Absar Tahir, MD

Dr. Steve Paschos is a board-certified Psychiatrist at Talkiatry. He attended Loyola University Chicago on the Lake Shore campus, completing a bachelor's degree in science and a Degree in Classical Studies. He then attended Medical School at Rush Medical College in Chicago and completed a 5-year combined Internal Medicine & Psychiatry residency in 2011. Dr. Paschos subsequently completed a 1-year fellowship in Geriatric Medicine at Rush University Medical Center. He has spent the last 12 years fulfilling his passion for integrating Internal Medicine & Psychiatry, working with a diverse range of patients suffering from severe mental illnesses. ‍Dr. Paschos' years of experience have included working at Cook County Health Services � Cermak Health Services at Cook County Department of Corrections with an extremely diverse patient population with varying psychiatric illnesses. He has also worked as an inpatient psychiatric hospitalist and as the director of the Intensive Care Unit at Chicago Behavioral Hospital in Illinois. Dr. Paschos also acted as a medical director of an IOP and established an outpatient psychiatric practice in conjunction with the Intensive Outpatient Program. He has had the opportunity and privilege of treating individuals who suffer from various diagnoses, especially challenging patients who have suffered from integrated or Med-Psych concerns involving primary mood disorders, Bipolar Affective disorders, prior trauma, severe medical problems/diagnoses along with concurrent personality pathology. ‍Dr. Paschos utilizes supportive psychotherapy, brief cognitive behavioral therapy, and at times psychodynamic therapy to address his patients' current complaints and to identify the locus of their symptoms. He believes in utilizing an all-encompassed approach using mindfulness and various psychotherapies along with comprehensive medication management. To quote Hippocrates "Where there is love for the art of medicine there is a love of humanity.”

Dr. Deringer is a psychiatrist with board certification in general psychiatry and addiction psychiatry. She earned her M.D. from the University of Michigan Medical School, and she completed her psychiatry residency and addiction psychiatry fellowship training at New York University. She has previously held faculty roles at New York University School of Medicine and Harvard Medical School. She has been involved in training the next generation of psychiatrists through her past work on the Program Director team for the MGH-McLean Psychiatry Residency Program. She has expertise in treating adults with mood disorders, anxiety disorders, substance use disorders, personality disorders, trauma, and ADHD.

Dr. Deringer cares deeply about understanding each patient's unique experience.  She recognizes that mental health symptoms are impacted by an individual's biological make-up, social situation, and their individual way of interacting with others in the world.  She will assess all of these factors and work with you to develop an appropriate treatment plan to help you feel better and meet your goals.  She incorporates supportive psychotherapy into all of her patient meetings; this may include discussions of the role of nutrition, exercise, and sleep habits in your overall well-being.

Dr. Deringer will begin the evaluation process with a thorough one-hour session in which we will discuss your current symptoms, your prior treatment history, your medical history, and your goals for treatment.  At the end of that session, she will begin to formulate her diagnostic impression and treatment recommendations.  Sometimes, the evaluation process may require more than one session, and it may be helpful for Dr. Deringer to gather information, with your permission, from prior treatment or to collaborate with your therapist if you have one.  Dr. Deringer will work with you on a medication treatment plan, if clinically indicated, to help you manage your symptoms and achieve your treatment goals.

Dr. Ritchie is trained in both adult and child & adolescent psychiatry, with a focus on the diagnosis and treatment of depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma- and stressor-related disorders, and ADHD.  He received his bachelor's degree in biology with a minor in French, from The University of Central Florida. Dr. Ritchie completed medical school at Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine. Following medical school, he completed General psychiatry residency and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. His professional experiences include working in inpatient psychiatric hospitals, consult-liaison psychiatry, outpatient clinics, intensive outpatient programs (IOP), partial hospitalization programs (PHP), and emergency rooms. This broad range of experience allows him to provide comprehensive, individualized care to patients at all stages of life.

Dr. Ritchie emphasizes a holistic approach, combining medication management and psychotherapy. He utilizes principles from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and supportive psychotherapy This method is supported by research indicating improved patient outcomes.

Patients can anticipate a thorough initial evaluation during their first visit with Dr. Ritchie. He conducts a comprehensive assessment to understand the patient's symptoms, history, and personal circumstances. This session sets the foundation for collaboratively developing an individualized treatment plan focused on the patient's specific needs and goals.

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Dr. Alexandra ("Sasha”) Blaes is a board-certified psychiatrist. Before joining Talkiatry, she practiced consult-liaison psychiatry, seeing medically ill patients with psychiatric problems at the Department of Veterans Affairs, where she also treated veterans in nursing homes. Dr. Blaes graduated from New York University with a B.A. in philosophy and photography and worked in nonprofit marketing in New York before deciding she wanted to pursue a life in medicine. Following a post-baccalaureate, pre-medical program at Columbia University, Dr. Blaes completed medical school at The University of Maryland, followed by a psychiatry residency at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. While at Johns Hopkins, she mastered clinical assessment and treatment of general psychiatric problems. She also received specialized training in eating disorders, addiction, reproductive psychiatry, chronic pain, and geriatric psychiatry, an interest she pursued further with a fellowship at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. In fellowship and in her subsequent experience at the VA, she developed expertise in caring for the difficulties that can accompany aging, including depression, anxiety, and memory loss, as well as the stress of medical illness. Dr. Blaes' practice focuses on medication management. She works to foster a safe and collaborative space in which patients can address psychiatric illness and other barriers holding them back from the lives they want to lead. Typically, she offers appointments for medication management coupled with supportive or emotionally focused therapy in 30-minute sessions. When Dr. Blaes feels that additional therapy is needed, she will suggest inviting a therapist to join the team for additional support and guidance. She welcomes collaborations with other clinicians, be they therapists or other physicians caring for her patients. She strives to build strong therapeutic relationships that help patients grow and meet their goals - whatever their situation, challenge, or life stage. Dr. Blaes welcomes patients from all walks of life and cultural backgrounds and is LGBTQ+ friendly. In addition to her background in geriatrics, she has experience working with peripartum women and enjoys working with patients navigating major life changes.

Dr. Whitehouse is a board-certified adult psychiatrist with a strong background in neuroscience and psychopharmacology who has been in practice for over 25 years. At the heart of Dr. Whitehouse's clinical approach is a strong emphasis on establishing trust, building a therapeutic relationship to help patients achieve their goals, and helping people better understand their brain, its strengths, and vulnerabilities and how to use assessment and training to maximize everyone's unique emotional and cognitive capacity. Dr. Whitehouse's practice focuses on medication management. Typically, he offers this in conjunction with supportive or emotionally focused therapy in 30-minute follow-up visits. Occasionally Dr Whitehouse may believe that additional therapy is also needed and ask that you bring a therapist into your care team to provide the best outcome. He received his medical degree from Dartmouth Medical School and went on to complete his residency in psychiatry at MGH in Boston. After completing training, Dr. Whitehouse has worked in every setting from a Community Mental Health Center in rural VT, a General Hospital Department of Psychiatry in Waterbury CT, and a private psychiatric hospital in Massachusetts He has held academic clinical appointments at Dartmouth, Yale and Harvard and provided supervision to medical students, residents, APRNs, Social Workers and Mental Health Clinicians. In addition to his direct clinical work, he has extensive experience with value-based care having worked with the behavioral divisions of CIGNA Behavioral Health, Optum Behavioral Health and MCG. He also has been involved in the latest approaches made possible in mental health by the growth of direct-to-consumer services as part of digital transformation. He believes that every patient is unique and every situation different. He seeks to bring a wealth of experience to bear but, above all, to do so with a personalized and compassionate focus on what will help everyone specifically, practically, effectively, and efficiently. He is especially happy to help people new to emotional help understand the value of different approaches.

Background and credentials

Dr. Phillip Azouz is a board-certified general adult psychiatrist. He earned his medical degree from the University of Michigan Medical School, where he was awarded the Albert M. Barret Award for Distinguished Performance in Psychiatry. He completed his psychiatric residency at Florida Atlantic University. Prior to medical school, he obtained his undergraduate degree in economics with honors from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. His background includes research at the Heinz C. Prechter Bipolar Research Center and the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind-Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. Additionally, he worked as a Mental Health Specialist at McLean Psychiatric Hospital.

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Treatment approach

Dr. Azouz provides a relaxed, conversational, and non-judgmental space for patients to reflect on and integrate all aspects of their lives. He believes that vulnerability is key to healing and growth and works with individuals seeking to improve mood, reduce anxiety, enhance sleep, boost attention, or heal from trauma. His approach blends the latest research in medical treatment with insights from psychotherapy and coaching. He specializes in treating major depression, anxiety disorders, ADHD, bipolar disorder, PTSD, OCD, addiction, and personality disorders.

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What you can expect in a first visit

During the first visit, patients can expect a comprehensive and collaborative evaluation where Dr. Azouz takes the time to understand their symptoms, challenges, and goals. He fosters an open and supportive environment, ensuring that treatment plans are personalized and aligned with each patient’s unique needs. His approach integrates evidence-based medication management, psychotherapy techniques, and coaching strategies to help patients achieve their full potential.

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Why Talkiatry?

We’re a virtual mental health practice that makes it easy to find great care. We combine quality and convenience to help you thrive—faster. Our providers, like this one, are highly trained experts who specialize in medication management and collaborate with you on a treatment plan that fits your needs and comfort level.

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