Mekayla Davila, LMHC

More Clinicians

Melissa Buhler, LMHC

Staff Licensed Mental Health Counselor

Melissa knows first-hand how powerful the counseling experience can be. Melissa committed herself to the hard work of deep interpersonal counseling and has a passion to help others build a life of hope, joy, and resiliency. As an undergraduate, she studied at Toccoa Falls College in the mountains of North Georgia. She finished her master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and began working in the Crisis Stabilization Unit. Melissa assisted with the opening of a psychiatric hospital, advocating for the needs of the patient. She has served in Jerusalem and Africa and strives to be inclusive of everyone as an individual of significant value. Melissa focuses on building a strong rapport with her patients, highlighting their strengths, teaching mindfulness, boundaries, emotional regulation strategies, and often writing trauma narratives. She utilizes Solution Focused Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. ‍

Tracey Griffin, LMHC

Staff Licensed Mental Health Counselor

Tracey Griffin is an LMHC and LPC who is dedicated to helping people align with their most authentic selves, holding credentials in NY, NJ, and FL. This includes addressing the struggles of mental health in an open, empathetic, and non-judgmental, therapeutic relationship. She is dedicated to establishing a collaborative working relationship with individuals to help achieve their goals while living a fulfilled and balanced life. Tracey received her Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling from Pace University, followed by her Bachelor of Arts in Applied Psychology from the same institution. She has been trained in performing biopsychosocial assessments and has an extensive history working as a Credentialed Alcohol and Substance Abuse Counselor exploring various approaches to recovery goals. Tracey's treatment approach is person-centered in conjunction with evidence-based practices such as cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, mindfulness, and motivational interviewing while remaining culturally sensitive and inclusive. She is well versed in harm reduction as well as abstinence-based approaches to addiction treatment and roots her practice to focus on treating the whole self, which can include exploration of spirituality and purpose. Tracey has experience working with individuals who experience co-occurring disorders, anxiety, depression, codependency, addiction, personality disorders, LGBTQ, men's issues, and trauma.

Taiane Ferrari, MD

Staff Psychiatrist

Dr. Ferrari is a highly regarded psychiatrist with a strong background in both clinical practice and research. She attended NYU School of Medicine and completed her residency at the University of Tennessee. She is an expert in treatment-resistant depression, anxiety and adult ADHD. She is dedicated to providing patient-centered, evidence-based care with a holistic and compassionate approach. As a mother of three, including a son with autism, Dr. Ferrari is particularly passionate about the complexities of women's mental health. Patients often describe her as caring, knowledgeable, compassionate, and insightful. In addition to English, Dr Ferrari also speaks Portuguese and Spanish.

Swarnalata Debbarma, MD

Staff Psychiatrist

Dr. Debbarma is double board certified in General Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine. Dr. Debbarma is also certified in mindfulness therapy. Prior to joining Talkiatry, Dr. Debbarma worked as an attending psychiatrist and teaching faculty member in an academic hospital. She has experience of managing diverse patients ranging from chronic severe mental illness, dual diagnosis patients, crisis management, and a high functioning outpatients population. Dr. Debbarma is an International medical graduate from India with postgraduate training in Psychiatry and Family Medicine. To better understand public health and preventive care in the USA, Dr. Debbarma pursued an advanced degree in Master of Public Health from Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia. Due to interest in global health, Dr. Debbarma worked as a post-doctoral fellow in Global Health at Rutgers University. Dr. Debbarma completed psychiatry residency from Cooper University Hospital and served as a chief resident. Dr. Debbarma has diverse experiences in health care. Prior to moving to the USA, she worked as a medical officer in the government hospital system. Dr. Debbarma has years of experience in treating patients from different cultural and religious backgrounds. As an individual, Dr. Debbarma is intrigued by the human mind and behavior, and that's why she chose to specialize in psychiatry. She focuses on "wholeness" by understanding the whole person not just their symptoms. Her treatment approach includes a bio-psycho-sociocultural model and patient-centered care. She offers medication management and supportive therapy. Based on clinical needs, Dr. Debbarma also incorporates CBT, mindfulness, and MI. Dr. Debbarma has a special interest in women's mental health and cultural psychiatry.

Tracey Les Pierre, LCSW

Staff Therapist

Tracey Elle is a licensed clinical social worker specializing in psycho-somatic manifestations of stress, anxiety, trauma, perinatal support, postpartum/variable presentations of depression, parenting support, and grief (loss of loved ones/menopause/life transitions/unfulfilled goals).

Tracey utilizes psychodynamic, CBT, and solutions-oriented approaches to patient centered care. Tracey has worked with individuals from all walks of life, LGBTQIA+ community and age groups.

Tracey is committed to providing a comfortable and safe therapeutic environment in order to support the journey to a new path of emotional freedom and wholeness of mind, body and spirit, judgment free. She is committed to working alongside you to fine tune the coping strategies that you already have and help you uncover new mechanisms to add to your self-care toolbox.

Darius Robinson, MD

Staff Psychiatrist

Dr. Darius Robinson is a board-certified psychiatrist who is passionate about providing patient-centered, evidence-based mental health care. He specializes in diagnosing and treating a wide range of psychiatric conditions, including anxiety, depression, ADHD, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Dr. Robinson combines evidence-based medication management with supportive psychotherapy to help his patients thrive. Dr. Robinson earned his undergraduate degree from Southern University at New Orleans. He later completed a Master's of Medical Science degree at Mississippi College in Clinton, MS. He went on to obtain his medical degree from Louisiana State University in Shreveport and completed his psychiatry residency at Louisiana State University in New Orleans. Dr. Robinson is certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and is licensed to practice medicine in Louisiana, Michigan, Tennessee, and Kansas. Dr. Robinson believes in fostering a collaborative approach to care, partnering with his patients to create tailored treatment plans that honor their unique needs and goals. Dedicated to lifelong learning, he stays at the forefront of advancements in psychiatric care to ensure his patients receive the best possible outcomes. Above all, he is committed to empowering individuals to achieve lasting mental health and well-being.

Scott Tuckman, LMHC

Staff Therapist

Scott Tuckman is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor who arrives with a robust set of backgrounds across several fields of interest, with immersion among numerous cultures and diverse ways of life. He has worked in multiple capacities in a variety of settings around the U.S., ranging from correctional to educational to inner-city community-based to corporate. With an eye on what influences the ever-present connections between body and mind and emotional states, Scott works well with those struggling with mood disorders, depression, a range of anxiety disorders, relationship problems, esteem issues, adjustment concerns, emotional dysregulation, and more. While Scott is psychodynamically oriented, he blends attachment theory application, mindfulness, selections from CBT and DBT modalities, or other treatment mechanisms tailored to meet each client's needs and complement any assigned psychopharmacological undertaking. Considering it an honor to join someone on their journey, he takes a direct yet compassionate approach so as to establish a comfortable co-owned therapeutic relationship. Ultimately, he strives to help clients gain a more comprehensive understanding of how they can move themselves forward and collaboratively develop the readiness to step towards it. When goals have been met and it's time to finally part ways, Scott hopes each client's tool belt is fortified with newly acquired techniques to overcome the inevitable obstacles on the road ahead.

Hong Chen, MD

Staff Psychiatrist

*CANNOT PRESCRIBE CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES FOR WV PATIENTS* Dr. Hong Chen is a board certified adult psychiatrist and has been in practice since 2010. Dr. Chen received her doctorate degree in medicine at the University of Florida. She then completed her residency training at the University of Florida, Department of Psychiatry. She is board certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. Dr. Chen has worked mainly in outpatient settings and often tailors individualized treatment to serve the needs of patients with a variety of conditions. She has a lot of experience in treating patients with depression, anxiety disorders, OCD, Bipolar type 2, and ADHD. Dr. Chen's practice is based on a holistic approach to mental health care, with special emphasis on self-care, mindfulness practices, and medication treatment. Dr. Chen truly believes that focusing on wellness in conjunction with medication-mediated symptom reduction will lead to better outcomes for patients. As a result, patients often enjoy the supportive therapy, insight-oriented therapy and psychoeducation that is provided to them during their sessions with Dr. Chen.

Steven Wilkening, MD

Staff Psychiatrist

Dr. Steven Wilkening is a board-certified adult psychiatrist.He completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Cornell University followed by a neuroscience researchfocused Masters degree at the University of Mississippi. He then attended medical school at theUniversity of Mississippi School of Medicine, graduating with his MD degree as a Medical StudentResearch Scholar and member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. He completed adultpsychiatry residency training at the University of Cincinnati and has since been working primarily intelepsychiatry.He has experience treating a wide variety of psychiatric conditions and also recognizes that lifestylefactors such as sleep, physical activity and stress-reduction are foundations of good mental health.Alongside medication management, he provides brief supportive psychotherapy, psychoeducation, aswell as elements of cognitive behavioral and solution-focused therapies to assist patients in meetingtheir goals. He often encourages patients to see a therapist in addition to a psychiatrist.

Rita Shaughnessy, MD

Staff Psychiatrist

Dr. Shaughnessy is boarded in adult psychiatry and has over 30 years of experience. Dr. Shaughnessy practices medication management in a supportive collaborative environment. Treatment recommendations may include psychotherapy with another professional in addition to medication management .Dr. Shaughnessy has worked with individuals having the spectrum of psychiatric disorders but is particularly interested in working with those with mood and anxiety disorders.

Michael Fiori, MD

Staff Psychiatrist

Dr. Michael Fiori is Board Certified in Adult Psychiatry and Addiction Medicine. He has practiced general psychiatry for 37 years, and has also sub-specialized in Addiction Psychiatry for the past 20 years. Dr. Fiori's practice emphasizes Diagnostic Clarification, which is an ongoing process. He is highly trained and experienced in the biological and psychosocial underpinnings of psychiatric problems. He typically follows diagnostic evaluations with 30-minute follow up visits for medication adjustments and brief therapy. Dr. Fiori often enjoys collaborating with outside therapists when needed. Dr. Fiori graduated from Amherst College and received his medical degree from NY Medical College. He subsequently completed his residency in psychiatry at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in NYC. He excelled in Academic Psychiatry as both a teacher and a mentor. His practice has always combined medications with evidence-based therapies to alleviate suffering and maximize functioning. In addition to his work as a Board Certified Adult Psychiatrist, he has specialized in helping patients suffering from Substance Use Disorders. Dr. Fiori is Board Certified in Addiction Medicine, and helps patients understand the interrelationships between their Substance Use Disorders and their Psychiatric illnesses.

Brett Abernethy, MD

Staff Psychiatrist

Background and credentials

Dr. Abernethy is a board-certified psychiatrist who received his medical degree from the University of Texas Medical School at Houston. He completed his internship at UT Southwestern in Dallas and earned a Master's of Public Health in Epidemiology and Occupational and Environmental Health from Texas A&M. He completed his psychiatry residency training at the University of Oklahoma Health Science Center. Dr. Abernethy has over 12 years of experience practicing psychiatry in various outpatient settings, including private practice and community mental health centers in Texas and Oklahoma, specifically reaching underserved communities. He has treated a broad spectrum of mental health symptoms among diverse populations, addressing issues ranging from mood and anxiety disorders to behavioral manifestations of Autism and other developmental disorders.

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Treatment approach

Dr. Abernethy utilizes a collaborative and patient-centered approach to psychiatry, focusing primarily on medication interventions that align with each patient's unique treatment goals and clinical needs. He emphasizes cooperation with patients to effectively treat and reduce mental health-related symptoms. His practice centers around medication management, supplemented by supportive treatments tailored to individual needs. Depending on each patient’s circumstances, he may recommend additional support from individual, family, or group counselors and therapists to achieve optimal outcomes.

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What you can expect in a first visit

In an initial visit, patients can expect a thorough, collaborative discussion focused on understanding their symptoms, goals, and clinical needs. Dr. Abernethy will evaluate the patient's condition to determine appropriate medication interventions and discuss personalized treatment recommendations. Typical follow-up visits are approximately 20-30 minutes in length. Depending on the severity and complexity of a patient's situation, referrals to additional counseling or therapy may also be suggested.

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Why Talkiatry?

We’re a virtual mental health practice that makes it easy to find great care. We combine quality and convenience to help you thrive—faster. Our providers, like this one, are highly trained experts who speciualize in medication management and collaborate with you on a treatment plan that fits your needs and comfort level.

Mekayla Davila, LMHC

Education and training

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