Emily Romeo, LPC

Dr. Ruiz is a compassionate psychiatrist specializing in adult and maternal mental health. She develops personalized treatment plans to address anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, ADHD, OCD, PTSD, PMDD, and perinatal conditions. Her goal is to help patients reconnect with their values and live balanced, fulfilled, and meaningful lives.

Her passion for medicine began in childhood, inspired by curiosity about the mind and body. She earned an Honors Chemistry degree with  magna cum laude and completed her medical training and psychiatry residency at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. With a strong scientific foundation, Dr. Ruiz understands the role of medications, and embraces holistic healing through connection, gratitude, and spirituality.

Dr. Ruiz has experience in diverse clinical settings and has received national awards including the AWP International Fellowship and ADMSEP Innovations Award. She is dedicated to advancing maternal mental health screening and treatment through clinical care and education.

Dr. Ruiz combines pharmacotherapy (medication) with psychotherapy to create individualized treatment plans. Therapy provides powerful tools to manage thoughts, emotions, and behaviors that support balanced brain chemistry. Research shows that medication helps restore this balance more quickly and effectively, especially in moderate to severe cases.  

Dr. Ruiz likens medication for the brain to fertilizer for a garden. Imagine your mental health as a vibrant garden—when well-nourished, it can thrive with resilience, beauty, and balance. But when symptoms like depression, anxiety, ADHD, or mood instability take hold, they act like invasive weeds, crowding out healthy growth and making it hard to enjoy the space. Medication acts like fertilizer, strengthening the garden’s natural systems so the healthy parts can reclaim their place and flourish. Just as some gardens need only seasonal care while others require more consistent tending, medication plans are personalized to support each person’s long-term mental wellness. When the garden is healthy, there's more room to grow, connect, and fully enjoy life.

With a strong background in chemistry and pharmacology, Dr. Ruiz prioritizes educating her patients about how medications work and why they can be helpful. She believes patients should take an active role in understanding their diagnosis and treatment. Her approach emphasizes diagnostic clarity, medication management, patient education, and brief psychotherapy based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT).

Your first appointment is a supportive, in-depth conversation to share your story, challenges, and goals. Dr. Ruiz will review your medical and psychiatric history and assess symptoms using a whole-person approach that considers biological, psychological, and social factors.

Together, you’ll develop a personalized plan that may include lab work, medication, and therapy. Initial visits last 60 minutes for thorough evaluation; follow-ups typically last 20–30 minutes, focusing on medication management and brief therapy. If needed, Dr. Ruiz can refer you to in-house or community therapists for add-on therapy support.  

Throughout your care, Dr. Ruiz prioritizes shared decision making to ensure you feel informed, empowered, and supported.

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Cheryl Jones, LICSW, LCSW, is passionate about supporting clients as they manage and overcome challenging life issues. She brings broad perspective and insight from working in a variety of clinical settings and with diverse populations. Cheryl’s experience as a licensed clinical social worker allows her to provide compassionate, thoughtful care while helping individuals navigate personal, emotional, and life transitions.

Cheryl combines warmth with clinical expertise to help clients navigate life’s challenges in a supportive, nonjudgmental environment. Her therapy approach is client-centered and integrates cognitive-behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, solution-focused therapy, and strengths-based techniques. She tailors each treatment plan to meet the unique needs, goals, and experiences of every individual she works with.

During the first session, Cheryl focuses on getting to know each patient and understanding what brings them to therapy. She explores concerns, goals, and what clients hope to gain from treatment while creating a safe space for open conversation. Together, they build a strong foundation for therapy and continue collaborating in future sessions to turn those goals into meaningful progress.

Jill Condon is a board-certified Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner with Talkiatry. She obtained a Bachelors of Arts in Psychology from Anderson University in 2011, and went on to obtain her Masters of Science in Nursing from Vanderbilt University in 2016. She has over 8 years of experience working with clients of all ages. She has experience working in community mental health, private practice, and inpatient populations. She has experience working with a variety of mental health concerns including ADHD, anxiety, depression, OCD, and PTSD.

Jill has a passion for fostering whole person health in her clients. She has a direct and collaborative approach to care. She will work with you to discover where you are in your mental health journey and create an individual plan for moving towards healing. She helps you explore how all facets of your health are affecting your mental health.

The process starts with an in-depth initial assessment that includes looking at physical, mental, emotional, social, spiritual, and environmental wellbeing. She utilizes a variety of techniques including psychiatric medications, supportive therapy interventions, and lifestyle modifications to help you reach your goals.

Alaina Ables is a Manhattan-based mental health counselor with a wide range of experience with different populations and diagnoses. She has worked with children, adolescents, adults, and couples in both addiction and traditional mental health settings. Alaina is also licensed in Virginia and is available for virtual sessions. Alaina specializes in working with teenagers, college students, and the LGBT Community. Alaina also focuses on treating Anxiety, BPD, ADHD, Trauma, and General Life Stressors.

Alaina operates from a Person-Centered Lens which means the client is the expert in their own life, therefore, she will collaborate with you to find the best possible approach.

Alaina provides a comfortable, non-judgmental, and multicultural lens to ensure the ability of tacking each issue in a safe and healthy way.

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Dr. Benjamin Adler is a physician who specializes in adult psychiatry. He utilizes medication management in conjunction with therapy. His practice includes the treatment of multiple mental health conditions including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, PTSD, ADHD, and OCD. Dr. Adler emphasizes a holistic approach to treatment that is non-judgemental and compassionate. He works closely with patients to establish plans that fit their individualized needs. Dr. Adler is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University, where he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Neuroscience. He attended medical school at Touro College of Osteopathic Medicine, graduating with honors. Dr. Adler completed his psychiatry residency at Woodmont Hospital in South Florida, where he supervised junior residents and medical students.

Dr. Irene Pastis is a board-certified psychiatrist who specializes in adult psychiatry.  She completed residency training at East Carolina University in both internal medicine and psychiatry.  After residency, she pursued her passion in psychiatry and stayed on as a clinical assistant professor in the department of psychiatry at East Carolina University.  In this role she specialized in treating adults with mental illness in both the inpatient and outpatient settings.  She has spent a considerable amount of time teaching residents and medical students and has published several papers focusing on the neuroscience pathways of mental health conditions.  In her daily practice, Dr. Pastis focuses on evidence-based treatments utilizing the latest clinical guidelines and current approved treatments.  In addition to medication management, she also incorporates psychotherapy in the treatment of mental health conditions.  Dr. Pastis is passionate about taking a collaborative approach with her patients to help them reach their potential.