatry I worked in emergency medicine, where I learned to stay steady in people's hardest moments. Now I get to help people trust themselves again and build a kinder relationship with who they are.

Clinical Specialties

Anxiety – that keeps your mind and body on high alert
Depression and low mood — that drain energy, motivation, and connection
ADHD and challenges — with focus and attention at school, work, or home
Trauma and childhood — experiences that continue to affect your life
Sexual orientation — gender identity, coming out, and self-acceptance
Religious trauma — faith transitions, and changing beliefs
Shame — self-worth, and finding a sense of belonging
Sleep concerns — and physical health factors that affect mental well-being

Treatment Modalities

Comprehensive psychiatric evaluation — looking at the full picture of what shapes how you feel: your biology and physical health, your thoughts and emotional experiences, and your relationships, environment, and sources of support. Together, we'll explore how these pieces interact and where care could make a meaningful difference.
Collaborative medication management — I'll offer options that may support your journey and talk openly about their benefits, risks, and alternatives. We'll build a plan together that you feel confident in, and only start medication when you feel informed, comfortable, and ready.
Trauma-informed, psychodynamic perspective — understanding how past experiences shape the way you think, feel, and relate to others. Together, we'll explore patterns that may have once protected you but now hold you back, creating room for new ways of responding, greater self-compassion, and improved well-being—all at a pace that feels right for you.
Affirming, identity-conscious care — seeing and respecting you as a whole person, with space to be yourself and talk openly about what you're navigating. I work to create a welcoming environment where you feel heard, valued, and free to explore who you are—across sexual orientations, gender identities, races, cultures, abilities, backgrounds, and religious or nonreligious beliefs.
Integrative, whole-person strategies — mindfulness, sleep, daily routines, and body awareness considered alongside medication, so treatment helps you create the life you want to live.
Coordination with your therapist — with your permission, staying in touch with your therapist and/or treatment team so your care stays connected.

Populations Served

Teens 15 and older, and adults
Young adults in their 20s and 30s
LGBTQ+ individuals and people exploring gender or sexual identity
People leaving or rethinking the religion they were raised in
Adults living with the effects of childhood trauma
People who feel unsure about medication and want to learn more about what ways medication might provide them support during difficult times
People who want a say in helping make a treatment plan that works for them

Training & Credentials

Education: Master of Science, Physician Assistant Studies, Arcadia University
Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, Brigham Young University, summa cum laude
Licensure: Licensed Physician Assistant, State of Illinois
Certification: Physician Assistant, Certified (PA-C), National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA).
Mental Health First Aid certified
Experience : Clinical experience in outpatient psychiatry, emergency medicine, and urgent care.
Prior clinical experience with ketamine-based treatment (esketamine); graduate thesis on psychedelic-assisted therapy
Languages Spoken: Sessions conducted in English
Availability: Offering in-person appointments at our Chicago Lakeview office and telehealth for patients across Illinois

Whatever you were taught about who you should be, you deserve care that honors who you are—and supports who you want to become.
You can bring questions about medication, doubts about getting started, or simply a sense that something needs to change. You don't need to have it all figured out before reaching out.
We'll start with your story and find the next step together. Schedule a free consultation with Nik to get started.

Insurance We Accept

We accept most major insurance providers and offer several convenient payment methods to ensure accessibility for your care. We also offer various payment methods, including credit cards, bank transfers, and electronic payments.