Robynn Cavaliere, PMHNP

Dr. Mandel received his Bachelor of Arts and Doctor of Medicine degrees from the University of Pennsylvania. He completed his Residency in Psychiatry at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Manhattan. He has been board certified in psychiatry since 2001 and is a Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. He has held numerous clinical and academic appointments including serving as Chairperson of Psychiatry at Huntington Hospital in Huntington, New York, and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Hofstra North Shore-LIJ School of Medicine.

Dr. Mandel has over 25 years of clinical experience treating all mental health conditions. He has a strong interest in mood and anxiety disorders, including work-related anxiety. He authored a section on the pharmacology of social anxiety in the book Work Makes Me Nervous. Dr. Mandel also has expertise working with clients diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. He has lectured on the pharmacologic management of this condition, including a presentation at the NIMH International Think Tank for the More Effective Treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder.

Dr. Mandel continually seeks to streamline complex medication regimens. He has completed a fellowship in integrative psychiatry and carefully considers the potential contributions of lifestyle and nutrition to overall mental health and well-being. By taking an eclectic approach, Dr. Mandel is able to achieve the best possible outcome for all whom he is privileged to serve.

Akif A. Khawaja M.D. is a Clinical General Psychiatrist. He has worked in this field since graduating and obtaining his residency from the University of Mississippi Medical Center Department of Neurology and Behavioral Sciences in 1996. He has worked mostly with adults ranging from 18 to 90 years of age. He has served as a director of Intensive Outpatient Programs in the state of Mississippi. He currently focuses on medical management of patients above 50 years of age and has served as a director of Geriatric Psychiatric Units.

He has a particular interest in treating mood, anxiety, and cognitive disorders, including ADHD. Patients working with him can expect thorough and detailed appointments, as he places special emphasis on gathering comprehensive medical and psychiatric histories, including specific dates of past treatments. During initial visits, he carefully reviews previous medical interventions, particularly procedures such as electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and vagus nerve stimulation (VNS).

His approach prioritizes thorough evaluations to ensure accurate diagnoses. He strongly believes that honesty is essential for achieving the best possible treatment outcomes.

Dr. Seth Flesher is double board-certified in adult psychiatry and addiction medicine.  Dr. Flesher’s practice focuses on medication management of psychiatric illness without the use of controlled substances.  Typically, he offers this in conjunction with supportive or emotionally focused therapy in 30-minute follow-up visits. However, occasionally Dr. Flesher may believe that additional therapy is also needed and ask that you bring a therapist into your care team to provide the best outcome.

Before joining Talkiatry Dr. Flesher was Medical Director of Advanced Psychiatric Services [complex/high profile cases] at Kings County Hospital and Unit Chief of the Covid19 positive unit.  He was also a clinical professor at Downstate Medical College where he was voted educator of the year numerous times by psychiatric residents and medical students.  Dr. Flesher is a graduate of the prestigious combined 6-year BS/MD program at The Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education.  He did research at the neuropsychiatric branch of the National Institute of Mental Health, completed his psychiatric residency at St. Lukes/Roosevelt Hospital, and he received his master’s degree in public health from Columbia University.

Dr. Flesher believes that psychiatry should start with a thorough assessment to arrive at an accurate diagnosis.  Then a discussion with the patient of the different evidence-based options available.  Followed by shared decision-making to arrive at an effective treatment plan to achieve the goals that the patient identifies as being important.  This should be done in an honest, open, non-judgmental, but realistic environment.  Understanding that the ultimate goal is to get the patient to a position where they will no longer need medication and/or therapy.

Dr. Wasser is a staff psychiatrist at Talkiatry, dedicated to providing compassionate and effective care through telepsychiatry. He completed his undergraduate studies at Moravian College in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where he focused on Neuroscience and Pre-Medical studies. Subsequently, he pursued his medical degree at Rocky Vista University in Parker, Colorado before completing his psychiatry residency at HCA Aurora in Aurora, Colorado. Dr. Wasser was the recipient of the Chairman's Crystal Distinction of Excellence Award, rewarding a resident's exemplary performance and endorsing a resident's future success in the field of psychiatry. With a strong foundation in both neuroscience and psychiatry, Dr. Wasser approaches each patient with a deep understanding of the mind-body connection and the complexities of mental health. When Dr. Wasser is not providing professional care, he is an advocate for personal health and wellness. He enjoys spending quality time with his wife and family, staying active through exercise, relaxing at the Jersey Shore, and exploring new travel destinations.

Dr. Wasser's approach to patient care is rooted in empathy, trust, and collaboration. He is dedicated to listening closely to each patient's unique concerns and crafting personalized treatment plans that address both immediate symptoms and long-term mental well-being. His specialties include managing mood disorders, anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and stress-related conditions, with a particular emphasis on helping individuals navigate life transitions and mental health challenges.

Dr. Wasser believes in a thorough and patient-centered approach. During the first session, he takes the time to understand his patient’s history, current struggles, and goals for treatment. Together, they establish clear and realistic objectives to guide the treatment process. Dr. Wasser offers a combination of psychotherapy, medication management, and wellness strategies to support his patients. He values open communication and ensures that every patient feels heard and empowered throughout their mental health journey.

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Dr. Suneja practices psychiatry through a collaborative, integrative, disability and healing justice-informed lens. He rejects oversimplified binaries, recognizing that healing requires embracing complexity. His training includes Columbia, Johns Hopkins, and a global mental health fellowship at UCSF. His clinical interests include anxiety, OCD, women’s reproductive mental health, climate stress, intergenerational trauma, immigrant and refugee mental health, and substance use concerns. Based in Tucson, he enjoys desert life, reading, baking, making art, and spending time with his two dogs.

Dr. Suneja provides a healing space that prioritizes each service user’s goals and lived experiences. His approach integrates psychiatric and psychotherapeutic practices with complementary, alternative, and natural therapies, as well as harm reduction. His approach is neurodivergence-, queer-, and gender-affirming as well as trauma-informed. Rejecting the binary of “mentally ill” vs. “mentally healthy,” he recognizes the mind, body, and soul’s inherent complexity.

Dr. Suneja tailors care to each service user. The first session explores goals, treatment options, and optimal meeting frequency. In many cases, visits are more frequent at the beginning of treatment and spaced out over time. He prefers visits at least every 4-6 weeks and integrates psychotherapy into all treatment plans, with many service users benefiting from ongoing deeper therapeutic work.

Dr. Gregory Marc Varhely is a board-certified general adult psychiatrist. He grew up in Austin, Texas, and attended Texas State University, where he earned a BA in Psychology and a Master's degree in Biology/Biochemistry. After graduating from medical school at Ross University, he completed his residency in Psychiatry at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Dr. Varhely has served as an outpatient psychiatrist at the Department of Veterans Affairs and acted as an attending physician for resident psychiatrists at Texas A&M and UT Dell Medical Schools. He then acted as a sole proprietor of an outpatient psychiatric medication management and psychotherapy practice in Georgetown, Texas and later started contracting for North Central Health Care Mental Health Clinic, applying psychotropic medication management expertise to community-based treatment facilities in Wisconsin. Dr. Varhely's approach is rooted in forming meaningful connections with his patients. He wholeheartedly believes that psychological suffering stems from a blend of biological, psychological, social, and environmental factors. Dr. Varhely works together with his patients to uncover these factors and create treatment plans tailored to their specific needs using an eclectic blend of the latest in psychopharmacology, as well as psychodynamic, supportive, and cognitive-behavioral therapy.