Karelis Sierra-Cintron, MD

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.

‍

Dr. Madiha Halim, MD, has experience practicing psychiatry in both Pakistan and the United States, giving her a well-rounded understanding of mental health across diverse cultures. She earned her medical degree from Army Medical College in Pakistan and completed her psychiatry residency at the University of North Dakota School of Medicine and Health Sciences, where she also served as Chief Resident Physician. In this role, she gained extensive academic and administrative experience while mentoring junior residents and contributing to program development.

Dr. Halim values open communication and strives to create a therapeutic environment rooted in empathy, warmth, and respect. She collaborates with patients to develop individualized treatment plans that integrate cultural, biological, psychological, and social factors. While her primary focus is on medication management, she often incorporates supportive therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and motivational interviewing for a holistic and patient-centered approach.

Dr. Halim begins by taking time to understand each patient’s background, concerns, and goals during the initial session. She emphasizes collaboration, ensuring patients are informed and involved in their treatment decisions. Her process fosters empowerment and partnership, helping patients gain insight, build coping strategies, and achieve long-term mental wellness.

Dr. Adeola Mustapha is a board-certified psychiatrist with experience across outpatient, inpatient, and community mental health settings. She completed her psychiatry residency at Indiana University School of Medicine – Vincennes in July 2024 after earning her medical degree from Ross University School of Medicine. Recognized for her exceptional psychotherapy skills, Dr. Mustapha received therapy awards in both her PGY3 and PGY4 years. Her background reflects a commitment to blending strong clinical training with compassionate, patient-focused care.

Dr. Mustapha creates a warm, collaborative, and supportive environment where patients feel respected and understood. She believes in the power of psychotherapy combined with evidence-based psychiatric care, always striving to integrate both in treatment. Open communication and clear, realistic goal setting are central to her approach. She is committed to a holistic perspective that considers emotional, physical, cultural, and social well-being. With an emphasis on empowerment, Dr. Mustapha encourages patients to take an active role in their healing journey.

Dr. Mustapha begins with a comprehensive evaluation to learn each patient’s history, concerns, and goals. She develops individualized treatment plans that may integrate therapy modalities such as CBT, DBT, TF-CBT, psychoanalysis, and FETI, along with medication management when appropriate. Using a goal-oriented, step-by-step process, she tracks progress and adapts treatment as needs evolve. Through ongoing dialogue, she ensures patients feel supported, informed, and engaged throughout their care. Her aim is to foster long-term resilience and overall wellness, not just symptom relief.

Dr. Daniel Weiss is a double board-certified psychiatrist in adult and forensic psychiatry. His expertise is in diagnosing and treating psychiatric conditions, including depression and bipolar spectrum disorders, anxiety, stress and adjustment problems, maternal mental health, OCD, and other disorders. In addition, he has extensive experience working with individuals from diverse backgrounds, college and graduate students, creative professionals, and a range of working adults. Through a supportive psychopharmacologic approach, Dr. Weiss strives to provide a comfortable experience in which doctor and patient work to understand the presenting problems, reduce symptoms, and optimize functioning. In addition, Dr. Weiss encourages concurrent therapy and will communicate with that provider in a collaborative care arrangement. Dr. Weiss previously served as an attending psychiatrist on the staff of Montefiore Medical Center and was formerly a faculty member at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Before joining Talkiatry, Dr. Weiss spent a decade working at The New School as the university's staff psychiatrist.

Megan O’Brien is a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) with experience in inpatient, outpatient, and emergency mental health settings. She earned her NP degree from UCSF, the top-ranked program in the country at the time. In addition to clinical work, she enjoys teaching and is passionate about training the next generation of compassionate psychiatric nurse practitioners.

Megan believes in meeting patients where they are, offering empathy, respect, and acceptance. She values open communication and sees treatment as a collaborative process. Her approach empowers patients to take the lead in their care while she supports them as a partner and guide along the way.

Megan begins by listening carefully to each patient’s story and asking relevant questions to understand their needs. Together, she and the patient build a tailored treatment plan that aligns with their goals. Her focus is on reducing mental health symptoms and helping people experience greater freedom and flexibility in their lives.

Angie Catlin DNP has been working in mental health for over a decade. She has experience working inpatient, outpatient, and intensive outpatient clinics. She has also worked as a provider in residential care centers and long-term care. She began as a BSN nurse, after graduating from Pittstate University in Kansas, in the critical care field before finding psychiatry at an inpatient child and adolescent hospital. Working with young patients in crisis led her to want to continue her education to become a psychiatric provider to address lack of access to care for those with mental health needs. Angie continued to help ensure those in need have access to care, and assisting her patients obtain the best outcomes became her passion.

She then enrolled in a dual master’s program to obtain her Master’s in Nursing and Master’s in Business for health care administration as she wanted to gather as much knowledge as she could on the barriers to care and to address those barriers. After finishing her dual Master’s with a MSN and MBA/HA from University of Phoenix, she enrolled in the Doctor of Nursing Practice program at University of Missouri in Columbia to become a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner. While in her Doctorate program she completed residencies in rural outpatient clinics, urban outpatient clinics, and nursing homes to understand the barriers for patients of all age groups in each level of care. Since graduating from Mizzou, Angie maintained her zealousness in making care available to all; working with diverse populations in every setting. She enjoys reading up on the latest research pertinent to her clients, including new medications and treatments on the horizon. Angie is an avid football fan and enjoys cooking, reading, live music, and spending quality time with her family including her Saint Bernard and two English bull dogs during her downtime.

Angie Catlin DNP has worked with patients suffering from anxiety, depression, OCD, PTSD, ADHD personality disorders, learning disabilities, insomnia, Autism, bipolar disorder, Alzheimer’s and dementia, Parkinson’s, Psychosis, Depression, Schizoaffective disorder, and schizophrenia. Angie has always been an advocate for those with mental health issues and is willing to do what is needed to help patient’s feel supported, educating her patients on current treatments and treatment options, and best practices. Moreover, Angie advocates for LGBT issues and understands the issues facing those who are LGBT in society.

She is compassionate about the care she provides as she wants patients to achieve their best life. She will always spend time with patients discussing medications to ensure decisions are a team decision between patient and provider. She has always included counseling and education as part of her practice to ensure her patient receive best evidenced based outcomes She believes that psychiatric care decisions should be made with the patient, not for the patient, so patients feel heard respected and understood.

Angie Catlin DNP begins her sessions with new patients by gathering a thorough history including family history, medical history, surgical history, medication and psychiatric history. This ensures that the whole patient is treated and their entire histories are considered in influencing how the patient came to her and what their issues may be. Angie is careful to listen to each patient and assess what is important to them along with goals they may have for their treatment. Angie collaborates with her patients in a team approach to develop treatment plans that the patient feels comfortable with in achieving their goals.  

She values open communication and individualized treatment plans that focus on each patient’s needs and the barriers they face helping to address those barriers so patients can achieve to live their best lives. Angie wants the best for all patients she treats and accepts her patients as they are and supports what they believe is vital to their needs. Angie is a firm believer that the patient knows what works for them and is always patient centered in her approach.