Katrina Myers, LPC

Joel Witherspoon is a licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor with over 20 years of clinical experience working in various mental health settings, working directly with clients from diverse backgrounds living with a broad range of mental health conditions. Joel earned his Undergraduate degree at California State University Long Beach, Graduate School at East Carolina University, Greenville, NC, and completed his internship in Raleigh, NC. Joel has been practicing for 19 years as a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor, focusing on mood disorders, trauma, situational adjustment disorders, and any life challenge that interferes with a client's happiness. Working with Joel, treatment is specific to the individual with the focus on modalities that are specific to each person's challenges. Joel uses an eclectic approach with a foundation in person-centered therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, interpersonal therapy, and trauma therapy combined with somatic interventions such as mindfulness.

Dr. Sallie Jo Hadley holds the position of Staff Psychiatrist at Talkiatry. She is board-certified in psychiatry and pediatrics and is board-eligible in child and adolescent psychiatry. She has been practicing for 22 years. Dr. Hadley's practice is focused on medication management with supportive therapy in follow-up sessions of 15 or 30 minutes. Dr. Hadley is experienced with collaborative treatment and encourages adding a therapist to your care team in those situations where additional therapy might be helpful. Dr. Hadley is a graduate of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine's triple-board program (psychiatry, pediatrics, and child and adolescent psychiatry). She completed post-doctoral research fellowships at Mount Sinai's Seaver Center for Autism Research/Compulsive-Impulsive Anxiety Disorders and at Columbia University's New York State Psychiatric Institute, the latter focusing on metabolic and weight issues in children and adolescents with psychiatric disorders. Dr. Hadley had an early background as a nurse, receiving her B.S. in Nursing from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. Her experience in neonatal, psychiatric, and hospice nursing led her to pursue her degree in medicine. Dr. Hadley has worked in pharmacologic research in both academic and industry settings. Prior to joining Talkiatry, she practiced in a multi-specialty clinic for individuals and families dealing with autism or intellectual disabilities and complex medical co-morbidities. Dr. Hadley enjoys working with motivated individuals of all ages who are seeking to better their life or better cope with life circumstances. She has particular expertise in working with individuals and their families suffering from anxiety, depression, and obsessive-compulsive disorders.

Dr. Nieves-Alvarado is a board-certified psychiatrist who completed medical training at Duke University Psychiatry Program. Originally from Puerto Rico, she is fluent in both English and Spanish, which allows her to connect deeply with a diverse patient population. Her practice combines medication management with insight-oriented therapy during every visit, promoting a comprehensive approach to mental health care. She advocates for her patients to engage in therapy alongside medication management, as she believes this integrated approach leads to better outcomes and sustained improvement. Dr. Nieves-Alvarado's practice is rooted in a collaborative, team-based approach, working closely with her patients to achieve long-term mental wellness. Dr. Nieves-Alvarado earned her medical degree from the Universidad Central del Caribe School of Medicine in Bayamon, PR. Afterward, she moved to North Carolina, where she completed her residency at Duke University Hospital. During her training, she was nominated for a fellowship in psychodynamic practice by the Psychoanalytic Center of the Carolinas, showcasing her expertise in this area. She is also a dedicated advocate against childhood sexual trauma. Her diverse training includes significant experience in jail and forensic psychiatry, as well as the treatment of military veterans under the Veterans Affairs health care system. She has experience in medically assisted treatments (MAT) for substance use disorders, Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), and family therapy, enabling her to care for patients with complex needs. Dr. Nieves-Alvarado treats patients across a wide age range, from young adults to the elderly. Passionate about improving access to mental health care, she joined Talkiatry to help patients facing time or transportation challenges receive the care they need. In addition to her clinical practice, Dr. Nieves-Alvarado remains involved with her alma mater's Behavioral Health Department, contributing to academic education and maintaining a connection with the next generation of medical professionals. She continues to seek ongoing improvement in her field, remaining engaged with medical associations including North Carolina Psychiatric Association, American Psychiatric Association, and Alpha Omega Alpha national medical honor society. Dr. Nieves-Alvarado is committed to working hand-in-hand with her patients to achieve mental wellness.

Dr. Michele Wiener is a psychiatrist with over 35 years of experience treating patients with mental health issues. Dr. Wiener's practice has historically focused on treating patients with varying mood disorders, anxiety disorders, psychotic disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder, often complicated by substance use disorders. Dr. Wiener enjoys working with patients of all ages. She is skilled in both psychotherapy and medication management. While the emphasis will generally be on medication management, Dr Wiener will utilize insight-oriented, cognitive behavioral, and supportive psychotherapy skills to help her patients reach their treatment goals. She completed her internship at Bronx Lebanon Hospital, her residency at Montefiore Medical Center and a two-year fellowship in biological psychiatry, psychopharmacology and geriatric psychiatry at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She served for over 20 years as Chief of Psychiatric Services for Behavioral Health Services at St John's Riverside Hospital Park Care Pavilion formerly Yonkers General Hospital. Here she was also able to enjoy teaching medical students from The Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in their psychiatric rotation. She has been Assistant Medical Director for Arms Acres, in Carmel, NY for over five years.

Dr. Viga Naik takes a holistic approach when practicing, understanding the importance of an integrative treatment care model. She believes optimal patient care goes beyond psychopharmacology and requires incorporation of psychotherapy and psychosocial intervention. She is a strong advocate for her patients, dedicated to being an educator of mental illness to break self, societal, and systemic stigmas. She believes that a strong therapeutic alliance between clinician and patient is essential. She works on creating a safe and empathetic environment while providing psychoeducation to patients, empowering them to play an active role in their treatment. Dr. Naik is an adult psychiatrist with specializations in Addiction Psychiatry and Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry, also known as psychosomatic medicine. She completed her residency training at New York Medical College and fellowship training at the Mount Sinai Health Systems located at Bronx Care and Beth Israel Hospital. She has worked in both inpatient and many outpatient specialty clinics such as psych/oncology, transplant, collaborative-care, medication assistance treatment, music and medicine, and gender affirmation surgery treating patients with comorbid mental illness and substance use disorders as well as comorbid mental illness and general medical conditions. Her practice focuses on medication management in combination with supportive therapy and providing psychoeducation to patients. She treats depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, general anxiety disorder, substance use disorders and other associated psychiatric disorders.

Dr. Benjamin Joe Chambers is a board-certified psychiatrist specializing in the treatment of adults. He has been practicing for 7 years. His practice focuses on medication management and brief psychotherapy for patients struggling with a wide array of psychological problems. For patients who need more intensive psychotherapy, Dr. Chambers works closely with a team of therapists who can step in and provide additional interventions. Dr. Chambers attended medical school at Texas A&M College of Medicine and completed his residency training at the University of Colorado in Denver. Having completed training, he returned to Austin, TX, and was an inpatient psychiatrist and Assistant Professor for Dell Medical School. He was extensively involved in resident physician education and helped run the medical school's primary inpatient mental-health training site throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. He was known amongst residents for his strong focus on utilizing psychotherapy to better understand and treat patients regardless of the treatment setting. Dr. Chambers treats adult patients, with a special focus on mood disorders, anxiety, trauma, and interpersonal conflict.‍