Cassandra Garcia-Lozano, LPC

Dr. Maria Lapchenko is a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) and is double board-certified in adult and forensic psychiatry. She has experience working in both inpatient and outpatient settings and treats a wide range of psychiatric conditions, including anxiety, mood, personality, and trauma-related disorders. Dr. Lapchenko values thoughtful, individualized care and approaches psychiatry with curiosity, compassion, and respect for each patient’s lived experience.

Patients can expect a collaborative, supportive relationship built on trust and shared decision-making. Dr. Lapchenko believes that high-quality psychiatric care starts with listening and understanding each patient’s goals and concerns. She emphasizes transparency, patient education, and tailoring treatment plans to meet individual needs.

Dr. Lapchenko begins with a comprehensive evaluation to understand symptoms, history, and priorities. For many patients, she finds that combining medication management with talk therapy leads to the most effective outcomes, and she is experienced in providing both. She currently provides virtual care to adult patients in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New York.

Dr. Faizan Syed is a board-certified attending psychiatrist who graduated from St. George's University School of Medicine in 2012. He completed his residency in adult psychiatry at Creedmoor Psychiatric Center, an affiliate of Columbia University, in June 2016 .Dr. Syed was born in Karachi, Pakistan, and has lived transnationally in the United States, the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, and the Middle East throughout his life. He is currently based in Queens, NY, and alongside his professional development in his career as a psychiatrist, he has also worked to develop himself personally through writing. As a poet, essayist, and author, he has been published numerous times, and he maintains connections with his community through his participation in a group known as the Queens Poetic Alchemy Collective. He has spoken out publicly against the cultural stigma against mental health that has become a barrier to seeking and finding help. He has also been featured on Humans of New York. Dr. Syed believes strongly in the power and importance of psychotherapy as part of the therapeutic process. As such, he integrates individualized psychotherapy for each patient he sees and tailors various techniques to suit each patient's needs. He believes in an integrative, holistic approach that borrows from and blends various schools of psychology, philosophy, and neuroscience, including mindfulness, existentialism, cognitive-behavioral therapy, dialectical therapy, psychodynamics, genetics, and psychopharmacology. In addition, he is a great believer in the therapeutic power of the arts, whether it is visual arts, music, bibliotherapy, or expressive writing. Dr. Syed focuses on exploring the role of meaning in every patient's life so they can define and fulfill their potential in many areas of life. He has experience working with patients of all ages who have struggled with trauma, relationship or attachment issues, bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, panic attacks, psychosis, and personality disorders.

Dr. Nida Khan is a board-certified psychiatrist starting her post-graduate practice with Talkiatry. She completed her undergraduate degree in Biochemistry at Smith College, earned her medical degree at New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed her psychiatry residency training at Northwell Health. During her residency, she was involved in resident leadership and education, serving as academic chief resident during her third year of training. Dr. Khan's practice focuses on a holistic, patient-centered approach. Her practice is rooted in evidence-based practices and focuses on providing medication management during 30-minute visits along with supportive therapy to meet the unique needs of individuals under her care. Occasionally, she may believe that additional therapy is needed and may recommend a therapist be brought into your care team for optimal care.

Dr. Pan is a board-certified psychiatrist with over 10 years of experience. She holds a Doctor of Medicine degree from UT Southwestern Medical School and completed her medical specialty training in the Department of Psychiatry at UT Southwestern Medical Center. She has served as faculty at UT Southwestern, teaching medical students and mentoring psychiatry residents.

Dr. Pan is a diplomate of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. Dr. Pan specializes in medication management for adults with a broad range of psychiatric conditions, including anxiety, bipolar, depression, insomnia, PTSD/trauma-related disorders. Medication treatment may be complemented with elements of supportive psychotherapy, psychodynamic therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy.

Dr. Pan works collaboratively with patients to develop evidence-based treatment plans tailored to their unique needs. If further psychotherapy is needed, she may recommend working with a therapist as well. Asking for help can be difficult, especially when it comes to mental health. During the first visit, patients can expect a welcoming space where they can share their concerns. The visit will also focus on a psychiatric evaluation covering symptom details, psychiatric and other medical history, prior treatments, and how the current symptoms affect the person as a whole.‍

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Dr. Mennella is a board-certified adult psychiatrist. Her practice focuses on medication management and supportive therapy. Treatment emphasizes patient education and autonomy. Dr. Mennella is a proponent of shared decision-making and believes this facilitates a strong therapeutic relationship, greater satisfaction with care, and improved clinical outcomes. She completed an undergraduate degree in Information Technology from Purdue University and a master's degree in information systems from DePaul University. She received her medical degree from the University of Toledo College of Medicine and then completed her psychiatry residency at Loyola University Medical Center. Areas of interest include depression, bipolar, anxiety, and PTSD.

Penny Clark is a Licensed Professional Counselor, who earned her Master of Arts degree in Counseling Psychology at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New Jersey in 2004. Penny also completed a one-year training to become a Certified Health Coach through the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York in 2017. Penny has more than 20 years of counseling experience and has worked with individuals, couples and families, beginning by working with 9/11 displaced workers and recovery workers, including police, firemen and EMTs, and then Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy families, after which she worked with bereaved military families, homeless veterans, and other homeless men. Penny has done individual, couples, career and relationship counseling. Penny has worked in various levels of care including inpatient, outpatient, intensive outpatient and partial care programs. Penny has answered the National Suicide Prevention Hotline 800-273-TALK, has worked in a psychiatrist’s office, and in her own private practice. Penny also worked at a drug and alcohol detox and rehabilitation program.  Penny has worked with individuals with Depression, Anxiety, PTSD, health and medical challenges, substance abuse, and the specific challenges that seniors face.

Penny provides a safe, therapeutic environment in which clients can share and process their thoughts and feelings, gain insight, and set and reach realistic and achievable goals. Penny’s primary goal is to develop a trusting relationship with her clients and helping them to improve their lives.

Penny uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, (CBT,) Positive Psychology, Psychodynamic Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and Psychoeducation while working with clients. Penny enjoys assisting clients in determining where they are and where they would like to be, the steps they need to take to get there, and in identifying and overcoming any obstacles that may be in their way.

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