Michelle Shya, LCSW

America Calderon is a bilingual, National Certified Counselor (NCC), Licensed Mental Health Counselor in the state of New York with experience providing services for children, adolescents, and adults. America specializes in the treatment of anxiety, depression, trauma, adjustment disorders, life transitions, stress management, and other comorbid disorders. She holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Central Florida and a MSEd. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from St. John's University in New York. America provides patients with a genuine, nonjudgmental, and supportive environment to help empower them and recognize their potential. She utilizes various treatment modalities which include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Mindfulness, and Relational-Cultural Therapy techniques. She practices from a person-centered and multicultural approach to build a meaningful, therapeutic relationship. Prior to becoming licensed as a psychotherapist, America was an educator in the state of Florida and New York with over 5 years of experience in the field. She is passionate about providing psychoeducation as it increases our insight into various mental health issues.

Mr. Hogate is a skilled therapist with over 25 years of experience providing psychotherapy in a broad range of clinical settings. He is licensed both as a Clinical Social Worker and a Professional Counselor. Mr. Hogate has provided private counseling services since 2001 and additionally has worked in a vast range of clinical settings including outpatient counseling for individuals and families, inpatient services for children and adults, outpatient treatment for individuals with co-occurring substance use and other behavioral health concerns. Mr. Hogate is driven by a deep belief in the centrality of human relationships and the benefits clients can gain from a deep connection with a skilled clinician.

Mr. Hogate has a balanced and informed perspective on therapy and seeks to draw from patient experience and strength in partnership toward a common goal of reducing stress and symptoms of various life challenges such as depression, anxiety, relationship conflict, life transitions and others. His clinical perspective is practical and informed by various clinical orientations, yet unique to each individual. Mr. Hogate is collaborative and integrative in his approach to therapy and seeks to build connections with client’s medical providers or others to enhance clinical outcomes.

Typically, Mr. Hogate starts work with clients as a conversation in the context of an enduring interest and belief in the capacity of individuals to make meaningful changes in their lives. Interventions are an important aspect of Mr. Hogate’s clinical work, often rooted in CBT, Narrative Therapy, Systems Theory, ACT and elements of Positive Psychology. Mr. Hogate approaches clients from a biological, psychological and sociological perspective seeking to understand individuals from each of these domains.

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Dr. Akhtar is a board-certified psychiatrist specializing in compassionate and comprehensive mental health care. She focuses on medication management for a wide range of psychiatric conditions, providing supportive therapy to help individuals navigate life's challenges and enhance their overall well-being, while emphasizing lifestyle changes and the development of coping skills. Dr. Akhtar completed her medical degree at the American University of Antigua, gaining a profound understanding of the biological, psychological, and social aspects of mental health. Following her residency at Bergen, Newbridge Medical Center, where she was appointed Chief Resident in her fourth year, she worked for several years in both inpatient and outpatient hospital settings. Committed to holistic wellness, Dr. Akhtar believes in empowering individuals to make positive changes in their lives and offers guidance on nutrition, exercise, sleep hygiene, and stress management techniques. She is dedicated to fostering a therapeutic alliance built on trust, empathy, and collaboration. Her approach is rooted in evidence-based practices and tailored to meet the unique needs of each individual under her care.

Dr. Caitlin Tillberg (she/her) is a board-certified psychiatrist. She has a BA in musicology and cognitive science from Oberlin College, an MD from Quinnipiac University in Connecticut, and completed general adult psychiatry residency at Duke University. Dr. Tillberg practices patient-centered and trauma-informed care, valuing patient autonomy and collaborative decision-making, acknowledging the burden many people carry from intersecting oppressions. She believes therapy is important � often equally important as medication, or more � and will work together with you to make a realistic treatment plan that will fit into your life. Dr. Tillberg also has a niche working with people with complicated relationships with their bodies, whether due to disordered eating, gender dysphoria, chronic illness/disability, or trauma. She welcomes LGBTQ+ patients, including trans and non-binary adults. She also enjoys working with patients with OCD, as well as autistic/neurodivergent adults (including those seeking adult autism evaluation). Please note Talkiatry is most appropriate for autistic patients with Level 1 (or case-by-case Level 2) support needs and who are verbal. Regarding eating disorders: Please note that for patient safety, per Talkiatry policy, Dr. Tillberg is unable to work with patients with current active anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa (or significant relapse in the last 6 months), or with patients requiring current regular medical or lab monitoring for complications of binge-eating disorder or ARFID. Bariatric surgery patients are welcome if medically stable. Patients with current disordered eating that does not rise to the level of a formal diagnosis of anorexia or bulimia, or with a past history of anorexia or bulimia in sustained remission, will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis at the first appointment. Dr. Tillberg looks forward to meeting you.

Dr. Monica Badillo is double board-certified in child and adolescent psychiatry and adult psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. She received additional training and certification in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy at the New York Medical College Psychoanalytic Institute. Dr. Badillo is bilingual and speaks Spanish and English to deliver quality care for patients and parents. She provides medication management while incorporating psychoeducation, supportive, and psychodynamic psychotherapies. Generally, she employs 30-minute follow up sessions, and she may request a psychotherapist to participate in treatment. She listens and builds rapport with patients and families, while utilizing a trauma-informed, patient-centered, comprehensive, and collaborative approach. She completed her undergraduate degree at Fordham University in New York, and subsequently received her medical degree from Ross University School of Medicine in Dominica. She then completed general psychiatry residency and child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, BronxCare Health System. She excelled in her program and was awarded honors as Chief Fellow in achievement and professionalism. After completing training, Dr. Badillo continued to work at the institution as an attending psychiatrist in the Child and Adult Outpatient Services, Pediatric Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP), and Pediatric Consultation Liaison services. She has held leadership roles, and instructed medical students, fellows, and resident physicians. Dr. Badillo has treated patients of all age ranges and diverse backgrounds in community mental health settings. Her primary focus is treating children, adolescents, and young-early adults for depression, anxiety, bipolar disorders, ADHD, trauma-related disorders, disruptive behavior disorders, and other psychiatric conditions.

Kelvin is an experienced Licensed Independent Social Worker who has worked in a variety of clinical and non-clinical settings. Kelvin's years of experience include work as a case manager, mental health therapist, substance use and mental health group facilitator, a lead clinician for a school-based services program and coordinator for adventure-based programming. This experience has allowed Kelvin to serve in a variety of settings, including: schools, homes, hospitals, and outpatient clinics, as well as working with individuals from nearly every age range; anywhere from kindergarten-aged school children to adults in a nursing home and almost everywhere in between. ‍Kelvin places great importance on making treatment a unique experience for every individual, strongly believing that there is no single uniform answer to an individual's problems and solutions should be tailored to that person's specific life circumstances. Kelvin has a foundation in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, but utilizes practices as appropriate from a variety of treatment styles, including Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Trauma-Informed Care, Behavioral Activation, Play Therapy and many more.