Sumbal Akhter, DO

Surya Sabhapathy, MD, MPH is a board-certified adult psychiatrist based in Chicago, IL. They earned their medical and public health degrees from the University of Michigan, then completed residency training at the University of Illinois - Chicago. They served on the UIC faculty as an attending psychiatrist for several years before joining Talkiatry.  

Dr. Sabhapathy is an experienced general psychiatrist specializing in LGBTQ+ and women's mental health. They previously directed UIC's psychiatric Gender and Sexuality Clinic, providing LGBTQ+ affirming care with an emphasis on support for gender-expansive patients. They have contributed to the National Curriculum on Reproductive Psychiatry, and continue to manage mental health issues during pregnancy and postpartum. Their other clinical interests include PTSD, ADHD, co-occurring medical conditions, and culturally sensitive care.  

Dr. Sabhapathy values warmth, curiosity, and shared decision-making. Initial sessions focus on comprehensive psychiatric evaluation and understanding individual goals. From there, Dr. Sabhapathy works with patients to develop treatment plans that may combine medication management, supportive therapy, and positive lifestyle changes

Dr. Ellis is a graduate of Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in Piscataway, NJ. He completed his psychiatric residency at Cooper Hospital/University Medical Center in Camden, NJ, where he served as Chief Resident his senior year. Dr. Ellis has served as Assistant Medical Director of the community mental health center of Gloucester County for 28 years, providing care to a diverse population. Additionally, Dr. Ellis maintained a private practice for 15 years, treating individuals and their families with ongoing collaboration with therapists and other health care providers

Tiffany Vickers is a board-certified Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner who earned her Master of Science Degree from Southeastern Louisiana University. She takes a holistic approach to mental health by recognizing the essential connection between the mind and body. Tiffany has 26 years of diverse experience in the clinical, home, and telepsychiatry settings.

Tiffany is committed to creating a safe, supportive, and nonjudgmental space where clients feel heard. She is especially passionate about reducing the stigma surrounding mental illness and believes in partnering closely with clients to help them achieve meaningful and lasting progress.

New patients working with Tiffany can expect a collaborative, respectful, and goal-oriented approach to care. She specializes in treating adults with ADHD, anxiety, bipolar disorder, depression, OCD, and PTSD. Tiffany's treatment approach utilizes a combination of medication management, lifestyle modifications, supportive therapy, and solution-focused techniques.

Her approach is grounded in empathy, clinical expertise, and a commitment to helping each individual achieve their mental health goals.

Tiffany follows a multi-stage, personalized approach when working with clients. She begins by gathering a comprehensive history, understanding the client's primary concerns, and identifying both short- and long-term goals. From there, she collaborates with each individual to develop a tailored treatment plan that includes client-specific interventions.

Tiffany's process is dynamic and adaptive! She monitors each client's progress and adjusts care as needed to ensure it remains aligned with their needs and goals. This thoughtful, individualized approach supports lasting outcomes and empowers clients to take an active role in their mental health journey.

Dr. Sierra-Cintron is board-certified in adult psychiatry by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and has been in practice for 12 years. Dr. Sierra-Cintron focuses her practice on medication management. She also engages in supportive therapy in a comprehensive way, focusing on the patient as a whole and not just the symptoms. Dr. Sierra-Cintron has a broad understanding of vitamin support as an adjunctive treatment to traditional medication. She has broadened her understanding of second-line treatment, having been certified in Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT), conducting clinics in Clozapine and Long-Acting Antipsychotics (LOA), and even conducting assessments for patients interested in weight loss surgery. Dr. Sierra-Cintron has a comprehensive approach to treatment, and might consider the addition of therapy, either by referral or collaborating with an existing therapist for a more rounded approach and improved outcome. Dr. Sierra-Cintron received her medical degree from the Universidad Central del Caribe located in Bayamon, Puerto Rico. Upon graduation, she relocated to Philadelphia, where she started her residency program at Einstein Medical Center. After completing her training, she worked for 8 years in a community mental health clinic, treating an underserved population in all modalities of psychiatric care. In her 12-year career, Dr. Sierra-Cintron has treated both adult males and females, including seniors. This has led to varied and wide-ranging diagnoses during the length of her career. After leaving the community clinic setting, she started working for an outpatient clinic in a suburb of Philadelphia. Dr. Sierra-Cintron's current areas of focus are adults with Mood Disorders, Anxiety Co-Occurring Substance disorders, as well as patients with varied concomitant medical problems.‍

Dr. Liss was born and raised in a neighborhood in the North Bronx. He attended Queens College, CUNY where he graduated Summa Cum Laude with a B.A. in Hebrew. He completed Medical school at NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine in Old Westbury, NY and thereafter was accepted to NUMC for psychiatry residency training. For his final year of residency training Dr. Liss was appointed to the position of Chief Resident for Academics & Research for the Psychiatry residency program at NUMC, Nassau University Medical Center. He received two awards during his residency training, including the Acute Mental Health Services Award and the Ambulatory Mental Health Services Award at the end of his 2nd and 3rd years of residency training, respectively. At NUMC, Dr. Liss underwent a rigorous training in a multitude of psychiatric settings and has experience with managing a wide array of psychiatric areas of treatment including mood/bipolar disorders, ADHD, depression, anxiety, personality disorders, as well as the intersection of medical disorders and psychiatric disorders. For his outpatient practice, Dr. Liss anticipates focusing on mood disorders, anxiety disorders, OCD, personality disorders, and family dynamics .Dr. Liss' practice focuses on a duality of treatment strategies: specifically psychotropic medication management in conjunction with non-pharmacologic treatment modalities including supportive psychotherapy, emotive supportive psychotherapy, as well as personalized variants of psychodynamic/interpersonal psychotherapy. Additionally, Dr. Liss has experience facilitating the coordination of psychosocial treatments in underserved populations.‍

Dr. Anangamanjari Pedapudi earned her medical degree and completed her residency at the University of South Florida. She completed a fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of Colorado and is double board-certified in General Psychiatry and Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Dr. Pedapudi has experience in inpatient settings and treating a broad range of psychiatric conditions, including co-morbid substance use disorders.

Dr. Pedapudi values a holistic, evidence-based approach to psychiatric care. She considers the whole individual, including their environment, to provide comprehensive, personalized treatment that supports both mental and emotional well-being.

She begins with a thorough history to understand each patient’s concerns and goals. Dr. Pedapudi develops individualized treatment plans with regular follow-up, integrating psychotherapy and medication management to provide coordinated, collaborative mental health care.