Sydney Karahalios

Sydney Karahalios serves as an Instructor in the School of Nursing at Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU), teaching mental health nursing courses since August 2024 while maintaining active clinical practice at Headlight Health as a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner since December 2023. Her dual role bridges academic instruction with frontline psychiatric care, emphasizing therapeutic presence and integrative approaches to mental health.

Her educational foundation includes:

• Master of Science in Nursing (Psychiatric-Mental Health), Vanderbilt University (2021-2023), GPA 4.0
• Bachelor of Arts in Cognitive Science & Psychology, UC Davis (2015-2019), GPA 3.87, Graduated with Honors

Karahalios' expertise spans psychiatric nursing, cognitive neuroscience, and integrative health with clinical specialization in substance use treatment, child/adolescent psychiatry, and esketamine therapy. Her teaching philosophy centers on 'weaving together faith, nursing art, psychology, and philosophy' to develop compassionate practitioners. Current clinical work focuses on medication management and psychotherapy in outpatient settings while mentoring future nurses through community-focused coursework.

Her distinguished honors include:

• Sigma Theta Tau Honor Society (2023)
• Kolcaba’s Theory of Comfort Award, Vanderbilt (2022)
• Outstanding Performance in Cognitive Science Award, UC Davis (2019)

As an emerging educator, Karahalios actively mentors through Vanderbilt's alumni program while building her academic portfolio. Her clinical practice at Headlight Health provides real-world context for teaching, particularly in innovative treatments like esketamine therapy. She maintains strong community ties through church service roles and previously volunteered at UCSD Thornton Hospital, demonstrating commitment to holistic healthcare engagement beyond traditional academic boundaries.