Tulsie Patel, MD

Dr. Catherine Bledowski is board-certified in General Psychiatry and Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry (Psychosomatic Medicine) by the ABPN.  She received her medical degree from the University of South Carolina School of Medicine and completed her residency in General Psychiatry as well as her fellowship in Consultation-Liaison Psychiatry (Psychosomatic Medicine) at Virginia Commonwealth University.  Dr. Bledowski spent most of her career in large, urban academic medical centers, primarily taking care of patients with severe mental illness, as well as those with mental illness comorbid with other complex medical conditions.  

Dr. Bledowski has a passion for medical education and has held faculty appointments at Virginia Commonwealth University, University of Utah, Georgetown University, George Washington University, and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.  Dr. Bledowski has authored numerous peer-reviewed journal articles and provided academic presentations to both national and international audiences.  Her interests include emergency psychiatry, brain stimulation therapies, complex psychopharmacology, and psychopharmacology in the medically ill.  Prior to joining Talkiatry, Dr. Bledowski held various leadership positions in academic medicine, emergency psychiatry, consultation-liaison psychiatry, and brain stimulation at multiple academic medical centers.  

Dr. Bledowski's approach to patient care is centered upon collaboration and utilizing the most up-to-date evidence-based practices.

Dr. S. Taylor Williams is a psychiatrist with Talkiatry. She is board-certified in psychiatry and has been practicing over 14 years. Dr. Williams received her MD from the University of Alabama School of Medicine at UAB. She completed her psychiatry residency at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Prior to joining Talkiatry, she held an academic appointment at UTHSC as Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and was the Clinical Director of the Memphis Mental Health Institute. She specializes in the treatment of young adults and LGBTQ patients. Her practice focuses on medication management.‍

Dr. Bartek holds the position of Staff Psychiatrist at Talkiatry. She is board-certified in General Psychiatry, Pediatrics, and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. She has been caring for children and adolescents as a physician for more than 15 years. Dr. Bartek's approach is holistic, collaborative, supportive, and patient-centered. Dr. Bartek draws on her years as a pediatrician working with families and children in her work as a psychiatrist. Dr. Bartek incorporates therapeutic techniques into medication management visits, but she may also recommend adding a therapist to your care team for the best results. She received her medical degree from the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, WA, before moving to Memphis to complete her residency in Pediatrics at the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center and Le Bonheur Children's Hospital. She completed her undergraduate studies at Haverford College in Pennsylvania. After completing training, she remained in Memphis and worked in the Le Bonheur Children's Hospital Emergency Department as a pediatrician. She then moved to Nashville to work at the Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt in the Emergency Department Fast Track and After-Hours Clinics. Dr. Bartek transitioned to primary care pediatrics at Pediatric Associates of Davidson County for several years before returning to the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis to complete the Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Post-Pediatric Portal Fellowship program. Dr. Bartek's primary clinical focus is treating children and adolescents.

Dr. Boski Patel holds the position of psychiatrist at Talkiatry. She is double board-certified in geriatric and adult psychiatry and she has been practicing for over 3 years. Dr. Patel's practice focuses on medication management and she typically in conjunction with supportive therapy in 30-minute follow-up visits. On occasion, Dr. Patel may believe that additional therapy is also needed and asks that you bring a therapist into your care team to provide the best outcome. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Pittsburgh, and then went on to receive her medical degree from Penn State University. Following medical school, she completed general psychiatry residency training at the University of Connecticut where she was Chief resident of outpatient psychiatric services. During that time, she was also chosen as an Honors scholar by the American Association of Geriatric Psychiatry. After training, she moved to California to do her geriatric psychiatry fellowship at Stanford. Following her fellowship, she worked at Kaiser Permanente in clinical roles of outpatient, geriatric, and C/L.

Dr. Dennis Valerstain is a board-certified Adult and Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist. After completing his undergraduate education at Emory University, he attended medical school at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. He subsequently completed psychiatry residency at University of Miami/Jackson Health System and further sub-specialized at University of Miami/Jackson Health System with a fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Dr. Valerstain has had the opportunity of working with a diverse array of patients including children, adolescents, the severely mentally ill, veterans, and cancer patients across three distinct hospital systems. Dr. Valerstain has had varied clinical experiences in specialty inpatient psychiatry units, emergency psychiatry, consultation liaison psychiatry, psycho-oncology, and outpatient clinics via telemedicine and face to face interactions. Dr. Valerstain has experience working with patients of all ages, particularly those with depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, ADHD, Tic disorders, substance use disorders, and more. Dr. Valerstain's practice focuses on medication management and also employs empathic listening, supportive psychotherapy techniques, and a comprehensive and methodological approach to his visits. Given his broad and diverse training experiences, he enjoys problem solving and working collaboratively with patients (and their families) to navigate their complex issues and jointly focusing on simple solutions to work towards improving their mental health.

Thomas Ittoop, MD has experience practicing in both academic and community settings. He earned his medical degree from Central Michigan University and completed his psychiatry residency at Baylor College of Medicine. His background reflects a commitment to comprehensive, patient-centered care grounded in clinical rigor and human understanding.

Dr. Ittoop fosters a warm, collaborative environment rooted in genuine human connection. He values uncovering core patterns, meaning, and the story beneath symptoms. His approach emphasizes curiosity, emotional insight, and self-understanding. Patients can expect transparency, clear communication, and shared goal-setting that honors their strengths, long-term vision, and capacity for resilience and wholeness.

He begins with a thorough initial evaluation exploring symptoms, personal and family history, personality patterns, and desired life changes. Together, he and his patients identify core goals and develop a personalized treatment plan. His integrative therapeutic style includes thoughtful medication management, regular check-ins, and a focus on long-term transformation—building clarity, resilience, and a grounded sense of self that extends beyond treatment.