About Us
Our Pura Vida Story
Pura Vida Mind & Body grew from a simple belief: mental health care should feel human.
After two decades in healthcare, we saw how easily that can get lost. Appointments become shorter. Systems become more complicated. Care becomes focused on checklists, diagnoses, and getting to the next patient rather than slowing down long enough to understand the person sitting in front of you.
The name Pura Vida comes from a phrase we first came to love in Costa Rica. Literally translated as “pure life,” pura vida means something much bigger. It’s a way of approaching life with presence, connection, gratitude, and an appreciation for what truly matters.
Over the years, that idea stayed with us and eventually became a question:
What would it look like to bring a little more pura vida into mental health care?
Pura Vida Mind & Body was built around our answer.
We wanted to create a practice where appointments don’t feel rushed, where people are treated as more than a diagnosis, and where thoughtful, evidence-based psychiatric care can still feel personal. A place where there is time to listen, ask better questions, understand the bigger picture, and work together toward solutions that make sense for someone’s actual life.
We also believe the experience surrounding care matters. Mental healthcare can already feel complicated enough. From scheduling and communication to treatment itself, our goal is to keep things transparent, approachable, and simple so the business of healthcare never overshadows the reason we are here.
For us, pura vida means finding more balance in everyday life and making space for what matters: your health, your relationships, your goals, and the people and moments that make life meaningful.
That’s the kind of care we wanted to create. And that’s why we built Pura Vida Mind & Body.
Jackie Hoffman, PMHNP-BC
Founder & Mental Health Provider
Jackie is a Board-Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner dedicated to redefining the standard of mental health care. Her clinical philosophy is rooted in a listen-first approach- moving beyond the hurried 15-minute med check to treat the whole person. By integrating evidence-based psychiatry with a compassionate, psychotherapy-informed perspective, Jackie helps her patients clear the mental fog and reclaim their confidence. At Pura Vida, she provides a judgment-free sanctuary where your story is the most important part of the clinical plan, ensuring you have the support to live your own “Pura Vida”.
Scott C. Anderman, BSN, RN
Co-Founder & Operations
Scott is a Registered Nurse and strategic healthcare leader with over 20 years of experience ensuring that complex medical systems actually work for the people they serve. With a background spanning in leading national healthcare operations, Scott bridges the gap between high-level clinical strategy and modern convenience. At Pura Vida, he oversees the operational heart of the practice- managing the how so that Jackie can focus on the who. Scott is dedicated to the belief that the “business of healing” should be transparent, efficient, and always focused on the client’s long-term success.
Our Pura Vida Philosophy
Pura vida isn't a phrase we simply borrowed, it's the way of living we found in Costa Rica, brought home, and spent years figuring out how to build into an actual mental health practice. Here's what that looks like in the room with you.
Slow Down to Heal
In Costa Rica, nobody rushes a conversation. That same unhurried pace is at the center of every visit here. No 15-minute med checks. We take the time to actually hear your story before we recommend anything.
Whole-Person, Not Just Symptoms
Pura vida means mind, body, and life are one connected thing, not separate boxes. Sleep, stress, relationships: it all shapes how you feel, and it all belongs in the conversation.
Rooted in Real Training
The pace is unhurried, but the care isn't casual. Every plan is grounded in real clinical evidence and training, just delivered without the rush.
You're the Expert on Your Life
We'll explain your options clearly and tell you what we think, but the decisions are yours. Your path to pura vida is yours to choose.
Judgment-Free, Always
The kind of ease we felt in Costa Rica, the freedom to just be present without performing, is what we want you to feel here too. Whatever you're carrying, this is a space to be honest about it.
Balance, Not Perfection
Pura vida was never about achieving some perfect, symptom-free state. It's about finding steady footing again, even when life is uneven. We're not chasing perfection here. We're helping you find balance.