Karelis Sierra-Cintron, MD

Dr. Fatemeh Safian is a board-certified psychiatrist with experience in outpatient, inpatient, and telepsychiatry settings. She completed her residency at Larkin Community Hospital, caring for a diverse range of patients. Dr. Safian diagnoses and treats a wide variety of conditions, including depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, trauma-related disorders, phobias, personality disorders, ADHD, bipolar disorder, postpartum depression, and concerns across all age groups. She is dedicated to creating a safe, supportive space where people feel truly heard—believing good psychiatry starts with listening.

Dr. Safian fosters a warm, respectful, and judgment-free environment where patients can share openly. She takes time to understand each person’s symptoms, story, values, and goals. Medication is just one option; she also considers therapy, lifestyle changes, and other supports. Collaboration and trust are central to her approach, with patients guiding the care decisions.

During the first appointment, Dr. Safian conducts an in-depth, unhurried conversation to explore the patient’s history and goals. Together, they develop a personalized treatment plan that may include medication, therapy referrals, and practical strategies. Ongoing follow-ups provide space to track progress, make adjustments, and ensure the patient feels comfortable and empowered.

Dr. Austin Lin is a double board-certified adult and addiction psychiatrist who has been in practice for over 9 years. At the center of Dr. Lin's clinical approach is a strong emphasis on establishing trust and using a collaborative approach to help patients develop an individualized and cohesive plan so that they are able to achieve their goals. Dr. Lin's practice focuses on medication management. Typically, he offers this in conjunction with supportive therapy, motivational interviewing, and/or cognitive behavioral therapy in 30-minute follow-up visits. Occasionally, Dr. Lin may recommend that additional therapy is needed and ask that you bring a therapist into your care team in order to provide the best outcome. Dr. Lin received his medical degree from St. George's University School of Medicine. He went on to complete his residency in psychiatry at Harvard South Shore, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School, where he served as Chief Resident and earned his 360° Professionalism award. He then had additional training in Addiction Psychiatry through his fellowship at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. After completing training, Dr. Lin has worked as an Addiction Psychiatrist and Director of Adult Services in the Trauma and Resilience Center (TRC) at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth). He specialized in treating patients with a history of depression, anxiety, trauma, and substance use disorders. Dr. Lin has held an academic appointment at UTHealth, and he has spent his professional career supervising and teaching medical students and psychiatry residents.

Dr. Richard Rise has created a successful career as a psychiatrist over the past 30 years. He has participated in a variety of treatment settings and has developed a wealth of experience at both prescribing medications, providing therapy, counseling, and even coaching. He takes an individual approach to treating others, recognizing individuals as unique and worthy of love, respect, and acceptance. He is compassionate, non-judgmental, and truly enjoys helping others. He tends to gravitate towards a combination of medication management (if indicated) and psychotherapy where he treats all facets of the individual. Dr. Rise believes that we are all unique and should be treated as such. He spent most of his career in private practice until deciding to retire in 2014. After this he spent the next 3 1/2 years, reading, studying, traveling, and spending time with his loved ones. In 2018 he was offered a position as a consultant overseeing Ketamine infusion therapy for treating treatment-resistant depression. When the pandemic hit in March of 2020, Dr. Rise was asked to assist a local psychiatric hospital deal with the unique and often deadly consequences of the virus. This proved to be a wonderful opportunity for personal growth and to improve the quality of life of many others. After working at the hospital for the 2 years, Dr. Rise joined Talkiatry to continue providing high-quality psychiatric care to others in a very loving, supportive, creative, and collaborative environment.

Alanna Montalvan is a Board-Certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) with over 15 years of nursing experience, including 10+ years as a PMHNP. She has supported individuals with anxiety, depression, ADHD, trauma-related disorders, bipolar disorder, and chronic mental health needs across outpatient, inpatient, and psychiatric emergency settings. Alanna holds a Master of Science in Nursing from Hunter College with a PMHNP concentration and is expanding her clinical expertise through Family Nurse Practitioner training. She values patient-centered care and multidisciplinary collaboration.

Alanna prioritizes creating a warm, non-judgmental space where patients feel heard, respected, and supported. She takes a collaborative approach, partnering with patients to identify goals, explore treatment options, and build long-term wellness strategies. Open communication, transparency, and a holistic perspective that integrates emotional and physical health guide her practice. Patients can expect thoughtful, evidence-based care that considers life stressors, identity, family dynamics, and wellness behaviors.

Alanna begins with a comprehensive assessment to understand each patient’s history, concerns, strengths, and goals. She develops individualized treatment plans, including medication management, psychotherapy-informed strategies, lifestyle recommendations, and coordination with other providers as needed. Treatment goals are regularly revisited to ensure care evolves with the patient. She emphasizes empowerment and education, helping patients feel confident and informed throughout their mental health journey.

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. Adela Stroescu is a board-certified psychiatrist with seven years of clinical experience treating adults in both outpatient and inpatient settings. She specializes in mood disorders, psychosis, anxiety, PTSD, and ADHD. Dr. Stroescu earned her medical degree from St. George’s University School of Medicine and completed her psychiatry residency at the University of Maryland/Sheppard Pratt. She speaks English and conversational Romanian.

Dr. Stroescu fosters a respectful, non-judgmental space where communication is clear, and care is recovery oriented. She prioritizes building a therapeutic relationship grounded in empathy and trust to support each patient’s unique path to wellness.

Dr. Stroescu begins with a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation to create a personalized treatment plan aligned with the patient’s goals. She uses evidence-based medication management and offers supportive psychotherapy and psychoeducation to empower patients throughout their treatment journey.

‍