Rajesh Gaddam, MD

Staff Psychiatrist
Languages
English
Conditions Treated
ADHD
Anxiety
Bipolar Disorder
Depression
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
PTSD/Trauma
Child/Adolescent
Geriatric

Education and training

  • N.R.I. Medical College Foreign - Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBBS)
  • University of Chicago (Fellowship)
  • Bergen New Bridge Medical Center (Residency)

Get to know

Rajesh Gaddam, MD

Dr. Rajesh Gaddam is a Board Certified Psychiatrist who provides compassionate and empathic care. Prior to his formal training, he worked in clinical psychiatric research at Northwell, gaining experience in evidence-based medicine. He completed his adult psychiatry residency at Bergen New Bridge Medical Center, followed by Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship at The University of Chicago, where he served as Chief Fellow. Dr. Gaddam treats children, adolescents, and adults for a range of conditions including anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, trauma, OCD, ADHD, and substance use disorders. Dr. Gaddam emphasizes a collaborative and comprehensive approach to understand a person's life, their circumstances, and what has contributed to their symptoms. He recommends including a family member or close friend in at least one session to get a sense of challenges from a different perspective. Besides using elements of supportive and psychodynamic psychotherapy, Dr. Gaddam will refer and work with your psychotherapist to foster self-reflection and growth. He also greatly values a holistic approach to treatment, emphasizing the importance of nutrition, physical activity, sleep hygiene, mindfulness, and a support system to well-being. He wishes to provide a safe space to promote healing and wellness, so individuals can prosper in their lives.

Get matched with a clinician like this one

Ready to book your first appointment? Take our 10-minute assessment. We’ll match you with a clinician who meets your needs, has availability, and takes your insurance.

Get started
More Clinicians

Sameerah Akhtar, MD

Staff Psychiatrist

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.

Hector Cardiel-Sam, MD

Staff Psychiatrist

Dr Cardiel- Sam is Board Certified in both General Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. He completed undergraduate training at the University of Miami followed by medical school at St. George's University. He has completed a residency in psychiatry at Bergen New Bridge Medical Center and a fellowship training in child and adolescent psychiatry at Penn State University. ‍His training in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry has given him a unique perspective on mental illness. He has found that these conditions rarely start in adulthood, but rather, are a product of multiple factors and years of lived experience. For this reason, Dr Cardiel-Sam approaches his patients through a trauma-informed lens; an acknowledgement of the unique story and challenges that each individual has faced. He is comfortable treating a wide variety of psychiatric conditions including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, ADHD and many more. ‍Working with Dr Cardiel- Sam, you can expect holistic and collaborative psychiatric treatment. He believes that medication along with therapeutic treatment should fit seamlessly into a patient's life, with minimal inconvenience. He strives to empower patients in shared medical decision making, making time to explain risks/benefits and alternatives for treatment.

Vandana Kethini, MD

Staff Psychiatrist

Dr. Kethini is a board-certified psychiatrist in General psychiatry. She completed her medical degree at St. George's University School of Medicine in Grenada. After completing her residency at Bergen New Bridge Medical Center, she transitioned to an attending psychiatrist at the same place where she completed her residency. During her initial years as an attending, she took care of her own patients and supervised third year residents in the outpatient setting. After a few years, she transitioned to an inpatient setting, where she treated both voluntary and involuntary patients. She also continued to evaluate patients in the emergency room as part of the call group for the last 8 years. ‍Dr. Kethini is passionate about and very experienced in providing a holistic approach along with evidence-based care for patients battling depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, OCD, ADHD, and PTSD. She integrates supportive psychotherapy along with medication management and lifestyle changes such as nutrition, exercise, sleep hygiene, and stress management. She is focused on having a collaborative approach to treatment and forming a therapeutic alliance with every single patient under her care.

Mona Ismail, MD

Staff Psychiatrist

Dr. Ismail is double board-certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in both Adult Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. She earned her medical degree from Cairo University, where she also completed her neurology residency at Cairo University Hospitals. Following this, she pursued psychiatric training at New York Medical College at St. Vincent’s Hospitals, where she was appointed Chief Resident and recognized as Resident of the Year.

Dr. Ismail further specialized with a fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at UMDNJ/Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Her career includes multiple leadership roles, notably serving as Chief of the Child and Adolescent Partial Hospital Programs (PHP) at Rutgers University in Newark, NJ, where she provided direct care to young patients. She has also held Medical Director positions across various clinical settings, including child and adolescent inpatient units, outpatient programs, and intensive outpatient services for both adolescents and adults with mental health and co-occurring substance use disorders.

An active educator, Dr. Ismail has been a teaching faculty member, delivering lectures and providing supervision and evaluations for medical residents and child and adolescent psychiatry fellows. Her academic contributions extend to research, where she has served as a principal investigator on multiple studies.

Throughout her career in leadership and teaching, Dr. Ismail maintained an integrative private practice in New Jersey, serving residents of the NJ and NY metropolitan areas before relocating to North Carolina.

Dr. Ismail is passionate about integrative medicine, which combines evidence-based alternative therapies with conventional treatments to optimize outcomes. Her approach focuses on promoting overall wellness, keeping both the body and mind in harmony.

During the diagnostic evaluation, Dr. Ismail will review your medical history and past treatments to develop a comprehensive, personalized treatment plan that prioritizes your overall wellness. In addition to medication management, she incorporates supportive, cognitive, or psychodynamic psychotherapy during follow-up visits, as time allows. When appropriate, she may also recommend referrals to specialized psychotherapists to address your individual needs as part of a holistic treatment approach.

Patricia Battles, LCSW

Staff Therapist

Pat is a licensed therapist with over two years of experience specializing in mood disorders and trauma. Holding degrees in Clinical Social Work and Music Therapy, she utilizes various evidence-based approaches to support clients in their healing process. Pat's treatment style is client-centered and integrative, drawing from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and EMDR techniques to tailor treatment to the unique needs of each individual. Previously, she worked in child welfare, private practice, forensic mental health, hospice, and palliative care.‍With a passion for supporting adult clients, Pat creates a safe, compassionate space where individuals can explore and address their challenges. She believes strongly in the importance of mental health for all, and aims to foster a collaborative environment focused on personal growth, resilience, and healing. In her off time, Pat enjoys traveling, singing, and spending time with family and loved ones.

Anthony Finch, MD

Staff Psychiatrist

Dr. Anthony Finch is a graduate of the New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center General Psychiatry residency and the Duke University Geriatric Psychiatry fellowship programs; he is board certified in Psychiatry by the ABPN. Dr. Finch was born and raised in New York and now lives in North Carolina. Dr. Finch specializes both in psychiatric medication management and various forms of psychotherapy. He believes that effective psychiatric treatment requires attention to multiple domains, including the establishment of a strong doctor/patient relationship, the development of a sound understanding of who the patient is as an individual, and a comprehensive assessment of spiritual and biological factors contributing to mental health. As such, Dr. Finch's practice includes both pharmacological and psychotherapeutic interventions that aim to treat the whole person on an individualized basis. He sees patients of all ages, specializing in older adults, and treats all psychiatric conditions. Dr. Finch received the 2023 Distinguished House Staff Award from the New York Weill Cornell Medical Center Alumni Council; this is awarded to one graduating house staff member from each department annually for excellence during training. He has conducted research on depression and PTSD, published a number of papers in peer-reviewed journals, presented posters at conferences, and written a chapter for a book on medical education. He practices in both English and German.

Svetlana Schwartz, PMHNP

Staff Nurse Practitioner

Svetlana Schwartz, PMHNP, is a board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner with 18 years of experience in outpatient psychiatry providing care to patients with depression, anxiety, substance abuse, ADHD, Bipolar disorders, OCD, Schizoaffective disorders and Schizophrenia.

Svetlana practice focuses on medication management in conjunction with supportive or cognitive behavioral therapy. She received her Master of Science in Nursing with specialty in adult psychiatry from UMass/Lowell and Bachelor of Science in Nursing from UMass/Boston. She is trained in psychiatric diagnosis, medication management, and psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral therapies. Svetlana has extensive experience evaluating and treating adults in outpatient settings over the past 18 years. Previously, she worked at Arbour HRI Outpatient Clinic in Massachusetts, and for the last 10+ years at Memorial Health Care System in Florida.

As a nurse practitioner, Svetlana believes that addressing mental health concerns is just as important as addressing physical concerns. At Memorial Health Care System, she worked in collaboration with Mind-Body-Wellness Clinic to address patients medical and psychiatric needs. She also trained psychiatric and internal medicine residents in outpatient psychiatry. Svetlana believes that the best approach to mental health is medication management and individual therapy combined.

Theresa Colberg, MD

Staff Psychiatrist

Dr. Theresa Colberg is a board certified adult psychiatrist. She offers guidance with navigating difficult and painful emotions that may result from mood disorders, stressful life situations, the loss of a loved one, traumatic events, attachment traumas, or neurodevelopment disorders. Within a safe, and supportive working relationship, Dr. Colberg will strive to reach an understanding of your unique situation, identify the issues that are interfering with progress, and develop a plan to better identify and achieve your goals. Previous to joining Talkiatry, Dr. Colberg served as a clinical psychiatrist for the VA Healthcare System, providing care for veterans with a predominant focus on treatment of post traumatic stress disorder. She has also worked collaboratively as an integrated psychiatrist for a primary care FQHC, treating psychiatric symptoms within a primary care setting. Dr. Colberg completed her Psychiatry Residency from Mount Sinai-Beth Israel in New York City and obtained her medical degree from Temple Medical School in Philadelphia. She offers 60-minute initial appointments and 30-minute follow-up appointments, and she won't hesitate to collaborate with other mental health experts as necessary to better support your needs.

Laura Obler, MD

Staff Psychiatrist

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.

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.

Karel Routhier, MD

Staff Psychiatrist

Dr. Routhier was born in Quebec, Canada. She attended medical school at Ross University School of Medicine and graduated in three years with high honors. She trained as a psychiatry resident at Case Western Reserve School of Medicine in Cleveland, OH where she served as a junior attending and the medical student coordinator. She then was recruited by Monterey County Behavioral Health, CA as a clinical psychiatrist where she provided medication management and psychotherapy services to over 400 patients over the course of five years. She also created and led two dialectical behavior therapy groups for teens and young adults while training therapists and social workers to become group facilitators.

Dr. Routhier firmly believes in the mind-body connection. She feels that when the mind suffers, the body hurts as well and vice versa. As a result, she has developed a holistic approach to psychiatry and is comfortable offering a wide array of treatment modalities such as breathwork, dialectical behavior therapy, guided meditation, supportive psychotherapy, behavioral activation and medication management. She maintains that autonomy and a thorough understanding of one’s diagnosis and prognosis are critical for progress and healing. Her broad range of worldly experiences gives her the ability to work in a non judgemental, open-minded and authentic fashion. She connects with clients with ease and is passionate about self-awareness, constant evolution and empowering people so they can find their own way to happiness and health. She pushes her clients to find ways to build a life worth living, way beyond the goal of symptom resolution typical to psychiatry.

1. Getting to know you/understanding your “why”. Why are you seeking mental health treatment and why now? 2. Establish a list of issues and improvement zones. 3. Creating therapeutic goals. What do you want to work on? 4. Choosing treatment modalities to directly address these goals within a specific time frame. I provide updated and evidence-based information, and YOU choose what we do. 5. Figuring out the root causes to problems, symptoms and maladaptive behaviors/habits. How did this all start? Where does it come from? 6. Regular check-ins on how the treatment plan and therapeutic relationship are working for you. Are we a good fit? Are we meeting your goals/expectations? If not, back to the drawing board!

Marsha Wheatley, MD

Staff Psychiatrist

What has motivated Dr. Wheatley over the course of her career as a caregiver? Dr. Wheatley is a native Houstonian who grew up in a working-class community. Through curiosity and hard work, she was able to attend a university that included people of vastly different life experiences. She was molded by both communities to appreciate the commonalities of humanity. That broad exposure extended her empathetic spectrum to grasp the needs of the American diaspora.

Dr. Wheatley uses a biopsychosocial approach to evaluate the patient. She gathers patient history with a mindset that considers the neuroscience that chemically shapes mood, thoughts, and behavior. She is able to uncover factors that can inhibit psychological growth and development. She has experience in seeing how the social conditions of the “then” can influence the resiliency of the “now”. Dr. Wheatley appreciates, and is proficient in, advances in technology, but prioritizes the analog relationship between doctor and patient.

Meeting people where they are. It is an old trope, but describes how one allows a patient to set the path forward. An open-ended interview is conducted with an open mind towards resolution. When being evaluated and treated by Dr. Wheatley, a patient can expect to be met in a cordial but professional manner. Treatments are discussed and considered based on the mental state of the patient and the clinical efficacy and scientific evidence of benefit. The patient is invited to ask questions and consider whether they wish to pursue the suggested treatment plan.

Ready to get matched?

Start our short assessment