Rachael Nelson, MD

Dr. Alexandra Dunn is a board-certified adult psychiatrist who completed her medical training at the University of California Irvine School of Medicine. She then moved to New York to complete her psychiatric residency training at Mount Sinai Beth Israel. During training, Dr. Dunn gained extensive clinical experience in psychiatric inpatient, outpatient, and emergency settings, allowing her the opportunity to treat patients of all ages and backgrounds. In addition, she co-led a mindfulness group at the outpatient clinic, worked with students at Baruch College, and rotated with the Assertive Community Treatment team at MSBI. Ultimately, Dr. Dunn chose outpatient care, focusing on treating patients with mood and anxiety disorders. While her practice primarily emphasizes medication management, she also incorporates supportive and cognitive behavioral therapy techniques in her sessions with patients. If appropriate, Dr. Dunn will refer you for psychotherapy and collaborate with your therapist to support your care. She looks forward to meeting and working with you to help you feel better.

Dr.Gusta Shurdut is a board-certified adult psychiatrist with 8 year experience. She completed her medical training at SUNY Downstate Medical center in Brooklyn, and psychiatric residency at Mount Sinai Beth Israel, NYC. After her residency, she worked as an assistant professor at Mount Sinai Psychiatric Ambulatory Services. Dr.Shurdut graduated magna cum laude from Columbia University with an undergraduate degree in biology. Prior to moving to New York, she obtained a degree in communications and public relations and worked as a journalist at her hometown in Latvia.

Dr.Shurdut believes in individual, empathetic, and collaborative treatment approach. Through her residency and work experiences, Dr.Shurdut has developed expertise to treat various mental health conditions including mood disorders, anxiety, OCD, ADHD, PTSD. While her primary focus is medication management, she also incorporates CBT, psychodynamic and supportive psychotherapy.

Dr.Shurdut’s goal is empowering patients to participate in their healthcare choices. As a psychiatrist, she feels honored to witness the complexity of the human experience, and curious to explore the factors that contribute to it.  On intake appointment, she will take time to understand your concern, provide assessment, discuss treatment options and collaboratively decide on most appropriate action. The follow up appointments are usually 30 minutes and include a psychotherapy modality.

Getting to know meDr. Kishan Peddanna is a board-certified general psychiatrist with experience treating patients across the lifespan. He attended The Ohio State University for his undergraduate studies and earned his medical degree from the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Peddanna completed his residency in General Psychiatry at The Ohio State University and a fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.

Dr. Peddanna values continuity of care and collaboration, working with patients toward long-term improvements while building meaningful connections. His approach is grounded in shared decision-making, ensuring treatment plans align with each patient’s goals. He has extensive experience managing conditions such as ADHD, mood disorders, and anxiety.

Dr. Peddanna’s practice focuses on medication management complemented by supportive psychotherapy. He uses evidence-based assessments and interventions to guide individualized treatment planning, fostering a care experience that is both effective and patient-centered.

Dr. Stephanie Negrey is a board certified psychiatrist. She completed her undergraduate degree in Biology and History at Fordham University in the Bronx and then attended medical school at the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University. She completed her residency at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio as a member of the United States Air Force. Dr. Negrey served as an active duty psychiatrist; her duties included medical director of the mental health clinic at a special operations base as well as a program manager for the Air Force substance use program.

Dr. Negrey has experience treating a wide range of ages and diagnoses, with particular emphasis on personality disorders, depression, anxiety, and post traumatic stress disorder. She integrates supportive and psychodynamic therapies into her medication management appointments with a goal of achieving improvement through a holistic approach. Dr. Negrey will work with patients to reach their goals for their mental health care while also providing a compassionate and collaborative environment.

Dr. James “Jim” Staudenmeier is a physician with a distinguished career in military and civilian psychiatry. A retired Colonel in the U.S. Army, he has served as a plenary and invited speaker at national and international conferences on topics including addiction, electroconvulsive therapy, hypnotherapy, and quality improvement. He is a Certified Healthcare Executive, holds a master’s degree in preventive medicine and biometrics, and has published in peer-reviewed journals. His clinical background includes pain management, addiction psychiatry, child and adult psychiatry, and academic appointments at multiple universities.

Dr. Staudenmeier values collaboration and encourages patients to ask questions, clarify expectations, and identify their primary concerns from the start. While medication management is part of care, he emphasizes insight, goal setting, and skill building. He integrates hypnotherapy, guided imagery, relaxation, and meditation to support wellness, pain management, sleep, anxiety, and addiction, tailoring treatment to each patient’s needs.

Dr. Staudenmeier takes a flexible, whole-person approach, combining medication management with evidence-based therapies such as CBT, CPT, motivational interviewing, and family-based interventions. He works comfortably with children, adults, families, service members, Veterans, and individuals facing life transitions, including end-of-life concerns. His goal is to help patients develop practical tools for lasting mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being.

Dr. Nidhi Sharoha is a double board certified psychiatrist in Psychiatry and Consultation Liaison Psychiatry. She completed her undergraduate training at Stony Brook University followed by medical school at New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine. She has completed both a Residency in Psychiatry and Fellowship in Consultation Liaison Psychiatry at Nassau University Medical Center.

Dr. Sharoha has held academic appointments at Stony Brook University Hospital, practicing as a consultant psychiatrist and Associate Director of Consultation Liaison Psychiatry Fellowship. “Dr. Sharoha has accrued experience and expertise in Perinatal Psychiatry through her training in CL psychiatry. Currently, Dr. Sharoha is serving as President Elect of Long Island District Branch  of APA. She  has formerly served as Associate Director of Clinical Education here at Talkiatry.” She has contributed to education, training and supervision of trainees and physicians throughout her career.   She continues to stay up to date with current psychiatric knowledge.

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 also has experience in treating patients with medical comorbidities and has training in issues related to women's health. Patients looking for a psychiatric provider will find that Dr. Sharoha has a gentle approach to diagnosis and management of her patients. She believes in the principle that body and mind are interconnected, which allows her to provide comprehensive care to all of her patients.