Peter Truong, MD

Dr. Amara (She/Her) is an American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology certified psychiatrist. She earned her bachelor's degree in psychology and arts from the University of Albany. She then graduated from St. Matthews University's School of Medicine in the Grand Cayman Islands. After completing her residency at LSUHSC-Ochsner program in 2016, she worked at Ochsner Medical Center, New Orleans for 7 years. Her roles there included working with patients in the field of Consultation Liaison psychiatry. In addition, she was the medical director of the behavioral medical unit (IOP) and the lead of the transcranial magnetic stimulation clinic. Dr. Amara has been very involved in academics and won the Faculty Member of the year, Adult Psychiatry Program, LSU-Ochsner 2021, Teaching Excellence Award in Psychiatry University of Queensland 2019 and Roger Hatchette Award of Excellence in Emergency Psychiatry 2016. She then served in her community at Crescent Care FQHC clinic in 2023. Her interests include providing care for various behavioral health concerns, including Adjustment disorder, Mood disorders, including Treatment resistant depression, Anxiety disorders, PTSD, Neurodegenerative illnesses, Somatic disorders, Gender Dysphoria, and LGBTQIA2S+ community inclusive care. Dr. Amara's practice is focused on the functionality of a person in their life, including relationships, career, physical wellness and living a robust life. She provides primarily medication management but also includes Supportive therapy, Action Oriented therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, and Motivational interviewing when appropriate. Her style is very approachable, inclusive and always grounded in humanistic values.**THIS PROVIDER CANNOT PRESCRIBE CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES FOR LOUISIANA PATIENTS**

Laura Hendricks is a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) with over 20 years of experience across a variety of clinical settings, including outpatient care, inpatient psychiatric facilities, private practice, consult-liaison psychiatry, and telepsychiatry. She has worked with individuals across the lifespan and brings a Family Systems perspective to her practice, helping patients develop greater awareness of their personal growth, attachment styles, and behavioral patterns to support more fulfilling lives.

Laura is also a long-time practitioner of Nonviolent Communication (Compassionate Communication), a method that fosters deeper empathy and connection with oneself and others. She integrates these principles into her clinical work to help individuals live more authentically and meaningfully.

Her approach is rooted in a whole-person perspective, guiding clients to recognize their strengths and utilize appropriate treatment tools. This begins with building a strong, respectful therapeutic relationship based on collaboration and shared decision-making. Laura practices evidence-based medication management and incorporates supportive counseling and psychoeducation into every session. She believes that empowering patients through education is essential to improving mental health outcomes.

Laura conducts thorough assessments to clarify diagnoses and treatment needs, with ongoing evaluation throughout the course of care. She works collaboratively with patients to refine treatment goals and strategies, always emphasizing a strengths-based and empowering approach.

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Dr. Kotadia is a board-certified psychiatrist who completed his psychiatry residency training program at Nassau University Medical Center in Long Island, NY. After completing training, he has been practicing outpatient psychiatry and specializes in the evaluation and management of major psychiatric disorders, including depression, and anxiety. He uniquely combines his education, training, and practical experiences into specialized treatment plans. Typically, he offers this in conjunction with supportive or emotionally focused therapy in 30-minute follow-up visits. However, occasionally Dr. Kotadia may believe that additional therapy is also needed and ask that you bring a therapist into your care team to provide the best outcome. A story that Dr. Kotadia came across years back still inspires him each day. A man was taking a morning walk at the beach. He saw that along with the morning tide, came hundreds of starfish. When the tide receded, the starfish were left behind and would die in the morning sun. While the tide was fresh, and the starfish were alive, the man took a few steps, picked one up and threw it into the water and continued throwing starfish back into the ocean. Behind him was a stranger who couldn't understand what this man was doing. He caught up with him and asked, "What are you doing? There are hundreds of starfish. How many can you help? What difference does it make?” The man did not reply, rather he took two more steps, picked up another one, threw it into the water, and said, "It makes a difference to this one.”With this story as his motivation and ultimate objective, it has always been Dr. Kotadia's goal, with each patient, to provide superior services.

Dr. S. Taylor Williams is a psychiatrist with Talkiatry. She is board-certified in psychiatry and has been practicing over 14 years. Dr. Williams received her MD from the University of Alabama School of Medicine at UAB. She completed her psychiatry residency at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Prior to joining Talkiatry, she held an academic appointment at UTHSC as Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and was the Clinical Director of the Memphis Mental Health Institute. She specializes in the treatment of young adults and LGBTQ patients. Her practice focuses on medication management.‍

Dr. Mary Stephenson is a board-certified Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist with more than 25 years of clinical experience working with this population. Dr. Stephenson's practice focuses on medication management. She believes that the support and involvement of the family are an integral part of the treatment of the client. Additionally, more therapy support may be needed on occasion, and the recommendation to bring a psychotherapist on the care team may occur to provide an optimal outcome. She received her medical degree from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. She completed her psychiatry residency at the University of Louisville School of Medicine, and her child and adolescent training at the Bingham Child Guidance Center, also part of the University of Louisville, in Louisville, Kentucky. After completion of her training, she moved to Colorado where she worked at The Cleo Wallace Center, in Westminster, CO, providing care for hospitalized youth, and clients in the Day Treatment and Residential setting. In 2000, Dr. Stephenson became the primary Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist on the outpatient team at Denver Health Medical Center in Denver, Colorado. Her role was providing diagnostic evaluations, and medication management in Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), and the hospital clinic, working closely with residents, child fellows, and other trainees. She had an academic appointment through the University of Colorado School of Medicine. She treated a varied demographic and had a wide range of diagnoses in the child and adolescent population. From 2016-2021, she worked at Intermountain Health Center in Tucson, AZ providing care in the outpatient setting of the community mental health center. The care was a hybrid model of "in-person” and Telehealth treatment of children and adolescents with various disorders, with an emphasis on diagnostic evaluations of Autism and Autism spectrum disorders.‍

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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