Mark Varela,MD

Dr. Hajr Ben Cheikh earned her medical degree from Eastern Virginia Medical School, where she worked with refugee populations and participated in global health initiatives in Haiti. She completed her psychiatry residency at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, serving as inpatient chief resident. Dr. Ben Cheikh has experience across diverse settings including inpatient units, PHPs, IOPs, collaborative care, academic and community clinics, and perinatal mental health.

Dr. Ben Cheikh values open communication, transparency, and collaboration, and she takes a friendly, supportive approach to patient care. She practices evidence-based medicine with a minimalist perspective on pharmacologic treatment, often preferring single agents that can address multiple concerns when clinically appropriate.

Dr. Ben Cheikh approaches care holistically, considering diagnoses, comorbidities, social background, and lifestyle. Initial sessions focus on diagnostic clarity, with treatment goals developed collaboratively. Follow-ups center on patient priorities, emphasizing shared goals and personalized strategies for meaningful progress.

Dr. Natalie Armijo is a board-certified adult psychiatrist with over twenty years of experience. She completed medical school, internship and residency at the University of New Mexico. She has worked for private HMOs and government facilities. Her private practice combines conventional treatment with nutrition and physical activity to support total health.

Dr. Armijo treats patients, ages 18 to 64, who have conditions related to anxiety, depression, trauma and ADHD with medication and supportive therapy. Her clinical interests include integrative medicine and nutritional psychiatry.

Your first visit with Dr. Armijo will range from thirty minutes to one hour and is designed to collect and clarify information about you. Topics will include your current symptoms, previous mental health treatment, medical conditions, substance use and family history. She will review treatment options, including their risks and benefits. At the end of the visit, she will let you know if her clinical experience and the limitations of an online platform are compatible with your needs. Your safety is her priority.

Follow-up visits range from twenty to thirty minutes and will initially focus on how you are responding to treatment. As your condition stabilizes, she will help you.

- Organize a long-term mental health

- Develop discipline to accomplish your goals

- Evaluate your progress

- Maintain motivation to reach your highest potential

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Dr. Erlach is a board certified adult psychiatrist who has previously worked for the United States Air Force and the Department of Veterans Affairs. He attended medical school at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences, graduating in 2009, followed by active duty military service in the United States Air Force until 2024. He completed residency training at the combined military-civilian Wright State University/Wright Patterson AFB training program in Dayton, Ohio.

Dr. Erlach enjoys working with all types of patients. He takes a collaborative approach to patient care and develops a treatment plan alongside the patient so that both are fully invested in the plan. He generally has weekend and evening appointments only.

Dr. Erlach incorporates therapy into medication management appointments. Dr. Erlach feels that addressing psychosocial stressors and developing coping mechanisms are a vital component to treatment.

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Dr. Lauren Broderick is a Harvard trained, board certified psychiatrist. She completed her medical degree at Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University. She then completed her adult psychiatry residency training at Massachusetts General Hospital and McLean Hospital, both teaching hospitals at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Broderick has held clinical appointments at Harvard Medical School and Duke University Medical School. At both institutions, she has been recognized for clinical excellence, receiving awards for outstanding patient care and clinical teaching. Dr. Broderick's practice uses a collaborative, evidence-based approach to understand and treat a person's psychiatric symptoms. Her sessions are usually 30 minutes. In addition to focusing on medication management, Dr. Broderick's practice also prioritizes a whole person approach, incorporating aspects of nutrition, lifestyle, mindfulness, and supportive or brief cognitive behavioral therapy into the treatment plan. Occasionally, Dr. Broderick may believe that additional therapy is also needed and ask that you see a separate therapist to provide the best outcome. She has clinical expertise in the treatment of anxiety disorders and mood disorders, specifically focusing on the clinical treatment of young adults going through early life transitions. Dr. Broderick strongly believes in providing high quality, equitable care and empowers her patients to be active players in their treatment plans to facilitate the best care possible.

Dr. Bardugon is a board-eligible psychiatrist who specializes in the treatment of adults. He has experience in treating patients with various forms of depression and anxiety, bipolar disorder, OCD, ADHD, PTSD, and substance use disorders. He seeks to provide a safe, non-judgmental, gender affirming space for patients as they strive to lead a happier, more contented life. After a pediatrics residency, Dr Bardugon worked for 13 years as a pediatric ER physician. His interest in psychiatry was piqued during this time as he witnessed the emergence of a child and adolescent mental health crisis. While ultimately deciding to focus his efforts on the treatment of adults, Dr Bardugon is keenly aware of the influence of child development and family systems on the behavioral health of adults. Dr Bardugon employs a holistic, multimodal treatment approach. Aiming to treat the whole person, he stresses the importance of nutrition, exercise, and sleep. Dr Bardugon believes an informed patient actively engaged in decision making surrounding treatment has the best chance of effecting lasting change. Believing in the synergistic effect of talk therapy and medication, he incorporates one or more talk therapy techniques including motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioral therapy, and supportive and psychodynamic psychotherapies into most sessions. He often recommends formal participation in some form of talk therapy and is happy to collaborate with other providers.

Dr. Anne Rohs is board certified in both adult and geriatric psychiatry and has practiced psychiatry for over 10 years. She has extensive experience treating critically ill patients in hospital settings. This experience allowed her to hone skills necessary to care for individuals with complex psychiatric illnesses complicated by medical conditions. Dr. Rohs' approach to care involves providing a consistent, empathic, non-judgmental space to develop and attain shared treatment goals. She is committed to developing a partnership that is always respectful of patients' points of view, and she utilizes this knowledge to inform treatment plans that are safe, effective, and agreeable to patients. At the same time, she is sensitive to financial or insurance coverage factors that may impact treatment. After completing residency training at Montefiore Medical Center, Dr. Rohs was invited to serve an additional year as Senior Chief Resident for its adult psychiatry residency training program. She spent the next year as a fellow in Geriatric Psychiatry before her appointment as an attending physician on Montefiore's acute psychiatric inpatient unit. During her training years, Dr. Rohs made several trips to Uganda to serve as an attending physician with the Doctors for Global Health Project. Dr. Rohs subsequently transferred to Bronx Psychiatric Center (BPC), where she treated inpatients and outpatients suffering from severe mental disorders. At BPC, she expanded her knowledge base and became an expert in advanced psychopharmacology. Dr. Rohs also spent time prior to joining Talkiatry as an attending physician at NYU Langone Hospital. Dr. Rohs specializes in treating a variety of psychiatric conditions including mood disorders, psychotic disorders, anxiety disorders, PTSD, and dementia. She is attuned to the direct and indirect mental health impact of the pandemic and its aftermath on patients of all ages. Dr. Rohs does not usually treat ADHD patients. For the small number of patients she treats who have ADHD, Dr. Rohs requires comprehensive testing, multiple follow ups, and a full medical workup before confirming a diagnosis to ensure appropriateness and safety of chosen treatment.Dr. Anne Rohs is board certified in both adult and geriatric psychiatry and has been in practice for over ten years. She has an extensive background working in hospital settings treating critically ill patients. This experience has helped hone her skills in caring for individuals with complex psychiatric illnesses complicated by medical conditions. Dr. Rohs’ approach is to provide a consistent, empathic, non judgmental space to develop and attain shared treatment goals. Dr. Rohs is committed to developing a partnership which is always respectful of patients’ points of view, and she utilizes this knowledge to inform treatment plans that are safe, effective and agreeable to patients. She is sensitive to financial or insurance coverage factors that may impact treatment.

After completing residency training at Montefiore Medical Center, Dr. Rohs was invited to serve an additional year as Senior Chief Resident for their adult psychiatry residency training program. She spent the following year as a fellow in Geriatric Psychiatry before being appointed an attending physician on Montefiore’s acute psychiatric inpatient unit. Dr. Rohs subsequently transferred to Bronx Psychiatric Center, where she treated patients suffering from severe mental disorders in both inpatient and outpatient settings. As a result, she further expanded her knowledge base and became an expert in advanced psychopharmacology. Prior to joining Talkiatry, Dr. Rohs served as an attending physician at NYU Langone Hospital. She has also been an attending physician for the Doctors for Global Health Project in Uganda.

Dr. Rohs specializes in treating a variety of psychiatric conditions including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, depression, and dementia. She is attuned to the direct and indirect mental health impact of the pandemic on patients of all ages. As the Covid situation evolves, Dr. Rohs is available to see patients either in the office or via telehealth platforms.

Dr. Rohs does not usually treat ADHD patients. For the small number of patients she treats who have ADHD, Dr. Rohs requires comprehensive testing, multiple follow ups, and a full medical workup before confirming a diagnosis to ensure appropriateness and safety of chosen treatment.