Jaime Sather, PMHNP

Dr. Lauren McClairen is a psychiatrist board certified in General Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine. She completed her medical and psychiatric training at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, TN and a fellowship in Addiction Medicine at Baptist Memorial Hospital in collaboration with IAC (Integrated Addiction Care) in Memphis, TN. Dr. McClairen has clinical experience and practice working with other specialties and disciplines in treatment teams and integrated care models both in the inpatient and outpatient setting. She has held an academic appointment at Baptist Memorial Hospital where she enjoyed teaching and supervising medical residents and fellows in training. She most recently served as the Regional Behavioral Health Medical Director for a group of mental health clinics throughout Tennessee, and as the Chief of Psychiatric Services for a residential treatment facility in Mississippi that also had Partial Hospital and Intensive Outpatient Programming (PHP/IOP). She is experienced in treating patients with a variety of mental health diagnoses including but not limited to depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, ADHD, OCD, PTSD, and those with a history of substance use disorders. Dr. McClairen works collaboratively with her patients to provide treatments tailored to each patient's individualized needs. She prioritizes building trusting relationships and fostering open communication. Patients can expect a compassionate approach often with utilization of supportive therapy, mindfulness, and at times cognitive behavioral and psychodynamic psychotherapy techniques to address their psychosocial stressors and unique needs.

Education and training

Stony Brook University (Bachelor of Science)

American University of Integrative Sciences (MD)

Davenport University (MBA)

Bergen New Bridge Medical Center (residency)

University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center/Case Western Reserve University (fellowship)

Dr. Mohammed Islam is board certified in both General Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. He completed his undergraduate studies at Stony Brook University and attended medical school at the American University of Integrative Sciences. He completed his psychiatry residency training at Bergen New Bridge Medical Center followed by completion of a fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at University Hospitals/Case Western Reserve University where he served as Chief Fellow. Prior to joining Talkiatry, he has trained/worked in a combination of various healthcare systems across New York, New Jersey, Ohio and Kentucky.

Dr. Islam treats patients of various ages- in addition to medication management he is a strong proponent of therapy in various forms. His approach to the treatment of adults and children/adolescents incorporates the impact of various things such as family history of mental health/medical conditions as well as any adverse childhood experiences/trauma. In addition to screening for common conditions such as bipolar disorder, anxiety and depression in all patients, he also emphasizes the importance of screening for conditions that can manifest in childhood (such as ADHD, Autism) as well as first-episode psychosis in young adults.

From the initial visit and onward, Dr. Islam prioritizes a collaborative effort with his patients (and at times their families). In addition to medication adjustments, he emphasizes the importance of optimizing additional tools such as therapy while making appropriate lifestyle changes. During every follow up visit, he takes care to ensure that the current treatment is not hindering his patient’s progress in any way.

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Dr. Jaime Thomas, DO, earned her Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine from Oklahoma State University Center for Health Sciences and completed her psychiatry residency at Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia. She is dedicated to providing culturally sensitive, holistic mental-health care, supporting patients through life’s most challenging moments by addressing the whole person—mind, body, and environment.

Dr. Thomas emphasizes understanding each patient’s unique story and identifying meaningful avenues for change. Her approach integrates lifestyle modifications, nutrition, spirituality, physical activity, community, and medication when appropriate, ensuring care is thoughtful, personalized, and collaborative.

Treatment begins with comprehensive sessions to explore a patient’s life story, concerns, and goals. Follow-up visits focus on fostering growth, maintaining stability, and supporting long-term well-being, creating a safe space for sustainable mental-health improvement.

Dr. Perington is a Staff Psychiatrist with Talkiatry. She previously served in the US Air Force, where she completed her residency training in psychiatry (Lackland AFB) and was the medical director for a small-sized mental health clinic (Hill AFB). Dr. Perington uses a person-centered approach to tailor treatment to the individual, with an emphasis on shared decision making. She prefers to focus on psychotherapy and behavioral interventions as a primary part of the treatment plan, in addition to any indicated medication.

Motivation for change is a large part of the healing process, and for many people recovery doesn't happen with medication alone. Dr. Perington asks all her patients to play an active role in their treatment.

A thorough diagnostic assessment with discussion of the best treatment setting and modality, then regular follow up visits with emphasis on psychotherapy in addition to medication management (if indicated).

Lance Briggs is a dedicated Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner with over a decade of clinical and leadership experience. A graduate of the University of North Dakota, Lance began as a psychiatric RN in acute inpatient settings before becoming a psychiatric RN supervisor in a major Houston hospital while pursuing advanced practice.

After becoming a PMHNP, Lance initially worked with outpatient addiction treatment and severe mental illness populations, later expanding into bariatric psychiatry to support patients preparing for weight-loss surgery. When the COVID-19 pandemic paused bariatric procedures, Lance founded a private practice—Grey Matters Mental Health—in Seattle, which was later sold to a larger healthcare organization in Minnesota. Lance then transitioned into correctional mental health, serving underserved populations within the criminal justice system. Currently, Lance is working at Talkiatry, providing compassionate, high-quality care informed by experience across diverse and challenging environments.

Lance understands that every patient is unique. His approach is grounded in Carl Rogers’ principle of unconditional positive regard, creating a safe, calming space where patients feel heard and valued. Lance takes time to explore developmental history, family background, and major life events, recognizing how past experiences shape present challenges. He aims to understand each symptom fully and offers thoughtful, collaborative treatment options.

Dr. Hess is double board-certified in Adult and Geriatric Psychiatry. He completed his psychiatry internship and residency training at St. Vincent's Hospital and Medical Center in New York City, and then completed a geriatric psychiatry fellowship at Mount Sinai Beth Israel Medical Center. Dr. Hess has practiced inpatient psychiatry at the Long Island College Hospital, NYU Langone Brooklyn, and Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center. He has also worked in emergency rooms, day hospitals, and consultation-liaison settings, as well as seeing geriatric outpatients at a naturally-occurring retirement community (NORC) on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Dr. Hess has taught St. George's University medical students during their clinical rotations in psychiatry. Dr. Hess has more than 24 years of experience providing patients with compassionate psychiatric care for depressive and bipolar disorders, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and dementia. He uses pharmacotherapy as well as supportive psychotherapy. Dr. Hess may believe that additional therapy is also needed and ask that you bring a therapist into your care team to provide the best outcome. The philosophy of his practice is to collaborate with patients to meet their specific needs and make an impact in various stages of their lives.