Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner
Monique Reyes-Lester, PMHNP, has called San Antonio home her entire life. Her path to mental health care was shaped by a decade of bedside nursing, including time at the VA and San Antonio Medical Center, where she witnessed firsthand how mental health impacts every aspect of a person’s well-being.
Education and Background
Monique earned her undergraduate degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center and completed her graduate studies at Texas State University. She brings over a decade of diverse clinical experience to every patient interaction, having worked across multiple settings and patient populations. While caring for veterans in inpatient medical-surgical units, Monique saw patients whose mental health needs were just as pressing as the conditions that brought them through the door. Those experiences inspired her to return to school to help people heal from the inside out.
At Serenity, Monique is drawn to the opportunity to offer patients interventional options beyond the conventional, because she believes that when traditional approaches haven’t brought relief, there should still be paths worth exploring.
Care Philosophy
Monique’s approach to care starts with listening. In a first session, she takes time to dig beneath the surface, looking not only at symptoms but at root causes. She considers the whole person, mind and body, making sure no medical concern is overlooked and no question goes unasked. For Monique, thoroughness is how she shows patients they matter. She is committed to shared decision-making, sitting down with patients, talking through options together, and building a path forward that feels right for them.
Personal Interests
Monique treasures time with her daughter and their poodle, Nico. Together, they explore San Antonio, enjoy family movie nights, build Legos, and play board games. She enjoys spending her weekends staying active and embracing the outdoors—an approach that reflects what she encourages in her patients: prioritizing movement, building meaningful connections, and supporting overall well-being.
Monique also finds grounding in astronomy, following lunar cycles and using those moments to set intentions, release negativity, and reconnect with the world around her. It’s a practice rooted in her belief that everything is connected, and that caring for your mental health means caring for your whole self.
What to Expect
What makes Monique’s care especially compassionate is that it comes from a place of personal understanding. Her lived experience with mental health fuels an empathy and a genuine desire to be the kind of provider she once wished she’d had: someone who truly cares, who listens without judgment, and who guides you through the storm. In sessions with Monique, patients can expect a warm, down-to-earth space where they are treated as a whole person, never rushed, and always heard.