Sarita Sharma, MD

Dr. Deringer is a psychiatrist with board certification in general psychiatry and addiction psychiatry. She earned her M.D. from the University of Michigan Medical School, and she completed her psychiatry residency and addiction psychiatry fellowship training at New York University. She has previously held faculty roles at New York University School of Medicine and Harvard Medical School. She has been involved in training the next generation of psychiatrists through her past work on the Program Director team for the MGH-McLean Psychiatry Residency Program. She has expertise in treating adults with mood disorders, anxiety disorders, substance use disorders, personality disorders, trauma, and ADHD.

Dr. Deringer cares deeply about understanding each patient's unique experience.  She recognizes that mental health symptoms are impacted by an individual's biological make-up, social situation, and their individual way of interacting with others in the world.  She will assess all of these factors and work with you to develop an appropriate treatment plan to help you feel better and meet your goals.  She incorporates supportive psychotherapy into all of her patient meetings; this may include discussions of the role of nutrition, exercise, and sleep habits in your overall well-being.

Dr. Deringer will begin the evaluation process with a thorough one-hour session in which we will discuss your current symptoms, your prior treatment history, your medical history, and your goals for treatment.  At the end of that session, she will begin to formulate her diagnostic impression and treatment recommendations.  Sometimes, the evaluation process may require more than one session, and it may be helpful for Dr. Deringer to gather information, with your permission, from prior treatment or to collaborate with your therapist if you have one.  Dr. Deringer will work with you on a medication treatment plan, if clinically indicated, to help you manage your symptoms and achieve your treatment goals.

Dr. Wellin is a double board certified psychiatrist specializing in child and adolescent psychiatry and adult psychiatry. She has been in private practice and worked in community clinics for over 44 years. Dr. Wellin's practice focuses on medication management in conjunction with supportive psychotherapy in 30-minute follow-up visits. She encourages a team approach involving psychotherapists, medical doctors, and parents and family when appropriate, to provide holistic care for optimal outcomes. Dr. Wellin received her medical degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, in Bronx, NY. She did her residency in adult psychiatry at the Jacobi Hospital Department of Psychiatry in Bronx, NY. Her fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry at Columbia University St Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital NYC followed. For the last 5 years, she has been an assistant clinical professor at the Adolescent Health Center at Mt Sinai Hospital NY. During this period she was also a consulting psychiatrist at the McShane Center for Psychological Services at Pace University. Dr. Wellin trained at the Psychoanalytic Institute at NYU. She was certified in hypnosis by NYSEPH in NYC and she has also received training in EMDR. Dr. Wellin worked at a NYC rehab for substance abusers and was the medical director of a private program for children of substance abusers and their families. Her primary current focus is on adolescents and college-aged patients.

Dr. Mullenix is a board-certified adult psychiatrist who strives to form strong therapeutic and collaborative environments with patients and values patient empowerment. Dr. Mullenix received his medical degree from the Chicago Medical School and then went on to complete his residency in psychiatry at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital. His interests and expertise are in helping patients struggling with depression, anxiety, including social/obsessive compulsive and generalized anxiety disorders, and ADHD. He provides psychiatric medication management along with supportive, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and other modalities of therapeutic treatment. Dr. Mullenix's practice focuses primarily on medication management, or pharmacotherapy. He routinely incorporates supportive therapy into his 30-minute follow-up visits. Dr. Mullenix may occasionally recommend that a therapist be part of the care team to provide optimal outcomes. The philosophy of his practice is to actively involve patients in the decision-making process to improve adherence to treatment and build trusting relationships with all patients.

Dr. Bloom is a psychiatrist with over 30 years of clinical experience. She earned her medical degree from the University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry in Rochester, NY, and completed her psychiatry residency at the University of Cincinnati.

"What should a new patient know about working with you?"

Throughout her career, Dr. Bloom has worked in a variety of settings including inpatient, outpatient, emergency, and consultation services, with a focus on the public sector. She has been privileged to treat underserved populations and military veterans and has enjoyed mentoring medical students and psychiatry residents. Dr. Bloom has expertise in treating a wide range of psychiatric conditions, including clinical depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other anxiety disorders.

Dr. Bloom takes a collaborative approach to care, believing that the best outcomes are achieved through a close partnership with her patients. She views them as experts in their own experiences and works with them to combine their insights with her expertise in medication management to minimize suffering. Patient education is a cornerstone of her practice. She typically combines supportive psychotherapy with medication management and is also trained in mindfulness techniques and Internal Family Systems psychotherapy.

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Dr. Alexandra ("Sasha”) Blaes is a board-certified psychiatrist. Before joining Talkiatry, she practiced consult-liaison psychiatry, seeing medically ill patients with psychiatric problems at the Department of Veterans Affairs, where she also treated veterans in nursing homes. Dr. Blaes graduated from New York University with a B.A. in philosophy and photography and worked in nonprofit marketing in New York before deciding she wanted to pursue a life in medicine. Following a post-baccalaureate, pre-medical program at Columbia University, Dr. Blaes completed medical school at The University of Maryland, followed by a psychiatry residency at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. While at Johns Hopkins, she mastered clinical assessment and treatment of general psychiatric problems. She also received specialized training in eating disorders, addiction, reproductive psychiatry, chronic pain, and geriatric psychiatry, an interest she pursued further with a fellowship at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. In fellowship and in her subsequent experience at the VA, she developed expertise in caring for the difficulties that can accompany aging, including depression, anxiety, and memory loss, as well as the stress of medical illness. Dr. Blaes' practice focuses on medication management. She works to foster a safe and collaborative space in which patients can address psychiatric illness and other barriers holding them back from the lives they want to lead. Typically, she offers appointments for medication management coupled with supportive or emotionally focused therapy in 30-minute sessions. When Dr. Blaes feels that additional therapy is needed, she will suggest inviting a therapist to join the team for additional support and guidance. She welcomes collaborations with other clinicians, be they therapists or other physicians caring for her patients. She strives to build strong therapeutic relationships that help patients grow and meet their goals - whatever their situation, challenge, or life stage. Dr. Blaes welcomes patients from all walks of life and cultural backgrounds and is LGBTQ+ friendly. In addition to her background in geriatrics, she has experience working with peripartum women and enjoys working with patients navigating major life changes.

Nan Ambrosy is a PMHNP with over 23 years of experience in outpatient and inpatient settings, caring for patients across the lifespan with a wide range of diagnoses. She earned her Doctor of Nursing Practice from Graceland University and holds master’s and post-graduate certificates from Wichita State University. She is ANCC board-certified as both an Adult Psychiatric Clinical Nurse and Lifespan Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner.

Nan uses a patient-centered approach with shared decision-making, fostering strong therapeutic relationships. She focuses on the whole person, emphasizing a balanced lifestyle that includes physical health, sleep, nutrition, exercise, social connections, and spirituality.

She begins with a thorough biopsychosocial assessment and collaborates with patients to set treatment goals. Using clinical judgment and diagnostic criteria, she develops individualized plans, discussing evidence-based treatment options such as therapy and medications. Follow-ups include ongoing monitoring to assess progress and refine goals as needed.