Patricia Michel-Garrison, DO

Dr. Karina Fatova is a board certified psychiatrist who hails from New York City but has made New Orleans her home for the past ten years. She is a graduate of Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, NY, and she did her adult psychiatry residency at Tulane University in New Orleans, LA. She was proud to have her first position post-residency at the River Oaks Hospital Trauma Unit in New Orleans, LA where she treated patients with Complex PTSD and eating disorders. The Trauma Unit was one of a few of its kind nationally because it provided very specialized treatment that was affordable to many. Dr. Fatova then went on to work at the New Orleans Veterans Affairs Hospital for the last five years in its ambulatory outpatient mental health clinic. Though her passion is Complex Trauma/PTSD, she also regularly saw veteran patients who have been diagnosed with anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and adjustment disorder. During her five years at the New Orleans VA, she received three special commendations from the director of the VA for feedback from her patients about her effective integrative approach to supportive psychotherapy and medication management. She believes that her rapport with her patients, and their therapeutic work together, is just as important as the medication she prescribes to heal or alleviate their symptoms. Dr Fatova employs psychodynamic therapy techniques, at times, to help those patients who would like to explore childhood experiences that may continue to impact them in their adult lives. With respect to medication management she regularly helps patients target symptoms such as sleep issues, nightmares, persistent worry, emotional dysregulation, frequent mood changes, impulsivity, and "toning down the nervous system," among others. She strongly believes that treatment decisions are best approached as a collaboration between patient and doctor. She sees young adults who are just starting their journey into adulthood, as well as adults who have been navigating life with challenges, which may include untreated, or poorly treated, mental health symptoms. Often, by the time Dr. Fatova sees a patient, they may have lost a significant amount of faith in their mental health doctors, and she is particularly attuned to helping individuals with this type of experience.

Dr. Li is a board-certified adult psychiatrist based in Florida. He has a particular focus on combining supportive psychotherapy techniques with medication management in the treatment of psychiatric conditions. Some conditions he has particular experience in managing include attention/focus difficulties, anxiety, depression and bipolar mood issues, but he is well-versed in addressing a wide variety of diagnoses.

Cynthia has been a licensed Clinical Social Worker since 2018. Cynthia's current experience as a therapist includes working with children in school settings as well as in the community and adults from all walks of life such as active duty military service members and their dependents, young professionals new in their career, retirees who are attempting to balance life, health and age related challenges and college students in their first year of their undergraduate degree, to graduate students and students newly enrolled in medical or law school. Prior to 2018, Cynthia worked for 23 years with the department of social services assisting families with economic challenges by connecting them with government programs and community resources to help them improve their lives and the lives of their family members. Cynthia has extensive experience working with individuals and families from many diverse cultures and backgrounds.

Cynthia uses a down-to-earth, holistic approach to therapy. She believes if the body is not well, the mind cannot become well. Cynthia will evaluate your bodies wellbeing using an inquisitive approach and she will make suggestions and/or referrals to specialists, when necessary. Cynthia will provide you a safe and non-judgmental space to be yourself, to allow you to heal and grow. It will be Cynthia's mission to get you well as quickly as possible. Therapy will be tailored to the individual using a combination of a person-centered approach in order to empower the individual, focusing on them being the story teller; a solution-focused approach because the individual is the expert of themselves and they know their own abilities; and a strength-based approach in order to tap into the inner strengths and skills that embody the individual.

In the first session Cynthia will spend some time getting to know what happened to you to cause you to decide to start therapy. She will inquire about your childhood, family, culture, current health concerns and want to know what your hobbies are, and she will delve into what your typical day looks like from your wake/sleep cycle to what you typically eat and do during the day. Cynthia will ask you, what are your goals for therapy? Cynthia will work collaboratively with you to create a treatment plan that is SMART-specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and time sensitive.

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Dr. Elena Perea is a board-certified psychiatrist.  She completed her undergraduate training at Wake Forest University followed by medical school and residency training at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC).

Dr. Perea holds an adjunct academic appointment at UNC and has been involved in medical education for her entire career.  She most recently served as Residency Program Director for the Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) psychiatry residency in Asheville, NC.  She remains involved in didactic education there for both residents and medical students.

She has a genuine interest in treating a vast array of psychiatric disorders including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorders, post-traumatic stress disorders and obsessive compulsive and related disorders. She is a skilled psychopharmacologist and interested in the mind-body connection. She believes physical health greatly affects mental health and vice versa and loves helping patients with medical comorbidities to feel well.

Patients looking for a psychiatrist will find that Dr. Perea has a comprehensive approach to diagnosis and management of her patients. She believes in the principle that body and mind are interconnected and utilizes psychoeducation and psychotherapeutic approaches in addition to medications for total wellness.

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.

Dr. Jeffrey Seley is board certified in adult psychiatry. He has been in practice for over 21 years. Dr. Seley's practice focuses on medication management in conjunction with supportive therapy and psychoeducation in 20-30 minute follow-up visits. At times, Dr. Seley may recommend additional therapy and ask that you bring another therapist into your care team to provide the best outcome. Dr. Seley graduated from Cornell University with a B.A. degree in psychology. He received his medical degree from the University of South Florida and completed his residency at New York University and its affiliated hospitals, including Tisch and Lenox Hill, where he served as chief resident. He has worked for over twenty years in private practice and at a large community hospital in Pennsylvania. His extensive hospital experience kept him sharply focused on the connection between medical issues and mental health presentations. Dr. Seley brings to his patients over twenty years of experience in general adult psychiatry treating a wide variety of conditions including depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, ADHD, addiction, and geriatric issues. His treatment philosophy stresses the importance of being responsive, compassionate, and kind. He sees his work as the enhancement of hope.