John Whittier, MD

Dr. Farias is a board-certified physician 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. Dr. Farias graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Houston, majoring in Biology with a minor in Chemistry. She then pursued her medical education at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, earning her Doctor of Medicine degree. Dr. Farias completed a three-year psychiatric residency at TTUHSC, followed by fellowship training in child and adolescent psychiatry. She completed her first year of fellowship at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston and her second year at TTUHSC. With a diverse clinical background, Dr. Farias has gained experience in a variety of settings, including academic psychiatry, consult liaison psychiatry, intensive outpatient programs (IOP), partial hospitalization programs (PHP), emergency psychiatry, and outpatient psychiatry. This broad range of experience allows her to provide comprehensive, individualized care to patients at all stages of life. Dr. Farias takes a holistic approach to treatment, incorporating both medication management and psychotherapy. She utilizes principles from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and supportive psychotherapy, recognizing that a combined approach leads to better outcomes for patients.

Dr. Esha Garg is a board-certified psychiatrist starting her post-graduate practice with Talkiatry. After completing an undergraduate degree in psychology at Johns Hopkins University, she completed her medical degree at Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences. She is a recent graduate from the Adult Psychiatry Residency at University of Kansas Medical Center.

Dr. Garg's practice focuses on medication management but she believes in the importance of both therapy and medication management in treating mental illness. She offers medication management with supportive therapy in 30-minute follow up visits. She also utilizes referrals to therapists to enhance collaborative care and management of illness.

Dr. Garg believes in the importance of building a strong therapeutic relationship. She focuses on treating patients with depression and anxiety disorders. She believes in a holistic, patient-centered approach to care and encourages patient's to explore their physical, emotional, social and spiritual needs in addition to their mental health.

Dr. Juan Carlos Gonzalez is board-certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and has 32 years of experience in treating adults. He completed his undergraduate education at Harvard University and earned his medical degree at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. He completed his psychiatry residency training at Baylor College of Medicine, where he served as Chief Resident and subsquently was an Associate Professor of Psychiatry for ten years. During his tenure as a faculty member at Baylor, he served as Medical Director for the Baylor Psychiatry Clinic and also maintained a private practice, where he provided psychotherapy and medication management. 

In 2004, Dr. Gonzalez moved to Austin, Texas where he joined the US Veterans Administration, serving in various administrative positions, including Medical Director for the Central Texas VA Outpatient Clinics.

He provides compassionate, evidence-based care to thousands of service members, treating a broad spectrum of psychiatric conditions. Fluent in both English and Spanish, Dr. Gonzalez employs a humanistic approach to patient care, deeply understanding how patients’ past experiences affect their present.

Dr. Gonzalez provides compassionate, humanistic care, recognizing how past experiences shape the present. His treatment integrates medication management with psychoanalytic, cognitive-behavioral, and supportive psychotherapy.

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Dr. Jylia Lobanova is a board-certified psychiatrist who began her medical career in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, where she worked at the Central Psychiatric Hospital. After moving to the U.S., she completed her residency at MetroHealth Medical Center, affiliated with Case Western Reserve University. She has treated diverse populations in both inpatient and outpatient settings, including work at Portage Health Clinic in Ohio, Harris Health in Houston, and Legacy Community Health, where she focused on LGBTQ and HIV-positive patients.

Dr. Lobanova values building a trustful and respectful therapeutic relationship. She creates a welcoming space for open communication and mutual understanding, which she believes is the cornerstone of effective treatment. She is especially passionate about supporting patients from diverse cultural backgrounds and has a special interest in women’s mental health across the lifespan.

Dr. Lobanova takes a holistic approach to care, combining medications, psychotherapy, psychoeducation, proper nutrition, and physical activity. She partners closely with each patient to develop an individualized treatment plan tailored to their unique goals and needs, always striving to empower them in their journey toward mental wellness.

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Dr. Holly Shiao is a psychiatrist who has worked extensively with medically complex patients, including a special focus in psycho-oncology with cancer patients. She is double board-certified in Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry and Adult Psychiatry. She has been practicing for over 7 years. Before Talkiatry, Dr. Shiao worked as an Assistant Professor at the University of Washington and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. She also worked as an Assistant Professor and was Director of Emergency Psychiatry at the University of Chicago. She has presented nationally at the Academy of Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry and written a book chapter about psycho-oncology. Dr. Shiao attended medical school at John P. and Kathrine G. McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. She then completed an Adult Psychiatry residency at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, followed by a Consultation-Liaison fellowship at Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin. Dr. Shiao is interested in the mind-body connection in overall emotional and mental well-being. She likes to integrate therapy modalities, such as cognitive behavioral therapy, supportive therapy, mindfulness and meditation with medication management to optimize a patient's mental health.

Dr. Meena Shah is a board-eligible psychiatrist and has been practicing for over 16 years. She specializes in child and adolescent psychiatry. Dr. Shah's practice focuses on medication management in conjunction with supportive and emotionally focused therapy in 30-minute follow up visits. Dr. Shah believes in the importance of building a therapeutic relationship with her patients and families to help achieve their emotional goals. Dr. Shah completed her residency training through Richmond University Medical Center with NY Medical College and completed her fellowship at Brookdale University Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY. Dr. Shah has extensive experience with the child and adolescent population and worked with foster care programs as well as juvenile residential facility programs .Dr. Shah served as Children's Associate Medical Director at Directions for Living Mental Health Clinic and went on to become Medical Director at Sequel Care of Florida. In addition, Dr. Shah also received her Master's degree in Hyperbaric Medicine. She completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Florida with a major in psychology. Dr. Shah's primary clinical focus has been treating children, and young adults with ADHD, mood disorders, anxiety, and helping them establish coping skills to overcome any life obstacle.