Kimberly Williams, LPC

Dr. Mark Varela is a board-certified psychiatrist joining Talkiatry directly out of residency. He focuses primarily on medication management, often accompanied by brief cognitive, motivational, or supportive therapy. He may request that you also meet with a therapist regularly for your benefit. Dr. Varela received his medical degree and general psychiatric residency training both from Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center in West Texas. He treats young adults and adults with a wide variety of mental health concerns, including ADHD, mood disorders, anxiety, OCD, and PTSD.

Christine is a Licensed Professional Counselor specializing in substance use, disordered eating, and empowerment. She is dedicated to helping clients achieve life-changing goals and personal growth through compassionate and evidence-based mental health counseling. Christine’s therapeutic approach centers on empowering individuals to manage distress, enhance self-esteem, and develop a deeper connection with themselves and their bodies in a safe, collaborative environment.

She is particularly passionate about guiding clients to break free from self-destructive cycles and wounded coping responses. Christine believes that at the root of these challenges often lie experiences of complex trauma, along with deeply ingrained feelings of shame and self-hatred. Her holistic approach is designed to foster healing, build resilience, and support sustainable emotional well-being.

With a foundation in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), Christine uses a variety of evidence-based interventions tailored to each client’s unique needs, helping them build problem-solving skills and mental clarity. Her advanced training in shame-informed therapy, somatic psychotherapy, and mindfulness allows her to support mind-body integration and promote healing on multiple levels.

A key goal in Christine’s shame-informed work is to help clients reframe painful beliefs and behaviors they feel ashamed of, encouraging a more compassionate and understanding perspective. She also incorporates elements of narrative therapy and Internal Family Systems (IFS) to support clients in exploring and integrating all parts of themselves. Through this multidimensional approach, Christine helps clients create meaningful, lasting changes for both their mental and physical well-being.

As a professional mental health counselor, I believe in the importance of building a strong therapeutic alliance with clients. To achieve this, I strive to show empathy by understanding not just what clients say, but the deeper meaning behind their words. I aim to be genuine and congruent in my actions and words, and to offer unconditional positive regard. I value respect, immediacy, and cultural awareness, while maintaining strong ethics and self-awareness. I work to foster trust, warmth, and objectivity, and I continually develop my competence to better support those I serve.

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Derek Miller is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, who has extensive experience working in the fields of substance abuse and mental health. Derek has worked with clients with a large variety of concerns and backgrounds, with more experience with male and minority populations. Derek attended undergraduate school in Alfred, NY, graduate school in Rochester, NY, including a school-based visit to Estonia to learn about social work systems abroad. Derek's greatest passion is helping people make lasting change in their lives. His approach draws both on professional and personal experiences with addiction, trauma, first responders, relationships and more. By creating a space and relationship where you feel safe, valued, and respected, Derek works together with you to overcome the challenges of today and build resiliency for the challenges yet to come. Therapy can be a truly transformative experience, when it is built on human connection and dedication to change. Derek takes an active approach, which includes asking tough questions while staying respectful, as well as humor and friendly conversations when appropriate. Therapy begins with building trust and a good relationship. Derek utilizes experiences from various practice models, including Cognitive Processing Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy and Motivational Interviewing.

Dr. Cheng is a board-certified psychiatrist who provides medication management alongside supportive therapy. She takes an individualized, patient-centered approach, creating comprehensive treatment plans tailored to each person's needs. With an approachable and caring demeanor, she helps patients address both immediate concerns and underlying stressors. Dr. Cheng believes in evidence-based practices while maintaining sensitivity to each patient's unique mental health journey.

Dr. Wellin is a double board certified psychiatrist specializing in child and adolescent psychiatry and adult psychiatry. She has been in private practice and worked in community clinics for over 44 years. Dr. Wellin's practice focuses on medication management in conjunction with supportive psychotherapy in 30-minute follow-up visits. She encourages a team approach involving psychotherapists, medical doctors, and parents and family when appropriate, to provide holistic care for optimal outcomes. Dr. Wellin received her medical degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, in Bronx, NY. She did her residency in adult psychiatry at the Jacobi Hospital Department of Psychiatry in Bronx, NY. Her fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry at Columbia University St Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital NYC followed. For the last 5 years, she has been an assistant clinical professor at the Adolescent Health Center at Mt Sinai Hospital NY. During this period she was also a consulting psychiatrist at the McShane Center for Psychological Services at Pace University. Dr. Wellin trained at the Psychoanalytic Institute at NYU. She was certified in hypnosis by NYSEPH in NYC and she has also received training in EMDR. Dr. Wellin worked at a NYC rehab for substance abusers and was the medical director of a private program for children of substance abusers and their families. Her primary current focus is on adolescents and college-aged patients.

Rebecca Jarrell is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Texas and a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor in California and New Mexico. She has been in the mental health field for over 24 years in a variety of clinical settings. Early in her career, she worked in an inpatient psychiatric hospital on the child and adolescent unit. Most recently, Rebecca has spent over a decade in the private practice setting working with adults and specializing in anxiety, depression, trauma, and grief and loss issues. While she provides a holistic, individualized treatment approach, she has a strong background in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. She is a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP) and a Certified Grief Educator. She feels strongly about treating each client as a unique individual and meeting them wherever they are on their mental health journey. Rebecca is committed to creating a supportive and nonjudgmental environment where clients feel seen, heard, and empowered to make meaningful changes in their lives. Clients looking for a therapist will find Rebecca to be compassionate and direct, encouraging clients to challenge and reframe distorted thoughts while reinforcing positive adaptive behaviors.