Anantharam Peesapati, MD

Dr. Chuck Stanfa is a board-certified psychiatrist who genuinely enjoys helping people.  He has practiced in a wide range of settings, including both outpatient and inpatient during the past 10 years.  He studied medicine at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.  He completed his psychiatry residency training at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia.  He went on to complete a Community Psychiatry Fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania and has continued to serve the greater Philadelphia area.  

Dr. Stanfa tries to take a person-centered approach to psychiatry.  He spends time getting to know each person and is easy to talk to.  He takes a collaborative approach to medication management and provides supportive therapy.  He believes that the relationship is one of the most important aspects of treatment.  He is open to working with most diagnoses including Mood Disorders, Anxiety Disorders, PTSD, ADHD, Personality Disorders, and others.  He will work with each person to develop a treatment plan that works for them.

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Dr. Vargas is an adult psychiatrist who received her medical degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center of San Antonio. She subsequently completed her psychiatry residency training at UT Health San Antonio.

Dr. Vargas has a patient-centered and thorough approach to treatment. She has experience treating a broad spectrum of mental health disorders, with particular interest in depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder. She has also worked in clinic with severely mentally ill patients at the South Texas VA in San Antonio.

Dr. Vargas's primary focus is medication management with an emphasis on shared decision-making; however, she frequently also utilizes supportive therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and psychodynamic therapy principles in her approach. She may refer patients to a therapist if further support would be beneficial.

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Dr. Natarajan is a Psychiatrist at Talkiatry providing psychiatric services to adults ages 18 and older. In her practice, Dr. Natarajan focuses on medication management and psychoeducation, often along with supportive therapy. She is committed to providing evidence-based and patient-centered quality care for her patients. She is dedicated to working collaboratively with patients as a team in order to help patients to the best of her ability. Dr. Natarajan received her medical degree from Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson in NJ. She then completed her psychiatry residency at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson as well, where she served as Chief Resident. Dr. Natarajan has a vast array of clinical interests in psychiatry and behavioral health, including anxiety and mood disorders as well as wellness. In her free time, she enjoys traveling to new places, and spending time with her family and friends.

Background and credentials

Dr. John Whittier is a board-certified psychiatrist. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology from the University of Colorado at Boulder and went on to obtain a master’s degree in Medical Science from Loyola University Chicago. He completed his medical training at the Robert Larner, M.D. College of Medicine at The University of Vermont and returned to Colorado for his psychiatry residency at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. While in residency, he specialized in the Psychotherapy Scholars Program and has since gained four years of experience treating psychiatric conditions through telehealth.

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Treatment approach

Dr. Whittier primarily focuses on medication management for general psychiatric conditions. His approach is individualized, ensuring that each patient receives a treatment plan tailored to their unique needs. He integrates supportive therapy, medications, and evidence-based alternative therapies to provide a flexible and comprehensive approach. In addition to his general practice, he maintains a psychodynamic psychotherapy panel where he helps patients explore developmental and relational patterns that contribute to their symptoms. His specialties include treating depression, anxiety, adjustment disorders, PTSD, insomnia, bipolar disorder, and ADHD.

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What you can expect in a first visit

During the first visit, patients can expect a one-hour comprehensive intake during which Dr. Whittier thoroughly evaluates their symptoms, medical history, and personal goals. He provides treatment options that prioritize flexibility, allowing patients to take an active role in their care. Follow-up visits typically last 20 to 30 minutes, focusing on assessing treatment progress and making necessary adjustments. For those engaged in psychodynamic psychotherapy, longer one-hour sessions are available for in-depth exploration of underlying psychological patterns.

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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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Dr. Jency Cynthia Sachidanandam completed her Residency and Fellowship at Texas Tech University Health Science Center in El Paso, gaining extensive training in diagnosing and treating various psychiatric conditions. As a Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist at Texas Tech, she works with a diverse patient population, addressing psychiatric disorders like depression, anxiety, bipolar disorders, PTSD, and OCD. Dr. Sachi emphasizes the importance of addressing both physical and mental health to achieve a good quality of life. She believes that mental health is interconnected with physical well-being and that treating one aspect without the other leads to incomplete care. Her holistic approach involves medication management, psychotherapy, and lifestyle modifications to promote overall health. Dr. Sachi is skilled in providing supportive psychotherapy and using psychodynamic therapy techniques to help patients understand and address their current stressors and underlying issues. Dr. Sachi has shown a genuine commitment to her patients and a passion for helping them achieve their best possible outcomes. She is dedicated to staying current with the latest advancements in psychiatry and continuously improving her skills to provide the highest standard of care. Her compassionate and patient-centered approach has earned her the respect and trust of her patients and colleagues alike.

Dr. Suneja practices psychiatry through a collaborative, integrative, disability and healing justice-informed lens. He rejects oversimplified binaries, recognizing that healing requires embracing complexity. His training includes Columbia, Johns Hopkins, and a global mental health fellowship at UCSF. His clinical interests include anxiety, OCD, women’s reproductive mental health, climate stress, intergenerational trauma, immigrant and refugee mental health, and substance use concerns. Based in Tucson, he enjoys desert life, reading, baking, making art, and spending time with his two dogs.

Dr. Suneja provides a healing space that prioritizes each service user’s goals and lived experiences. His approach integrates psychiatric and psychotherapeutic practices with complementary, alternative, and natural therapies, as well as harm reduction. His approach is neurodivergence-, queer-, and gender-affirming as well as trauma-informed. Rejecting the binary of “mentally ill” vs. “mentally healthy,” he recognizes the mind, body, and soul’s inherent complexity.

Dr. Suneja tailors care to each service user. The first session explores goals, treatment options, and optimal meeting frequency. In many cases, visits are more frequent at the beginning of treatment and spaced out over time. He prefers visits at least every 4-6 weeks and integrates psychotherapy into all treatment plans, with many service users benefiting from ongoing deeper therapeutic work.