Joy James, MD

Michelle Scott is a dual board certified Psychiatric, Family, and Emergency Nurse Practitioner with 16 years experience. Michelle Scott has extensive experience working in Psychiatry across the lifespan, Emergency Medicine, and Internal Medicine. Psychiatric experience specifically includes a focus on adult outpatient and inpatient psychiatry. Michelle Scott has additionally provided care as an acute care hospitalist and as an Assistant Medical Director, in multiple acute care psychiatric facilities. Michelle has additional experience in addiction treatment, CBT, motivational, and problem focused therapy. She provides holistic care, addressing the needs of mood disorders, anxiety disorders, autism, genetic disabilities, and adult mood, anxiety, and adult addiction issues. With 16 years of experience treating all ages in the areas of acute and chronic medical conditions and psychiatry, I have seen the difference the right provider can make in the lives of patients. Her goal is positive and sustainable outcomes, with an emphasis on combined treatment modalities, treating the whole person, and concurrent issues.

Jessica Fairchilds is a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) with over 8 years of experience in many psychiatric settings and populations. She earned her Master of Science in Nursing from the University of Mississippi Medical Center and is passionate about providing high quality, comprehensive mental health services. Jessica prides herself in her patient-centered approach by fostering strong provider-patient relationships to achieve optimal treatment outcomes. In her free time, Jessica enjoys spending time with her husband and young daughters, traveling the globe, or getting lost in a historical fiction novel.

Jessica is highly focused on building a strong therapeutic relationship with her clients while making them feel heard and validated. She strives to provide the highest level of care while exploring different treatment options to find what works best for each individual.

Jessica will focus on learning about the client as an individual and learning the concerns of the client while working to develop an individualized treatment plan. She uses her extensive knowledge of medications and therapy techniques to guide treatment options for the best outcomes.

Gisela Ayub, DNP, PMHNP-BC is a Nationally Certified Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner who received her first master's in nursing from Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU) and her second Masters of Nursing with emphasis in Psychiatry from Gonzaga University. Gisela also completed her Doctorate in Nursing Practice Degree from PLNU. Gisela’s passion for helping those most in need started when she was just a young girl with a dream of becoming a physician someday. Life did not work the way it was planned for Gisela and she decided to become a nurse. Gisela worked as a registered nurse for over 13 years in different areas of nursing before focusing solely in the area of psychiatry. She has experience working in the areas of medical surgical, medical rehab, cardiac, oncology, labor and delivery and kidney dialysis. But her inspiration to help psychiatric patients was born from seeing the unmet needs of those patients, and the desire to be able to provide more compassionate care. Gisela's desire to become a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner grew stronger with time, with the only idea in her mind to provide better care for those patients.

During the 1990’s, Gisela served her country proudly and spent 4yrs in the Navy. While attending her first master's in nursing at PLNU, she volunteered at the PLNU city clinic for the uninsured and under-privileged, providing mental health assessments and therapy. After graduating PLNU, Gisela continued providing free therapy to patients at the clinic. In addition, due to her strong background in nursing, Gisela has been able to identify other medical issues that correlate to patients' mental health, and through the use of an extensive questionnaire and ongoing assessment of presenting problems, she has been able to refer patients for additional care. Gisela has also worked as a preceptor, helping other new nurse practitioners understand how to provide the best care possible and communicate with patients.

Gisela believes that it is very important to help the patient feel they are in a safe space, establish a therapeutic environment that builds trust and openness, she listens fully, and uses a comprehensive questionnaire to obtain as much information as possible from the patient, in order to make an accurate diagnosis and select the correct treatment plan. Gisela always works with the collaboration of the patient, as this is the most important part of the treatment plan. Educating patients is also one of her strong suits. Gisela wants to make sure all of her patients are aware of the type of medications they are taking, explore options if needed, and the pros and cons of medications.

Dr. Matthew Hamilton is a psychiatrist who works with adults at all stages of life in improving mental health. He emphasizes a holistic approach in collaboration with patients to help them identify and achieve their goals. He has experience helping adults from a diversity of backgrounds with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, PTSD, panic, OCD, ADHD, substance use and autism spectrum disorder. He offers one-hour initial consultation appointments, as well as 20 to 30 minutes for follow-up visits. Dr. Hamilton received his undergraduate education at the University of Texas at Austin, his medical degree at Texas Tech University Health and Sciences Center, and completed his residency training at the University of Texas Medical Branch. During training he worked primarily with adults in local clinics and acute care hospitals in the greater Houston area. He was honored with an award for his accomplishments in psychotherapy during his senior year of residency. Dr. Hamilton offers his expertise in both medication management and psychotherapy in his practice, including cognitive, behavioral, motivational, and supportive therapies. He will collaborate with your therapist when you are working with one and may offer a referral to a specialist therapist if indicated.

Dr. Kahlon is an experienced Psychiatrist who spent the last 24 years of his career working in Veterans Affairs, where he was able to treat a wide variety of patients. Dr. Kahlon provides medication management along with supportive therapy. In some cases Dr. Kahlon may refer you to a counselor or therapist for further care and collaboration. He has experience treating a wide range of conditions, including major depressive disorder, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and PTSD. Dr. Kahlon utilizes a well-rounded approach to treat the whole person, through medication, active listening, and recommending talk-centered counseling programs. Dr. Kahlon was trained in the VA system associated with Chicago Medical School (Finch University), which is located in North Chicago, Illinois. At the conclusion of his training, he was hired at the VA in Danville, Illinois until 2021. He also had a part-time private practice, which enhanced his experience in adult psychiatry. Dr. Kahlon graduated from a prestigious medical school that has consistently held a high position (4th) among the top 100 medical schools in the world.‍

Dr. Arif Patel is a board-certified adult psychiatrist. He obtained his medical degree from Rowan University School of Osteopathic Medicine and completed his residency training at Authority Health, an affiliate of Michigan State University. In addition, he has completed a Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy Fellowship from the Michigan Psychoanalytic Institute. He has 4 years of clinical experience. Dr. Patel's practice focuses primarily on medication management. Follow-up appointments typically last 30 minutes and incorporate elements of supportive psychotherapy, CBT, and motivational interviewing. Dr. Patel utilizes a collaborative approach to treatment, ensuring that treatment plans align with patients' goals and values. Dr. Patel has extensive clinical experience in various psychiatric settings including inpatient, outpatient, and emergency settings. He has treated patients of various ages and of diverse cultural and spiritual backgrounds. He has extensive training in the community mental health system, where he has treated patients with severe mental illness and substance use disorders. Dr. Patel practices general adult psychiatry. His practice focuses on medication management in conjunction with supportive psychotherapy. Dr. Patel has experience in treating a wide array of psychiatric disorders including mood disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma, and ADHD.