Julie Rodriguez, MD

Dr. Danielle Gelfond is an Adult Psychiatrist and a graduate from Loyola University Medical Center's residency program in Chicago, IL. Prior to attending residency, Dr. Gelfond graduated from Rush Medical College at Rush University. Throughout residency, Dr. Gelfond spent time focusing on her clinical interests which include mood disorders, anxiety disorders, substance use disorders, and women's mental health. During her training, Dr. Gelfond spent several years working with the Perinatal population and completed a year-long program focusing on Women's Mental Health through the National Curriculum in Reproductive Psychiatry organization. She held the role of Chief Resident of her program during the last two years of her training and received several awards commending her leadership style and rapport with patients through her program. Dr. Gelfond takes on a holistic and "patient-centered" approach in her treatment style. She incorporates both medication management, supportive psychotherapy, and discussions surrounding lifestyle and wellness into her appointments and emphasizes patient education and autonomy, which she believes helps support the therapeutic relationship, improve clinical outcomes, and helps treatment align with the patient's goals of care.

Dr. Varma grew up in an immigrant family surrounded by aspiring doctors, and her passion for understanding the human mind and behavior blossomed early. This curiosity led her to pursue extensive medical training abroad, beginning at Kasturba Medical College in Southern India, followed by clerkships at the University of the West Indies in Trinidad and Tobago. She completed her Adult psychiatry residency at the University of Florida in Gainesville and specialized further with a child/adolescent fellowship at Brookdale University Hospital in Brooklyn, NY.

Dr. Varma believes in a holistic, integrative approach to mental health. Her philosophy centers on identifying the root causes of ailments rather than merely addressing symptoms. She views mental health care as a partnership, where the mind, body, and spirit work together to achieve wellness. Dr. Varma is committed to fostering a safe, confidential therapeutic alliance to help you explore your potential for healing.

Dr. Varma embraces integrative psychiatry, which combines the best of conventional Western medicine with complementary approaches. This involves a comprehensive biopsychosocial assessment tailored to each individual, incorporating psychopharmacology alongside lifestyle adjustments in diet, movement, and breathwork. She collaborates with therapists and other professionals to create a well-rounded treatment plan that honors your unique journey.

Dr. Clara Kim is a board-certified psychiatrist trained in Adult Psychiatry. She received her medical degree from Yale University and completed her residency training at Cambridge Health Alliance - Harvard Medical School, where she served as Chief Resident of Quality Improvement. Dr. Kim treats each patient with a holistic, evidence-based approach that incorporates psychopharmacological and psychotherapeutic best practices. Her priority is to build a safe and trusting working relationship with each patient, keeping in mind their unique biological, psychological, social, and spiritual contexts. Dr. Kim has extensive experience treating depression, anxiety, trauma-related disorders, personality disorders, OCD, and perinatal conditions such as postpartum depression. Other professional interests include forensic psychiatry, combined psychopharmacological and psychotherapy treatment, and ECT, in which she was certified by the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. She has worked with individuals from diverse backgrounds and all socioeconomic strata.

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.

Amanda Rivera, PMHNP, is a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner through the lifespan, certified by the ANCC in 2020. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a biology minor from Clarkson University, followed by a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Master of Science in Nursing from St. John Fisher College. Amanda has over 15 years of experience in mental health, beginning in 2010 as a Therapy Aide at Rochester Psychiatric Center. She has practiced across inpatient hospitals, state psychiatric facilities, outpatient community clinics, correctional settings, group homes, and telehealth/private practice. She works with patients ages 16 and older and is highly experienced in trauma, mood and anxiety disorders, ADHD, autism, psychotic and personality disorders, substance use, and parenting challenges. She values working with families to strengthen the family unit.

Amanda values open communication and collaborates with patients to establish clear, meaningful treatment goals. She provides a warm, supportive environment where patients feel heard, respected, and empowered to take ownership of their mental wellness. Treatment is individualized, with medication decisions guided by a careful balance of safety and symptom relief. Appointments are conversational in nature, allowing care to be more personalized as patients share openly.

Amanda begins each visit by ensuring privacy and safety, then explores the concerns prompting care before gathering a biopsychosocial history through collaborative discussion. She provides education throughout sessions to help patients understand diagnoses and lived experiences. Medication options are discussed based on comfort level and clinical need. Follow-ups are scheduled at the end of each visit, with frequency adjusted as stability is achieved.

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Gabrielle Delarose is a dually boarded Psychiatric Mental Health and Family nurse practitioner with over ten years of clinical experience. Gabrielle is dedicated to providing culturally competent and evidence-based medication management and psychotherapy to assist individuals in achieving their goals to live their best life. I believe in holistic treatment of individuals, and focus on the individual’s overall well-being, including how they are functioning socially and professionally. In addition to medication and psychotherapy, she is a proponent of incorporating research-supported alternative modalities, including dietary changes, exercise, social interaction, and yoga. She also advocates of forest bathing (“shinrin-yoku”), a practice of spending time in nature that yields both medical and mental health benefits as discovered in research trials from around the world. As a professionally trained cellist, she also frequently incorporates art and music into appointments and treatment plans with patients. Her goal for all her patients is to improve all facets of a person’s life with treatment. Gabrielle is an LGBTQ+ affirming provider and has extensive experience working with diverse populations.

New patients should know that the initial appointment will consist of obtaining their social history in addition to their medical history. This is an important part of establishing a therapeutic relationship in addition to obtaining health information to use in formulating treatment plans. A person’s identity and life experiences are a significant influence on a person’s health and well-being, and Gabrielle believes in discussing these experiences in order to best understand a patient’s background and incorporate that into their care. Patients are encouraged to write down any questions they may have prior to the appointment, as well as any significant points they want to discuss. This is encouraged because, as patients, we may forget to address these points without a prompt from the provider. Gabrielle also encourages patients to actively participate in their care and firmly believes in a patient’s right to autonomy and agency. This patient-centered approach empowers patients to help guide treatment plans that best fit the patient’s needs and abilities at any given time. Patients are also encouraged to discuss any concerns about medications or treatment, particularly if there are concerns about side effects.

Gabrielle works collaboratively with patients to determine appropriate and preferred treatment plans, including medication and therapy. She uses cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) as the primary therapy modality, in conjunction with existential therapy, depending on the patient’s needs and preferences. She prefers to allow patients flexibility in their treatment, so the process may look less structured depending on the immediate needs of the patient. Other times, particularly while working through a specific problem in therapy, appointment agendas may be planned out for several weeks. If at any time, however, a need arises to deviate from preplanned appointment agenda, patients are encouraged to discuss this at the beginning of the appointment. Above all, patients’ needs will guide the agenda.