Nina Abelowitz
Services provided
Nina Abelowitz, ANP-BC, PMHNP-BC, is the founder of Three Rivers Mental Health in Acton, Massachusetts. She is dual board-certified as an Adult Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, with a clinical background in primary care, oncology and psychiatry.
Her work focuses on the connection between physical illness and mental health, including the emotional challenges that can accompany a cancer diagnosis, treatment, survivorship and caregiving. Her clinical experience and her own family’s experience with breast cancer inform the practice’s approach to people affected by cancer.
- University of Massachusetts Medical School — Post-Master’s Certificate, Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner, 2022
- Simmons College (now Simmons University) — MSN, Adult Nurse Practitioner, 2010
- Boston University, Sargent College — BS, Clinical Exercise Physiology, 2006
Clinical experience in adult medicine, oncology and psychiatry
2017 – 2023
Massachusetts General Hospital
Nina practiced as an adult nurse practitioner in Hematology/Oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital from September 2017 to September 2023. From 2020 to 2022, she served as Team Lead for Advanced Practice Nurses in Hematology/Oncology. Her experience caring for people with cancer informed her decision to pursue additional training in psychiatric nursing.
2016 – 2017
University of Massachusetts Medical Center
Before joining MGH, Nina worked as an Adult Nurse Practitioner in Hematology/Oncology at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center from 2016 to 2017.
2010 – 2016
Harvard University Health Services
Earlier in her career, Nina practiced at Harvard University Health Services. Her leadership and committee work there included serving as Vice President of Clinical Staff from 2015 to 2016 and on the Nursing Research Committee from 2010 to 2016.
2008 – 2010
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
Her earlier nursing experience included cardiac medicine and interventional cardiology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center from 2008 to 2010.
These roles gave Nina experience with both patients’ medical needs and the responsibilities involved in delivering clinical care. At Three Rivers, her background supports a focus on mental health in the context of physical illness, family responsibilities and everyday life.
Education and board certification
Nina completed a Post-Master’s Certificate in Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner studies at the University of Massachusetts Medical School in August 2022. She earned her Master of Science in Nursing in the Adult Nurse Practitioner program at Simmons College, now Simmons University, in 2010. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Clinical Exercise Physiology from Boston University’s Sargent College of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, earned in 2006. Her professional certifications include:
Adult Nurse Practitioner Board Certification (ANP-BC), American Nurses Credentialing Center.
Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Board Certification (PMHNP-BC), American Nurses Credentialing Center.
Basic Life Support (BLS).
Nina is licensed in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Three Rivers Mental Health is based in Acton, with virtual IOP access available statewide in Massachusetts. Contact the practice about current appointment availability.
A focus on mental health for people affected by cancer
Cancer can change how people feel about their bodies, relationships and future. Family caregivers may be managing appointments and difficult decisions while also facing their own anxiety or grief. Nina’s interest in psycho-oncology brings those experiences into the conversation about mental health care.
Three Rivers offers psychiatric care and therapy for people affected by cancer. Its virtual intensive outpatient program is designed for adults who need structured mental health support beyond weekly appointments, including adult caregivers seeking care for themselves. A clinical assessment determines the appropriate service and level of care.
- Psycho-oncology services
Specialized psychotherapy and emotional support for individuals navigating cancer diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship.
- Virtual IOP for people affected by cancer
Virtual IOP for adults with cancer and caregivers across Massachusetts. Based in Acton, with structured mental health support by secure video.
- Caregiver burnout and anticipatory grief
Exhaustion, resentment, guilt and grief for a loss that hasn't happened yet, in people caring for someone with cancer.
A personal connection to cancer and caregiving
Nina’s mother, Alice Meltzer, lived with breast cancer and used humor and artwork to express her experience. After her mother’s death, Nina helped bring those reflections to readers by publishing Laughter Is the Best Medicine, a collection of Alice’s cancer-related comics.
The Oncology Nursing Society and Boston 25 News featured Nina and the project in 2018. The coverage explored her mother’s humor, the family’s experience of cancer, and Nina’s connection to oncology nursing. Nina also shared her experience as a daughter and caregiver in remarks published by Runway for Recovery in 2023.
That personal history informs Nina’s commitment to care that makes room for caregivers’ mental health as well as patients’ needs.
Clinical research and nursing education
2020 – 2023
TScan Therapeutics and Ciitizen
Nina’s background includes work as a Clinical Scientist at TScan Therapeutics from 2021 to 2023, supporting early-phase hematology clinical trials. Her responsibilities included clinical data review, study documentation and safety monitoring. She also worked as a Clinical Trial Informatics Consultant at Ciitizen from 2020 to 2021, contributing clinical expertise to patient matching for clinical trials.
2016 – 2022
Simmons College
From 2016 to 2022, Nina served as Adjunct Faculty and Course Lead at Simmons College, teaching graduate nursing students and supporting course delivery. This teaching experience complements her clinical work and interest in helping people understand complex health information.
Published research
Trial-in-progress poster
Nina has coauthored oncology research, including a trial-in-progress poster on T-cell therapies following hematopoietic cell transplantation. Her research experience adds to her understanding of complex cancer care.
View the TScan trial-in-progress poster (opens in a new tab)
Professional leadership and community education
2026
Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses
In 2026, Nina was selected as a finalist for the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program, which provides business education and resources for small business owners.
About Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses (opens in a new tab)
2025
The Brain and Body Connection
Nina was a panelist for The Brain and Body Connection on April 9, 2025, part of the Auxiliary of Emerson Health’s Brain Health Series. The event brought healthcare professionals together to discuss the relationship between mental and physical health.
2020
Regina Adams Oncology Nurse Practitioner Scholarship
In 2020, Nina received the Regina Adams Oncology Nurse Practitioner Scholarship and was selected as a top-three finalist for Emerson/MGH Cancer Center Advanced Practice Provider of the Year.
2019
AbbVie and Genentech USA advisory board
In addition to her clinical leadership roles, Nina’s professional background includes 2019 advisory board participation with AbbVie and Genentech USA on venetoclax prescribing patterns and trends. She has been a member of the Oncology Nursing Society since 2016.
Media features and speaking engagements
- Oncology Nursing Society (opens in a new tab)
January 24, 2018
A feature on Nina’s work publishing her mother’s cancer-related comics and sharing them with patients and clinicians.
- Boston 25 News (opens in a new tab)
January 8, 2018
Local news coverage of Alice Meltzer’s comic collection and Nina’s efforts to preserve her mother’s work.
- Concord Journal (opens in a new tab)
August 9, 2017
The Concord Journal article “The Best Medicine.”
- Runway for Recovery (opens in a new tab)
June 11, 2023
Published remarks about Nina’s mother, caregiving, loss, and her work in oncology and psychiatric care.
- Auxiliary of Emerson Health (opens in a new tab)
April 9, 2025
Nina was listed as a panelist for The Brain and Body Connection in the 2025 Brain Health Series.
- Healthie (opens in a new tab)
Practice case study
Coverage of Three Rivers Mental Health’s approach to practice operations and patient access.
Find the right service at Three Rivers
To learn about mental health care for people affected by cancer or for caregivers, contact Three Rivers Mental Health. Our team can explain the available services, current appointment openings and the assessment process for the virtual IOP.