Hala Mouneimne, DO

Dr. Macdonnell is a double-boarded psychiatrist with over 25 years of experience in adult psychiatry and geriatric psychiatry. Dr. Macdonnell focuses on treating individuals with medication management. Supportive and interpersonal therapy is incorporated as needed. When additional therapy or longer sessions are necessary to enhance the individual's treatment, she invites a therapist to become a member of your care team. Dr. Macdonnell attended undergraduate school at Manhattan School of Music earning a bachelor's and master's degree in violin performance and musicology. She then attended the City University of New York � Hunter College campus majoring in premedical sciences. Dr. Macdonnell attended Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, New York, earning a degree in MD. She completed an internship in internal medicine before entering psychiatry residency at New York-Presbyterian Hospital � Westchester Division. After completing her residency, she stayed for an additional year, completing a fellowship in geriatric psychiatry. She was promoted to Attending Psychiatrist and Unit Chief of the Geriatric Partial Hospital Program. After two years in academic psychiatry, she entered private practice in New York and Connecticut for 8 years. She then served 2 years in the National Health Service providing outpatient care to an underserved area in central Florida. Moving to Georgia, she has worked in private practice and academic psychiatry at Mercer University College of Medicine before moving on to Veterans' care at Atlanta VA and Carl Vinson VA Medical Center. While Dr. Macdonnell has a wide range of experience, she focuses on general adult psychiatry.

Zakiyyah Weatherspoon is a dual-certified Family Nurse Practitioner and Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with over a decade of experience. Since 2011, she has worked in family medicine, and since 2013, she has focused on mental health care across the lifespan. Her background includes treating children, teens and adults in hospitals, private practices, and community settings.

Since 2017, Weatherspoon specialized in helping individuals manage depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, OCD, PTSD, ADHD, ODD, eating disorders, and substance use. She uses supportive therapy, solution-focused therapy, and cognitive behavioral therapy to help clients feel heard, understood, and empowered.

Weatherspoon is passionate about breaking the stigma around mental health. She encourages her clients to speak up, get help, and take control of their mental wellness. Her approach is based on the Mental Health Recovery Model, which focuses on hope, healing, and building a life beyond diagnosis.

‍

Dr. Abdali is a double board-certified psychiatrist in general adult psychiatry and addiction psychiatry. Dr. Abdali has practiced for over 5 years in a variety of settings including outpatient clinics, inpatient hospitals, emergency rooms, and residential treatment centers.

Dr. Abdali has experience treating depressive disorders, anxiety disorders, ADHD, bipolar disorders, PTSD,  substance use disorders and others. Most recently, Dr. Abdali worked in the VA system, treating veterans utilizing both medication management and psychotherapy.

Dr. Abdali prioritizes shared decision making with his patients in order to facilitate practical treatment plans. During clinical visits, Dr. Abdali combines medication management as well as various therapy modalities including supportive psychotherapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and motivational interviewing.

‍

Dr. Cheryl Person is the National Director of Clinical Quality at Talkiatry. She is board certified in general adult psychiatry and has been in practice for 20 years. Dr. Person focuses on medication management but believes that is only part of successful treatment. She will spend her time providing motivational interviewing or supportive therapy, and believes it is often critical to have a therapist as part of the treatment team. Dr. Person received her medical degree from Tulane University School of Medicine. She completed her psychiatric residency at Johns Hopkins and a psychiatric epidemiology fellowship at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health with a focus on disaster mental health. After relocating to Texas in 2010, she worked as Director of Psychiatric Services of a large safety-net hospital in Houston. Prior to Talkiatry, she most recently was the executive director/chief physician of a large university student health center and campus pharmacy. In addition to adult psychiatry, Dr. Person has worked extensively with victims of acute trauma and her primary focus is on working with patients who have anxiety and mood disorders.

Deborah Bearman, PMHNP, is a board-certified psychiatric nurse practitioner dedicated to helping individuals facing mental health challenges live more fulfilling lives.

She earned her Master of Science in Nursing with a specialty in psychiatry from SUNY Upstate Medical University. Deborah is trained in psychiatric diagnosis, medication management, and both psychodynamic and cognitive behavioral therapies. Over the past 10 years, she has gained valuable experience in a variety of settings, including inpatient and outpatient facilities, community mental health clinics, and private practice.

Deborah approaches adult mental health from a holistic perspective, combining medication management with supportive counseling, which she offers during 30-minute follow-up sessions. While her primary focus is medication management, she believes most individuals benefit from therapy as well. She has extensive experience in both psychodynamic and cognitive behavioral therapies and is committed to providing psychoeducation to patients, families, and caregivers.

As a psychiatric nurse practitioner, Deborah values the therapeutic relationship and its positive impact on daily functioning. By working collaboratively with patients to create comprehensive and effective treatment plans, she supports them in achieving healthier, more satisfying lives.

‍

Dr. Ismail is double board-certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology in both Adult Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. She earned her medical degree from Cairo University, where she also completed her neurology residency at Cairo University Hospitals. Following this, she pursued psychiatric training at New York Medical College at St. Vincent’s Hospitals, where she was appointed Chief Resident and recognized as Resident of the Year.

Dr. Ismail further specialized with a fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at UMDNJ/Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. Her career includes multiple leadership roles, notably serving as Chief of the Child and Adolescent Partial Hospital Programs (PHP) at Rutgers University in Newark, NJ, where she provided direct care to young patients. She has also held Medical Director positions across various clinical settings, including child and adolescent inpatient units, outpatient programs, and intensive outpatient services for both adolescents and adults with mental health and co-occurring substance use disorders.

An active educator, Dr. Ismail has been a teaching faculty member, delivering lectures and providing supervision and evaluations for medical residents and child and adolescent psychiatry fellows. Her academic contributions extend to research, where she has served as a principal investigator on multiple studies.

Throughout her career in leadership and teaching, Dr. Ismail maintained an integrative private practice in New Jersey, serving residents of the NJ and NY metropolitan areas before relocating to North Carolina.

Dr. Ismail is passionate about integrative medicine, which combines evidence-based alternative therapies with conventional treatments to optimize outcomes. Her approach focuses on promoting overall wellness, keeping both the body and mind in harmony.

During the diagnostic evaluation, Dr. Ismail will review your medical history and past treatments to develop a comprehensive, personalized treatment plan that prioritizes your overall wellness. In addition to medication management, she incorporates supportive, cognitive, or psychodynamic psychotherapy during follow-up visits, as time allows. When appropriate, she may also recommend referrals to specialized psychotherapists to address your individual needs as part of a holistic treatment approach.