Nidhi Sharoha, DO

Background and credentials  

Dr. Alexandra Baluna, MD, is board-certified by the American Board of  Psychiatry and Neurology. She received her medical degree from  LSUHC-Shreveport and completed her psychiatry residency training at  Montefiore/Albert-Einstein College of Medicine, where she served as chief of  the Consultation-Liaison (C/L) service. Following residency, Dr. Baluna  served as Senior Chief, during which she was honored with the Leo M. Davidoff  Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Teaching of Medical Students. Her  professional experiences include roles at Fordham University, Albert Einstein  Student Mental Health Counseling Center, and most recently, as an outpatient  psychiatrist at Maimonides Medical Center, where she enjoyed teaching and  supervising residents.  

Treatment approach  

Dr. Baluna emphasizes creating a warm, empathic, and nonjudgmental  therapeutic environment. She collaborates closely with patients to develop  personalized treatment plans that consider cultural, biological,  psychological, and social factors. With a strong interest in psychotherapy,  she frequently employs ego-supportive and insight-oriented therapy techniques  during follow-up sessions.  

What you can expect in a first visit    

During an initial visit, patients can expect a welcoming and supportive  atmosphere where Dr. Baluna conducts a comprehensive assessment. This  involves exploring the patient's history, current challenges, and individual  circumstances. The goal of the first session is to collaboratively build an  individualized treatment plan tailored specifically to the patient's unique  needs.  

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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.

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.

Dr. O’Mara is a board-certified geriatric and general adult psychiatrist. She is originally from Ohio where she obtained her bachelor’s degree in neuroscience and psychology from Wright State University and attended medical school at Ohio University. She completed her psychiatry residency and geriatric psychiatry fellowship through Michigan State University at Pine Rest in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She has provided psychiatric care in both inpatient and outpatient settings. She was a faculty member and Associate Program Director for Trinity Health Livonia’s psychiatry residency. In her free time, she enjoys drawing and hiking.

Dr. O’Mara eagerly treats a wide range of age groups and conditions and is passionate about patients coping with chronic medical conditions and caregivers. She also has experience with perinatal mood disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, and PTSD. She strives to deliver evidence-based treatment tailored to her patient’s individual needs.

In addition to medication management, she incorporates brief therapy modalities into her appointments including supportive therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and dialectical behavioral therapy skills. She will work with you to determine if more comprehensive therapy may be needed. She also can provide practical and realistic behavioral strategies to caregivers and patients with memory changes. Dr. O’Mara prefers to meet patients where they are in a supportive, safe, and non-judgmental environment.

Dr. Sujith Maracheril is a board-eligible psychiatrist who provides comprehensive patient care while building a physician-patient relationship centered on communication, empathy, and respect. His primary focus is medication management, and he also provides supportive psychotherapy to help patients work toward long-term improvements. While aligning treatment toward patient goals, he takes a practical approach to changes that can be made to empower patients in their lives. Dr. Maracheril is a graduate of the Sophie Davis Biomedical Education Program at the CUNY School of Medicine, a 7-year BS/MD program. He completed his residency training in psychiatry at the Zucker School of Medicine/Northwell Health at Mather Hospital. He has trained in many settings including inpatient psychiatric units, general and specialized outpatient clinics, and at a partial hospitalization program. Dr. Maracheril has experience treating a broad range of mental health conditions including depressive disorders, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, ADHD, and OCD. He understands that people may experience these conditions in different ways, and he aims to treat each patient in an individualized and holistic way.

Dr. Niles Drake is a board certified psychiatrist skilled in prescribing medications and working in psychotherapy. He combines a warm demeanor with excellent clinical skills, and has over 15 years' experience working with adult patients of all ages and many walks of life. He has special expertise combining medication and psychotherapy to help patients reduce symptoms and grow as individuals. Dr. Drake's additional training and experience in psychological modes of treatment enhance the quality of care he provides to all his patients, to meet them where they are and prioritize their individual needs and goals. He also provides medication management-only treatments for people who aren't looking for psychotherapy or who already have therapists. Dr. Drake completed his psychiatric residency at Columbia University Medical Center in New York. He also completed psychoanalytic training at the Columbia Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research. He went on to teach classes at the Center, educating candidates about the nuances of combining psychotherapy with other treatment modalities. In addition to providing outpatient psychiatric treatment for over 10 years in private practice, he has worked extensively in psychiatric emergency settings, supervising residents as attending physician at Columbia-New York Presbyterian Hospital and Long Island Jewish Hospital psychiatric emergency rooms. He also has special expertise treating college-aged and young adult patients, having served as staff psychiatrist at Barnard College's Furman Counseling Center and worked with many students from Barnard and Columbia in his private practice. Dr. Drake offers treatment for many psychiatric conditions, including but not limited to depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and personality disorders. He identifies helping people ease and overcome their psychiatric conditions as his calling, and approaches each patient with humility, diligence, and a collaborative spirit.

Dr. Saisha Jackson is a board-certified psychiatrist in Adult Psychiatry. She completed her undergraduate training at Hampton University followed by medical school at Michigan State University College of Human Medicine. She has completed a Residency in Psychiatry at Howard University.

She has a genuine interest in treating a vast array of psychiatric disorders including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorders, post-traumatic stress disorders and obsessive compulsive and related disorders. She specializes in psychopharmacology. Her practice focuses on medication management, and typically offers this in conjunction with supportive therapy in 30-minute follow-up visits.