Ian Thistlethwaite, MD

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.

Dr. La Haie is board certified in adult psychiatry and has been in practice for over 15 years.  She completed her residency at Banner Good Samaritan (now Banner University) Hospital in Phoenix, Arizona.  After completing her residency training, Dr. La Haie worked with the severely mentally ill population for several years, then transitioned to a private practice setting that offered the interventional options of transcranial magnetic stimulation and ketamine infusion.  Most recently, Dr. La Haie has worked at the Phoenix VA treating veterans, with focus on PTSD, depression and anxiety.  Dr. La Haie has held an academic appointment at the University of Arizona Medical School and has spent her professional career supervising/teaching medical students and psychiatry residents.

Dr. La Haie's practice focuses on medication management and providing psychoeducation to her patients. However, if indicated, Dr. La Haie may believe that additional therapy is also needed and ask that you bring a therapist into your care team to provide the best outcome.

Dr. La Haie has experience treating a large variety of mental health conditions across a variety of populations. She strongly believes in tailoring treatments through a holistic and patient-centered approach based on individual and multi-faceted histories. Dr. La Haie looks forward to working with you.

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Dr. Earl De Guzman is a psychiatrist who values therapeutic partnership, working with patients to balance symptom relief with meaningful self-exploration. He earned his BS in Psychology from the University of California, Davis, and his MD from Ross University School of Medicine. He completed his psychiatry residency at Los Angeles County + University of Southern California Medical Center and a consultation-liaison psychiatry fellowship at Stanford University Medical Center. He is triple-board-certified in psychiatry, consultation-liaison psychiatry, and addiction medicine, and holds psychoanalytic psychotherapy training certification from the Psychoanalytic Center of California. Currently, he is a psychoanalyst-in-training at the New Center for Psychoanalysis. His expertise spans medication management, supportive therapy, and psychodynamic therapy.

Dr. De Guzman takes a collaborative, patient-centered approach, creating a warm and nonjudgmental environment. He listens deeply, asks thoughtful questions, and encourages honest exploration of symptoms and underlying patterns. He values authenticity, curiosity, and respect for each patient’s unique experiences. While symptom relief is important, his goal is to foster self-understanding and long-term growth. He works best with patients open to collaboration and motivated for change, whether through medication management, therapy, or both.

Dr. De Guzman begins with a consultation phase to ensure a good fit, listening carefully to understand each patient’s challenges and goals. Together, he and his patients build a working alliance by clarifying difficulties, identifying realistic changes, and exploring deeper patterns. When appropriate, he prescribes medication thoughtfully, aiming to support therapy rather than replace it. Each session integrates supportive and psychodynamic elements, combining medication review with therapeutic dialogue. Treatment plans are regularly revisited, allowing flexibility and growth, with the ultimate aim of empowering patients toward lasting change.

Dr. Maxim Chasanov, MD, brings over 30 years of experience in both inpatient and outpatient psychiatric settings. He has held leadership roles, including serving as Medical Director across various clinical programs. Dr. Chasanov completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Chicago and earned his medical degree from Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine in Chicago, Illinois. He completed his residency at Loyola University Medical Center, where he was appointed chief resident during his final year.

Dr. Chasanov values open, honest communication and takes a collaborative approach to care. He partners with patients to identify clear treatment goals and uses symptom screener tools to objectively track progress. He strives to create a warm, supportive, and empathetic environment where patients feel heard, respected, and actively engaged in their treatment journey.

In the first session, Dr. Chasanov works to gain a thorough understanding of each patient’s history, current concerns, and long-term goals. He then develops a personalized treatment plan aligned with those goals. His approach balances symptom improvement with medication tolerability and incorporates therapies that further enhance outcomes.

Consuelo Reddick, MD, completed her medical degree and adult psychiatry residency at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, followed by fellowship training in child and adolescent psychiatry at Harvard Medical School’s Cambridge Hospital. She is double board-certified in general psychiatry and child and adolescent psychiatry. Her career has included roles in inpatient and outpatient care, academic settings, consulting, and telepsychiatry across multiple states.

Dr. Reddick works collaboratively with patients, ensuring they feel heard, respected, and informed. She emphasizes psychoeducation to empower patients in their treatment journey and encourages open communication to build trust and partnership. She treats a range of conditions, including anxiety, depression, and ADHD, in both children and adults.

An initial assessment with Dr. Reddick includes a thorough review of personal and medical history, identification of concerns, and the development of treatment goals. She often integrates supportive therapy with medication management to provide individualized, effective care that promotes both symptom relief and long-term well-being.

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.