Marla Richard, MD

Dr. Ritchie is trained 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.  He received his bachelor's degree in biology with a minor in French, from The University of Central Florida. Dr. Ritchie completed medical school at Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine. Following medical school, he completed General psychiatry residency and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. His professional experiences include working in inpatient psychiatric hospitals, consult-liaison psychiatry, outpatient clinics, intensive outpatient programs (IOP), partial hospitalization programs (PHP), and emergency rooms. This broad range of experience allows him to provide comprehensive, individualized care to patients at all stages of life.

Dr. Ritchie emphasizes a holistic approach, combining medication management and psychotherapy. He utilizes principles from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and supportive psychotherapy This method is supported by research indicating improved patient outcomes.

Patients can anticipate a thorough initial evaluation during their first visit with Dr. Ritchie. He conducts a comprehensive assessment to understand the patient's symptoms, history, and personal circumstances. This session sets the foundation for collaboratively developing an individualized treatment plan focused on the patient's specific needs and goals.

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Dr. Alexandra ("Sasha”) Blaes is a board-certified psychiatrist. Before joining Talkiatry, she practiced consult-liaison psychiatry, seeing medically ill patients with psychiatric problems at the Department of Veterans Affairs, where she also treated veterans in nursing homes. Dr. Blaes graduated from New York University with a B.A. in philosophy and photography and worked in nonprofit marketing in New York before deciding she wanted to pursue a life in medicine. Following a post-baccalaureate, pre-medical program at Columbia University, Dr. Blaes completed medical school at The University of Maryland, followed by a psychiatry residency at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. While at Johns Hopkins, she mastered clinical assessment and treatment of general psychiatric problems. She also received specialized training in eating disorders, addiction, reproductive psychiatry, chronic pain, and geriatric psychiatry, an interest she pursued further with a fellowship at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. In fellowship and in her subsequent experience at the VA, she developed expertise in caring for the difficulties that can accompany aging, including depression, anxiety, and memory loss, as well as the stress of medical illness. Dr. Blaes' practice focuses on medication management. She works to foster a safe and collaborative space in which patients can address psychiatric illness and other barriers holding them back from the lives they want to lead. Typically, she offers appointments for medication management coupled with supportive or emotionally focused therapy in 30-minute sessions. When Dr. Blaes feels that additional therapy is needed, she will suggest inviting a therapist to join the team for additional support and guidance. She welcomes collaborations with other clinicians, be they therapists or other physicians caring for her patients. She strives to build strong therapeutic relationships that help patients grow and meet their goals - whatever their situation, challenge, or life stage. Dr. Blaes welcomes patients from all walks of life and cultural backgrounds and is LGBTQ+ friendly. In addition to her background in geriatrics, she has experience working with peripartum women and enjoys working with patients navigating major life changes.

Dr. Kali Cyrus holds an MD and has trained at institutions across the U.S., including Stanford, Emory, University of Illinois College of Medicine, and Yale, where they completed residency and a fellowship in adult and community psychiatry. Dr. Cyrus has worked in diverse clinical settings, including inpatient hospitals, outpatient practices, home visits, student mental health, and veterans’ hospitals, and has held faculty positions at Johns Hopkins and Yale. Featured on NPR, MSNBC, NowThis, Showtime, and HBO, Dr. Cyrus identifies as neurodivergent and brings curiosity and authenticity to their work.

Dr. Cyrus avoids a “one-size-fits-all” approach, integrating psychodynamic, psychoanalytic, DBT, CBT, trauma-informed, and common-sense strategies. They create a validating, judgment-free space while attending closely to the impact of intersectional identity on symptoms. Dr. Cyrus’s prescribing philosophy emphasizes that medications can help but aren’t a complete solution, respecting each patient’s body and choice.

In the first session, Dr. Cyrus addresses questions and ensures the therapeutic fit is right. The initial intake gathers a thorough understanding of a patient’s history, identity, and goals. From there, Dr. Cyrus develops a personalized treatment plan, which may include therapy, medication, or both, tailored to each patient’s background, struggles, and aspirations.

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Dr. Marcia Morris is a psychiatrist with over thirty years of experience providing medication management as well as supportive psychotherapy to adult patients. She takes a positive psychiatry approach to treatment, prescribing medication while supporting patient strengths, social connections, and healthy habits. She has worked with university students as well as employees in an employee assistance program. She provides care for patients with depression, anxiety, OCD, PTSD, and ADHD. In her previous role as an Associate Professor at the University of Florida, she has done research on the increase in depression and anxiety as well as the increased use of psychiatric medications among university students. She has published academic papers and given national talks in these topics with the goal of decreasing stigma and improving mental health care for young adults. She is a founding member of the Association for College Psychiatry and a member of the American Psychiatric Association college mental health caucus. Dr. Morris provides education to the public about mental health as a writer and public speaker. Her articles have appeared in the New York Times, the Tampa Bay Times, and the Huffington Post. She also has been interviewed on NPR and several podcasts. She currently writes a Psychology Today parenting blog "College Wellness: Promoting Happiness & Health in the College Years.” Her book, "The Campus Cure: A Parent's Guide to Mental Health & Wellness for College Students,” was published January 2018. Dr. Morris has an undergraduate degree from Harvard, a medical degree from Yale, and psychiatry residency training at New York Hospital Cornell Medical Center. She is a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association.

Dr. Borad is a Board Certified Psychiatrist and has specialized in Addiction Psychiatry. She finished her residency at the WVU campus of Charleston, WV, and finished the Addiction Psychiatry Fellowship at UPMC/Western Psychiatry Institute in Pittsburgh, PA. She has previously worked as an Assistant Professor at WVU of Charleston, where she was involved in working with residents in inpatient and outpatient settings, provided psychiatric consult services to hospitalized patients, and was part of the Outpatient Comprehensive Opioid treatment program where she provided Medication Assisted Treatment for patients with substance use disorders. She has an interest in treating patients with mood, anxiety, and psychotic disorders. Dr. Borad has a special interest in treating individuals having a substance use history and struggling to quit, and has expertise in treating patients with a dual diagnosis of substance use with other psychiatric conditions. She primarily does medication management, in addition to providing some supportive therapy and motivational interviewing to her patients in her 30-minute follow-up appointments. In addition, she may suggest bringing in a therapist to add to your care if clinically necessary.

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.