Xiomara Nieves-Alvarado, MD

Dr. Farias is a board-certified physician in both adult and child & adolescent psychiatry, with a focus on the diagnosis and treatment of depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, trauma- and stressor-related disorders, and ADHD. Dr. Farias graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Houston, majoring in Biology with a minor in Chemistry. She then pursued her medical education at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, earning her Doctor of Medicine degree. Dr. Farias completed a three-year psychiatric residency at TTUHSC, followed by fellowship training in child and adolescent psychiatry. She completed her first year of fellowship at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston and her second year at TTUHSC. With a diverse clinical background, Dr. Farias has gained experience in a variety of settings, including academic psychiatry, consult liaison psychiatry, intensive outpatient programs (IOP), partial hospitalization programs (PHP), emergency psychiatry, and outpatient psychiatry. This broad range of experience allows her to provide comprehensive, individualized care to patients at all stages of life. Dr. Farias takes a holistic approach to treatment, incorporating both medication management and psychotherapy. She utilizes principles from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and supportive psychotherapy, recognizing that a combined approach leads to better outcomes for patients.

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. Giselle Brito is board-certified in adult psychiatry and has been practicing for over 4 years. She received her medical degree from San Juan Bautista, School of Medicine in Puerto Rico and continued her medical education at Jackson Memorial Hospital & University of Miami Hospital for her 4-year psychiatry residency training program. After completing her training, Dr. Brito worked at the Miami Veterans Affairs Hospital and then the Orlando Veterans Affairs Hospital in the primary care mental health integrated model. Dr. Brito also holds certification in Perinatal Mental Health. Dr. Brito's practice focuses on medication management and supportive psychotherapy in typically 30-min follow up visits. At times, additional psychotherapy is needed and a therapist may be added to provide the best outcome.‍

Dr. Stephen Geisler is a board-certified adult psychiatrist and has been practicing for over 37 years. His practice focuses on medication management, and typically offers this in conjunction with supportive therapy in 30-minute follow-up visits. If Dr. Geisler feels you would benefit from working with a therapist in conjunction with medication management, he welcomes collaboration with your therapist to make for the best outcome. Dr. Geisler is a graduate of the New York University School of Medicine. He completed a fellowship in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy at the Zucker Hillside Hospital of Northwell Health after finishing his residency training there. He is currently an Assistant Clinical Professor at the Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell. Over the years Dr. Geisler has received a number of awards including NAMI Exemplary Psychiatrist Award, The APA Irma Bland Certificate of Excellence in Teaching Residents, the Zucker Hillside Hospital Department of Psychiatry Recognition Award for Education, and twice received the Outstanding Teacher of the Year Award from the graduating residents' class. Dr. Geisler is a member of the American Psychiatric Association, the Nassau Suffolk District Branch of the APA and the American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology. Through the years, Dr. Geisler has participated in many clinical research projects, has been the co-author of many papers, and has made many presentations. Dr. Geisler specializes in psychopharmacology, especially tailoring individualized treatment to serve the needs of patients with a variety of conditions. He has a lot of experience in treating patients with depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, ADHD, and OCD.

Dr. Kerstin Asquith is a board-certified psychiatrist at Talkiatry. She has extensive experience working with a wide range of diagnoses and patient populations, with particular interest in treating depression, anxiety, PTSD, and OCD. She also has additional training in college mental health. Dr. Asquith believes in the importance of getting to know each of her patients and the unique issues that bring them into treatment. Her approach involves collaborating with patients to create personalized treatment plans and considering both medication and non-medication methods.

Dr. Asquith is from California and completed her undergraduate studies at the University of California, Davis. She obtained her medical degree from Creighton University School of Medicine and then trained at Stanford University's Adult Psychiatry Residency Program. She subsequently completed a fellowship in student mental health at Stanford University. Most recently, Dr. Asquith worked as an outpatient psychiatrist at The Permanente Medical Group. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, trying new foods, and spending time with friends and family.

Violetta Aranda, LPC is a native South Texan and second generation Mexican- American. She is a 2011 graduate of St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas and obtained full LPC licensure in Texas in August of 2017. Her practice focuses on cognitive behavioral modalities within a humanistic client-centered approach to foster healing through self-acceptance and self-awareness. She has over a decade's worth of experience working within the mental health field and fifteen years working directly with children and adolescents in various capacities. Before joining Talkiatry, Miss Aranda practiced exclusively within the community health sector and these experiences provided the opportunity to become fully immersed in Trauma and Crisis Management and fostered the passion for evolving research in the treatment of trauma-informed care. She now aspires to utilize these allocated experiences and passion for the field to promote mental health awareness, client advocacy, and quality of care.