Melissa Sims, PMHNP

More Clinicians

Dr. Laura Obler is board-certified in adult psychiatry. She received her medical degree from David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA in Los Angeles, California, where she stayed to complete her psychiatry residency at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience. During residency she received specialized training in reproductive psychiatry (the treatment of women who are considering pregnancy or are pregnant or postpartum) and acted as Chief Resident of the Women's Life Center at UCLA. Dr. Obler has experience working with a diverse group of patients. She has previously worked in community clinics in the greater Los Angeles area and as a staff psychiatrist at UCLA. She prefers a holistic approach to psychiatric treatment and therefore uses a combination of medication management and talking therapies to treat patients. Techniques she may utilize include cognitive behavioral therapy, experiential psychodynamic therapy, mentalization based therapy, and medical hypnosis.

Alejandra Cattan, MD

Staff Psychiatrist

Dr. Alejandra Cattan is a bilingual psychiatrist who delivers care in English and Spanish. She went to medical school in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and completed her psychiatry residency at Bronx Care Health system. She then completed additional training in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy at NY Medical College Psychoanalytic Institute. After completing residency, she worked as an attending psychiatrist in New York and later transitioned to dedicated outpatient work. Dr. Cattan brings exceptional care to her patients. She provides supportive psychotherapy and applies psychodynamic psychotherapy skills to discover the root of their suffering, in conjunction with medication management resources. Dr. Cattan believes in a biopsychosocial model to address her patients' issues. Her areas of expertise include medication management, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, PTSD, and substance use disorders.

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.

Jill Sinnott, LCSW

Staff Therapist

Jill Sinnott is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She has practiced in Tennessee for over ten years, in a variety of roles including comprehensive child and family therapy, mobile crisis, and group-based Alcohol and Drug treatment. Most recently, she worked in community mental health for five and a half years. In this role, she focused on individual therapy with clients of all ages. Jill obtained her Bachelor's Degree from Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa, NC, and her Master's of Science in Social Work from the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, TN before settling in Johnson City, TN with her family. Jill's areas of interest include working with the LGBTQIA+ community and incorporating play therapy techniques while working with children. She uses a combination of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and Solution-Focused Therapy to develop a treatment plan addressing the client's own goals using specific, obtainable steps and recognizing each individual's strengths.

Amy Prince, MD

Staff Psychiatrist

Dr. Amy Prince is a board-certified adult psychiatrist who graduated from SUNY Downstate Medical Center and completed her residency training at UMass Medical Center, where she served as chief resident during her final year. Dr. Prince has worked with patients in a variety of treatment settings, including inpatient, partial hospital programs, community mental health centers, and outpatient. Dr. Prince believes that integrating therapy, psychopharmacology and lifestyle modifications can lead to the greatest gains in emotional wellness. She believes that working collaboratively with patients leads to the best outcome. Dr Prince has worked with a diverse patient population, but especially enjoys working with patients with mood disorders, anxiety, and ADHD. Dr. Prince offers supportive therapy in conjunction with psychopharmacology. In cases in which a patient would benefit from more intensive therapy than what could be done in 20-25 minute visits, Dr Prince may recommend adjunctive therapy with a licensed therapist.

Harmeeta Singh, MD

Staff Psychiatrist

Dr. Harmeeta Singh was born and raised in St. Louis, MO and is board certified with ABPN (American Board of Psychiatry & Neurology). Dr. Singh has been in practice for 15 years and focuses on an individualized treatment plan, not only using pharmacotherapy when needed, but also implementing insight-oriented, supportive, motivational, and brief psychotherapy. Dr. Singh is a firm believer in combining psychotherapy with medication management when warranted to manage and treat a wide variety of mental health conditions including, but not limited to - Depressive Disorders, Bipolar Disorders, Psychotic Disorders, Anxiety Disorders, Trauma related disorders, Substance use disorders, Personality disorders, Sleep Disorders and Eating Disorders. Her dynamic approach is client focused, involving the client throughout their treatment and care plan, taking careful consideration to the individual's needs and goals. ‍Upon completion of her residency through St. Louis University, St.Louis, Dr. Singh joined her parents' Internal Medicine practice. She learned firsthand that implementing mental health awareness, screening, and education into a primary medically focused practice led to more favorable outcomes. Many mental health conditions can manifest as and/or exacerbate a variety of medical/physical conditions and thereby go undiagnosed and untreated. Dr. Singh has worked closely and coordinated care within the medical field and with other specialists in treating and diagnosing comorbid mental health conditions. While in private practice for over 10 years, she was also an attending and consultant for inpatient mental health care and provided mental health services for residents in various residential care facilities, group homes, and skilled nursing facilities. Over the past 5 years she has consolidated her practice and presently is employed with Compass Health Network in Missouri helping bridge the gap in mental health care by coordinating and providing care to the underserved community.

Kimberly Taylor, LPC

Staff Therapist

Kimberly Taylor is a Licensed Professional Counselor with an eclectic background who serves clients with a heart-centered focus. Kimberly completed her undergraduate degree in Spanish Literature and Teaching at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. Her graduate degree in Counseling is from Wayne State University in Detroit. She was employed for a combined 15 years as a Spanish language teacher and guidance counselor. Kimberly has counseled in a variety of settings, such as schools, substance use facilities, community mental health, refugee camps, private practice, telehealth and urban federally qualified health centers. Over the last 13 years, she has helped many adolescents and adults who struggle with issues related to trauma, OCD, depression, anxiety, codependency, womanhood, domestic violence, cultural identity, sexuality and post-modern work-life imbalance. Kimberly utilizes a mixture of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), ERP (Exposure Response and Prevention), Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Mindfulness, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Internal Family Systems (IFS) and holistic practices to create a unique healing experience for the client.

Alicia Lakin, LPC

Staff Licensed Professional Counselor

Alicia Lakin has been counseling for over 20 years. She possesses an LPC-MHSP license. Alicia earned her Bachelor's degree in Psychology at the University of Tennessee. She then went on to earn her Master's Degree, with a focus on Guidance and Counseling, at Lincoln Memorial University. Alicia has been trained in Trauma Focused � Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and Motivational Interviewing. Alicia's professional career has provided her with the opportunity to work with individuals in a variety of settings. She has provided treatment in residential care programs for children and adolescents, in the family home, community-based mental health center, and substance abuse treatment outpatient services. In these settings, Alicia has been afforded the opportunity to treat all ages, dealing with a wide range of issues including trauma, substance abuse and recovery, and mood disorders such as anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Therapeutically, Alicia describes her approach as "person-centered”, strength-based, and collaborative. She believes in providing a safe space for individuals to be able to express themselves openly, as well as explore any changes they desire to make in their lives. She believes in building a trusting relationship so that she and the individual can work together to help create change. Her style is reality-based, and she views herself as having many roles as a therapist, including that of a support, teacher, advocate, facilitator, and listener in the treatment relationship.

Kristina Schnitzer, MD

Staff Psychiatrist

Background and credentials

Dr. Kristina Schnitzer is a board-certified psychiatrist. She earned her medical degree from the New York University School of Medicine and completed her residency in Adult Psychiatry at the Massachusetts General Hospital/McLean Adult Psychiatry Residency Program. She further specialized by completing a one-year clinical and research fellowship in Public and Community Psychiatry through Massachusetts General Hospital and the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health. In addition to her medical training, she holds a Master of Public Health (MPH) from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She has over three years of experience practicing psychiatry across inpatient, emergency, and outpatient settings.

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Treatment approach

Dr. Schnitzer focuses on medication management as the foundation of her treatment approach, typically combining it with supportive or emotionally focused therapy during 30-minute follow-up visits. She takes a collaborative and individualized approach to patient care and, when needed, may recommend additional therapy by integrating a therapist into the care team to ensure the best possible outcomes. She has experience treating a broad range of psychiatric disorders in various clinical settings.

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What you can expect in a first visit

Patients can expect a thorough and structured evaluation in their first visit, where Dr. Schnitzer carefully assesses their symptoms, medical history, and treatment goals. She emphasizes open communication and collaboration, ensuring that patients are fully involved in shaping their treatment plans. Follow-up visits typically last 30 minutes, during which she monitors progress, adjusts treatment as needed, and may recommend additional therapeutic support for comprehensive care.

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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 specialize in medication management and collaborate with you on a treatment plan that fits your needs and comfort level.

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Bryce Thacker, PMHNP

Staff Nurse Practitioner

Bryce Thacker grew up in a rural community. He learned to be part of a community where helping everyone achieve their “best ‘selves” meant improving/maintaining community health and helping the community thrive. With his passion for helping people live “their best lives”, he received his undergrad in biology from the University of Nebraska and Creighton University where he majored in nursing. He obtained a Master of Science majoring in nursing (Family Nurse Practitioner) and Community health from Creighton University, and a Doctor of Nursing Practice from the University of Colorado where he focused on population and community health. He then obtained a post doctorate/graduate certification in psychiatric mental health from Washburn University.

Bryce practiced for 18 years in family practice before specializing in psychiatric mental health. This helped him gain a holistic view of mental and physical health. Since focusing on psychiatric mental health in 2022, he has helped people live “their best lives” through medication management. Whether mood disorders, PTSD, anxiety, ADHD, or other mental health conditions which may disrupt your desired QOL, he would like to be part of your journey to achieve your desired mental health goals. Bryce still lives in a rural community with his family and continues to enjoy being part of helping people live “their best ‘selves”.

Bryce understands that his goals are not your goals, and that everyone’s “best ‘self” is unique to them. He understands “meeting someone where they are at” regarding their mental health is important when helping them on their journey to “living their best life” and having a quality of life they desire. He will always keep you at the center of your care and would love to be part of your journey to achieve your mental health goals in a safe, sustaining way.

Bryce will take time to learn about you and understand what adverse symptoms are disrupting your quality of life, and how they impact your ability to “live your best self”. Keeping your personal quality of life goals at the center, he will work with you to help overcome self-defeating thoughts and mental health labels you may have been told there is only a certain way to achieve goals that may not even be your goals. Finding a safe, sustainable way for you to achieve your desired quality of life in a holistic approach will always be at the center of your care.

Aurianna Santos, MD

Staff Psychiatrist

Dr. Santos is a psychiatrist with more than 4 years of experience practicing in a variety of settings with an emphasis on psychiatric outpatient care. She is experienced in treating several psychiatric disorders including but not limited to: Bipolar and Related Disorders, Depressive Disorders, Anxiety Disorders, Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders, Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, and Substance Related and Addictive Disorders. Dr. Santos received her medical degree from the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia / Ochsner Clinical School in New Orleans, Louisiana. She completed her residency training at Louisiana State University in Shreveport, Louisiana. Dr. Santos tailors her approach to the individual patient. She focuses on medication management and incorporates several therapeutic techniques including supportive therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, acceptance therapy and mindfulness.

Kristina Bona, LPC

Staff Therapist

Kristina Bona is a Licensed Professional Counselor with extensive experience working in the mental health field. Kristina received her bachelor's from The University of Texas at Austin and proceeded to obtain her Master's degree in Counseling from The University of Texas at San Antonio. Since graduating with her Master's, she has worked in the mental health field, providing mental health relief to a wide demographic of clients. Over the past 10 years, Kristina has worked for various agencies, ranging from the local mental health authority to private practice. Kristina has experience working with people experiencing Anxiety, Depression, Mood disorders, and other mental health diagnoses interfering with daily living. As a clinician, she meets the client where they are in their life and tailors her treatment style to help them learn/apply strategies in developing skills for emotional regulation, developing healthy boundaries, effective communication skills, and more. Kristina uses an eclectic blend of cognitive behavioral therapy, dialectical behavioral therapy, solution-focused therapy, and mindfulness to increase the clients' resiliency and autonomy and empower them to live full lives.

Melissa Sims, PMHNP

Education and training

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