Tracey Griffin, LMHC

Dr. Kotadia is a board-certified psychiatrist who completed his psychiatry residency training program at Nassau University Medical Center in Long Island, NY. After completing training, he has been practicing outpatient psychiatry and specializes in the evaluation and management of major psychiatric disorders, including depression, and anxiety. He uniquely combines his education, training, and practical experiences into specialized treatment plans. Typically, he offers this in conjunction with supportive or emotionally focused therapy in 30-minute follow-up visits. However, occasionally Dr. Kotadia may believe that additional therapy is also needed and ask that you bring a therapist into your care team to provide the best outcome. A story that Dr. Kotadia came across years back still inspires him each day. A man was taking a morning walk at the beach. He saw that along with the morning tide, came hundreds of starfish. When the tide receded, the starfish were left behind and would die in the morning sun. While the tide was fresh, and the starfish were alive, the man took a few steps, picked one up and threw it into the water and continued throwing starfish back into the ocean. Behind him was a stranger who couldn't understand what this man was doing. He caught up with him and asked, "What are you doing? There are hundreds of starfish. How many can you help? What difference does it make?” The man did not reply, rather he took two more steps, picked up another one, threw it into the water, and said, "It makes a difference to this one.”With this story as his motivation and ultimate objective, it has always been Dr. Kotadia's goal, with each patient, to provide superior services.

Dr. Wharton-Mohammed is double board certified in General Psychiatry as well as Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. She has worked in various settings with culturally diverse populations. Her primary focus has been caring for children in the outpatient programs. Dr. Wharton-Mohammed has spent over ten years as an administrative leader. She has chaired and co-chaired committees overseeing the practice of fellow Psychiatrists and served as the Discipline Chief. She has been teaching/ supervising Nurse Practitioner students and Physician assistant students. Dr. Wharton-Mohammed is experienced with a wide variety of psychiatric diagnoses and therapeutic modalities. She is a dedicated clinician who looks out for her patients. She views each patient and their caregivers' circumstance as unique. She takes a holistic approach with a collaborative approach to help patients understand their options. While the focus may be on psycho education and medication management with supportive and psychodynamic therapeutic interventions, there may be a need for additional therapy. She may ask that a therapist be added to your treatment team. She works towards establishing a meaningful trusting relationship and looks forward to working with you to help you achieve your goals.

Dr. Alicia Garcete is a board-certified child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist who has been in practice for over 12 years. Her practice focuses on medication management, recognizing family involvement is extremely important and is an integral part of treatment. Dr. Garcete has treated a wide variety of patients with medication management, and she can provide supportive therapy and elements of cognitive-behavioral therapy, but on occasions more therapy support is needed. Additionally, she can provide supportive therapy and elements of cognitive-behavioral therapy, but on occasions more therapy support may be needed, and the recommendation to bring a psychotherapist on the care team may occur to provide an optimal outcome. Dr. Garcete is bilingual and provides care in both Spanish and English. Prior to Talkiatry, Dr. Garcete treated children, adolescents, and adults at the intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization levels of care with focus on behavioral approaches in the Depression recovery and Anxiety/OCD programs. Dr. Garcete earned her Medical Degree from the Universidad Nacional de Asuncion, Facultad de Ciencias Medicas in Paraguay. She completed her general psychiatry residency at Maimonides Medical Center in New York. She was also a Fellow in Psychoanalysis at the Psychoanalytic Institute, Affiliate to New York University School of Medicine, and completed her child and adolescent psychiatrist fellowship at Elmhurst Hospital Center, affiliate to Mount Sinai Hospital. Dr. Garcete also held a clinical assistant professor appointment from the department of psychiatry at SUNY Downstate Medical Center.

Dr. Stephen Byrd is a clinical psychiatrist at Talkiatry. He is board-certified in both psychiatry and addiction medicine. He has been practicing for over 31 years in a wide variety of settings, including working with inpatients and outpatients in private practice, community mental health, geriatric, VA, and community hospital/medical center settings. Dr. Byrd's practice focuses on evidence-based medication management, usually provided in conjunction with 30-minute supportive psychotherapy, which is informed by cognitive behavior therapy, psychodynamic psychotherapy, and motivational enhancement. When more intensive therapy is needed, Dr Byrd may ask you to include a therapist as part of your care team. He received his medical degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine in Ohio and completed his residency training in psychiatry at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, University Hospitals of Cleveland. Throughout his career, he has treated patients with a wide variety of conditions in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Additionally, He has served as director of inpatient geropsychiatry at Lutheran Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio, program manager of the substance abuse treatment program at the Charlie Norwood Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Augusta, Georgia, and medical director of outpatient behavioral health at Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise, Idaho. Throughout his career, Dr. Byrd has been active in training medical students and psychiatry residents, and he has held clinical teaching appointments at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine, Medical College of Georgia, University of Washington School of Medicine, Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine and Pacific Northwest University of Health Sciences College of Osteopathic Medicine.�.�

Dr. Aneela Ali is a Board-certified Adult Psychiatrist. She completed medical school at Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Karachi, and her Psychiatry Residency training at Metropolitan Hospital Center, New York. After her residency, she pursued some additional training in consult liaison psychiatry, further developing her expertise in caring for patients with complex medical and psychiatric comorbidities. ‍She was part of the esteemed faculty at Stony Brook University as an Assistant clinical Professor and staff Psychiatrist. She has also gained experience in Telehealth, providing virtual care to patients and enjoying the flexibility and convenience it offers. She treats various mental health conditions including depression, anxiety disorders, Bipolar disorder, PTSD, and OCD. Dr. Ali takes time to explain complex concepts in a clear and accessible way, equipping her patients with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions about their care. Her compassionate approach puts patients at ease, allowing them to open up and embark on a journey of healing and recovery. By actively involving patients in their treatment, Dr. Ali empowers them to take an informed and active role in their care, fostering a collaborative relationship that promotes well-being and understanding.

Dr. Melissa Desa is a board-certified psychiatrist who completed her residency in 2011 at the University of Rochester, where she served as chief resident of acute services. She stayed on at the university working in both the emergency room, or Comprehensive Psychiatric Emergency Program (CPEP), and community mental health clinic for Severely Mentally Ill (SMI) patients. She enjoyed supervising both medical students and psychiatry residents in both settings, teaching psychopharmacology and psychotherapy. She's also experienced in treating patients in long-term residential treatment, both in a state hospital for Severely Mentally Ill patients, and as part of a coordinated effort to restore competency for incarcerated individuals with severe mood or psychotic disorders. She most recently worked as part of a collaborative mental health team that worked with incarcerated individuals with mental illness. She enjoys collaborative care, through the lens of the biopsychosocial model, and helping patients tell their story in a safe space.