Anxiety Psychiatrists in Colorado

Dr. Lavin is board certified in adult psychiatry. She has been practicing psychiatry for more than 40 years. Prior to joining Talkiatry she practiced at the University of Denver Health and Counseling center for 20 years where she treated undergraduate and graduate students. She also worked at a clinic providing care to indigent patients which was also a training site for graduate psychology students. She has supervised and taught psychiatric residents and psychology trainees. She has taught seminars in differential diagnosis, alternative therapies and psychopharmacology.

She has a strong interest in functional medicine and alternative therapies. Dr. Lavin focuses on providing a comprehensive medical assessment, medication management, psychoeducation, wellness and alternative therapies. Her approach is collaborative. Dr. Lavin completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Rochester. She earned her MD from Cornell University Medical College in New York City.

Her psychiatrist residency was at the University of Boston Medical Center. After training, Dr Lavin held clinical and administrative positions at Kaiser Permanente in Denver, CO and the Harvard Community Health Plan in Braintree, Massachusetts

Ashley is an ANCC board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with over a decade of experience in Psychiatry. She has worked in inpatient and outpatient settings, crisis centers, and psychiatric emergency rooms. Ashley is deeply committed to working collaboratively with individuals to enhance their well-being, creating a personalized care plan tailored to each person’s unique needs.

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Her approach integrates medication management, supportive psychotherapy, and lifestyle interventions. As a prescriber specializing in psychopharmacology, Ashley provides comprehensive medication management while utilizing a shared decision-making model. She actively involves clients in their treatment planning, discussing various options to determine the most effective path forward.

During the initial session, Ashley prioritizes establishing a comfortable, open environment where clients feel at ease. She will review medical and psychiatric history, discuss treatment goals, and explore different therapeutic options based on individual preferences. Ashley encourages questions throughout the process to ensure a collaborative and supportive treatment experience.

Carly Frix-Rhyne is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), in both Texas and Arkansas, who has extensive experience working in the mental health field. She has worked directly with clients of various demographics, living with a variety of mental health conditions. Carly attended undergraduate and graduate school in her hometown of Texarkana, Texas at Texas A&M University - Texarkana. She completed her practicum and internship working as a therapist in therapeutic foster care, with children, teens, foster parents, and biological families. Carly has been practicing for 7 years as a LPC, focusing on individuals working to cope with trauma, stressful life events, anxiety, depression, and issues coping with and communicating their own needs. Carly has worked for community mental health agencies, non-profit agencies, and private practice organizations. Much of Carly's past work involves providing therapy services to children, teens, and adults who survived abuse/trauma. Carly enjoys working with clients of all ages and with a variety of different presenting mental health needs. She uses different techniques including cognitive behavioral approaches and attachment-based approaches, while maintaining a person-centered theoretical orientation with all clients. Carly utilizes a range of therapeutic tools in hopes of providing clients with practical skills they can begin using immediately. She believes in meeting clients exactly where they are and helping them understand their own needs.

Michelle Scott is a dual board-certified Psychiatric, Family, and Emergency Nurse Practitioner with 16 years of experience. She has an extensive background in psychiatry across the lifespan, emergency medicine, and internal medicine. Her psychiatric expertise includes a strong focus on adult outpatient and inpatient care. Michelle has also served as an acute care hospitalist and held leadership roles, including Assistant Medical Director, in multiple acute psychiatric facilities.

She brings additional experience in addiction treatment and is skilled in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), motivational interviewing, and problem-focused therapy. Michelle provides holistic care that addresses a wide range of needs, including mood and anxiety disorders, autism, genetic disabilities, and adult addiction issues.

With over a decade and a half of experience treating individuals of all ages for both acute and chronic medical and psychiatric conditions, Michelle understands the profound impact the right provider can have on a patient’s life. Her goal is to achieve positive, sustainable outcomes through a comprehensive approach that integrates multiple treatment modalities and addresses the whole person.

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Dr. Mary Stephenson is a board-certified Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist with more than 25 years of clinical experience working with this population. Dr. Stephenson's practice focuses on medication management. She believes that the support and involvement of the family are an integral part of the treatment of the client. Additionally, more therapy support may be needed on occasion, and the recommendation to bring a psychotherapist on the care team may occur to provide an optimal outcome. She received her medical degree from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. She completed her psychiatry residency at the University of Louisville School of Medicine, and her child and adolescent training at the Bingham Child Guidance Center, also part of the University of Louisville, in Louisville, Kentucky. After completion of her training, she moved to Colorado where she worked at The Cleo Wallace Center, in Westminster, CO, providing care for hospitalized youth, and clients in the Day Treatment and Residential setting. In 2000, Dr. Stephenson became the primary Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist on the outpatient team at Denver Health Medical Center in Denver, Colorado. Her role was providing diagnostic evaluations, and medication management in Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs), and the hospital clinic, working closely with residents, child fellows, and other trainees. She had an academic appointment through the University of Colorado School of Medicine. She treated a varied demographic and had a wide range of diagnoses in the child and adolescent population. From 2016-2021, she worked at Intermountain Health Center in Tucson, AZ providing care in the outpatient setting of the community mental health center. The care was a hybrid model of "in-person” and Telehealth treatment of children and adolescents with various disorders, with an emphasis on diagnostic evaluations of Autism and Autism spectrum disorders.‍

Dr. Cheryl Dasler is a double board certified psychiatrist in General Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. Following completion of her training, she spent the next 10 years fulfilling her passion for indigent care of children, working in a community mental health center. She went on to complete additional training in Functional Medicine, with the goal of offering patients greater insight into the physical factors contributing to their symptoms. She has also trained in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, and encourages mindfulness as a healing technique along with medication management. Over the following 10 years, Dr. Dasler treated a broad range of patients in a private practice setting, including children and adults. She is passionate about treating ADHD, and utilizes medications plus skill building in her sessions to help her patients maximize their potential. Her extensive experience also includes treating mood disorders, anxiety disorders, PTSD, and OCD. She believes in a mind-body interconnection, and strives to address both aspects to provide truly holistic care. Patients looking for a psychiatrist will find Dr. Dasler is a warm, compassionate provider who genuinely listens. She works in partnership with patients to find a treatment plan that will be effective, while also being sensitive to financial or insurance coverage factors that may impact care.

Dr. Leslie Chavez is a board-certified adult psychiatrist with a diverse background in clinical and academic medicine. She completed her medical school and residency at the University of New Mexico, where she later served as a psychiatrist and assistant professor, treating high-need patients and teaching residents and medical students. During the pandemic, she transitioned to telehealth and has been dedicated to this field for the past four years. Dr. Chavez is known for making her patients feel seen and heard, using both medication management and supportive psychotherapy. Dr. Chavez began her academic journey as a physics major at UNM and then studied biophysics at the University of San Diego, California. During her postdoctoral fellowship at Los Alamos National Laboratories, she was inspired by presentations about professionals working with patients in African countries, which sparked her interest in medicine. During this time, her father died of cancer, and she saw the impact of mental health therapy on his quality of life, further solidifying her motivation to attend medical school. Witnessing the profound impact of mental health on her patients and family, she specialized in psychiatry. Dr. Chavez is a seasoned psychopharmacologist and emphasizes the importance of nutrition, exercise, and community in mental health. She enjoys all aspects of medicine and combines her extensive knowledge with a patient-centered approach.

Douglas Brennan, MD, earned his medical degree from the University of Colorado School of Medicine and completed an adult psychiatry residency at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and McLean Hospital. He also completed a forensic psychiatry fellowship at MGH. Dr. Brennan has experience in both outpatient and inpatient settings, supervising residents and mid-level practitioners, and working in emergency and inpatient facilities. He remains on staff at MGH as an instructor for Harvard Medical School and is double-board certified in adult and forensic psychiatry. His outpatient work includes several years treating patients at the Department of Veterans Affairs with post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and anxiety.

Dr. Brennan enjoys collaborating with patients to understand their goals, set expectations, and provide education on treatment options. He offers medication management evaluations and follow-up visits while working alongside licensed therapists to provide behavioral support as needed.

Dr. Brennan begins by thoroughly reviewing each patient’s history, concerns, and goals in the initial session. He then develops individualized treatment plans tailored to the patient’s objectives, ensuring care aligns with their personal goals and needs.

Dr. Troy Grantham is a board-certified staff psychiatrist who treats adult patients. A former engineer, Dr. Grantham has developed a passion for guiding patients along the road to recovery. He completed his undergraduate studies at The University of Texas at Austin and later completed medical school and residency in General Psychiatry at The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. Dr. Grantham's practice focuses on medication management. He utilizes a systematic approach to ensure diagnoses are accurate and treatment plans are optimized to each individual patient. His approach is also holistic in nature, often incorporating therapy and lifestyle modification into the treatment plan. Dr. Grantham employs multiple therapeutic approaches in his practice depending on the needs of the patient including supportive therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). He places great emphasis on psychoeducation so that patients are aware of the nature and prognosis of their conditions as well as the treatment options available. When multiple treatment options are reasonable, Dr. Grantham takes patient preference into account, offering flexibility to the patient experience. He treats a variety of psychiatric disorders with a particular focus on mood disorders, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and trauma-related disorders.

Please note: Dr. Grantham does not prescribe long-term, daily benzodiazepine medications, however he is happy to help you taper off of these medications and transition to a safer, long-term medication regimen.

Margaret Mary Reyes, MSN, APRN, PMHNP-BC, is a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner committed to delivering patient-centered and compassionate mental health care. A proud Florida native, she earned her Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), and post-master’s certification in Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing from Florida Atlantic University (FAU). Her academic research focused on improving outcomes for women living with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD).

Margaret has advanced practice experience in both inpatient and outpatient psychiatric settings. She has treated individuals with a wide range of mental health conditions, including psychotic disorders, bipolar spectrum disorders, depressive and anxiety disorders, trauma-related disorders, attention deficit disorders, personality disorders, substance use and co-occurring disorders, eating disorders, suicidality, homelessness, and severe mental illness (SMI) within the criminal justice system. Her clinical background also includes acute care experience in oncology, medical-surgical, telemetry/cardiac step-down, intensive care, nursing research, and consultation-liaison psychiatry.

She takes an integrative and comprehensive approach to mental health care, combining medication management with evidence-based complementary and alternative interventions. Her practice is grounded in the understanding of the mind-body-spirit connection and the gut-brain axis. Margaret incorporates supportive therapy, motivational interviewing, and mindfulness-based cognitive techniques to support her patients’ overall well-being.

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Dr. Kevin DiCesare is a board-certified psychiatrist, treating adults. He received his undergraduate degree at Harvard University, his medical degree at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, and then went on to train at Maine Medical Center for his psychiatric residency. He has 22 years of expertise in diagnosing and treating psychiatric conditions, including depression, anxiety, Bipolar spectrum disorders, adjustment problems, ADHD and other disorders. He is well versed in psychopharmacological interventions, but is a proponent of patients also being active in psychotherapy whenever appropriate. He prides himself in collaboratively arriving at treatment decisions with his patients, and taking the time to listen to their concerns and answer their questions.

Dr. DiCesare has worked in various settings, including community mental health centers and large hospital systems, with experience in inpatient, outpatient, and consultative roles. Prior to joining Talkiatry, he most recently served as an attending psychiatrist on the staff of Southern New Hampshire Health System, where he provided consultative care to referrals made from primary care providers and various specialists.

Laura Hendricks is a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner (PMHNP) with over 20 years of experience across a variety of clinical settings, including outpatient care, inpatient psychiatric facilities, private practice, consult-liaison psychiatry, and telepsychiatry. She has worked with individuals across the lifespan and brings a Family Systems perspective to her practice, helping patients develop greater awareness of their personal growth, attachment styles, and behavioral patterns to support more fulfilling lives.

Laura is also a long-time practitioner of Nonviolent Communication (Compassionate Communication), a method that fosters deeper empathy and connection with oneself and others. She integrates these principles into her clinical work to help individuals live more authentically and meaningfully.

Her approach is rooted in a whole-person perspective, guiding clients to recognize their strengths and utilize appropriate treatment tools. This begins with building a strong, respectful therapeutic relationship based on collaboration and shared decision-making. Laura practices evidence-based medication management and incorporates supportive counseling and psychoeducation into every session. She believes that empowering patients through education is essential to improving mental health outcomes.

Laura conducts thorough assessments to clarify diagnoses and treatment needs, with ongoing evaluation throughout the course of care. She works collaboratively with patients to refine treatment goals and strategies, always emphasizing a strengths-based and empowering approach.

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Dr. Mustafa Taquee is a board-certified Adult Psychiatrist. After receiving his undergraduate degree from Wayne State University in Detroit, he completed his medical degree at Oakland University William Beaumont in Rochester, MI. He is a graduate of the Adult Psychiatry Residency Program at St. Mary Mercy Hospital in Livonia, MI. As a testament to Dr. Taquee's desire to help patients reach their full potential, he has also completed a psychotherapy fellowship through the Michigan Psychoanalytic Institute. Dr. Taquee believes that every patient brings their own mosaic of experiences embedded in a unique story. He understands that building a strong therapeutic relationship through empathy, compassion, trust, and respect is essential. He enjoys taking time to understand his patient's goals, offer psychoeducation, and create a collaborative plan for treatment with the patient. He believes in a holistic approach to mental health treatment, which includes medication management, supportive and cognitive behavioral therapy techniques, as well as mind-body medicine techniques. He also has a special interest in psychodynamic therapy, an in-depth therapy modality, which he incorporates in all patient interactions and sessions. Due to the diversity and richness of culture in southeast Michigan, Dr.Taquee has experience working with patients from varied backgrounds. He enjoys the challenge such a heterogeneous environment brings and is particularly fond of working with young adults experiencing life transitions. He also has experience working with patients from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, as well as adolescents and geriatric populations.

Sherra St. Clair is a board-certified Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner with over a decade of experience supporting individuals with a wide range of mental health concerns. Her areas of expertise include attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depressive and anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), bipolar disorder, and trauma-related conditions.

She completed her advanced nursing degree at the University of Wyoming, where she was recognized for her compassionate and welcoming approach to patient care. Before becoming a nurse practitioner, Sherra was inspired to pursue further education while working as part of an inpatient treatment team that included psychiatrists, psychologists, patients, and their families. Witnessing the profound improvements patients experienced after a crisis motivated her to transition toward outpatient and preventative care.

Prior to her nursing career, Sherra worked as a medical illustrator and animator, having studied at the University of Michigan’s medical school. She enjoyed creating educational materials for patients, physicians, and attorneys.

Sherra is passionate about working with individuals of all genders and socioeconomic backgrounds. She uses a collaborative, strengths-based approach that incorporates evidence-based medication management, psychotherapy, and patient education. She believes each person is the expert in their own life and strives to empower individuals to build on their self-worth, progress, and potential.

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Dr. Laura Obler is board-certified in adult psychiatry. She received her medical degree from David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA in Los Angeles, California, where she stayed to complete her psychiatry residency at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience. During residency she received specialized training in reproductive psychiatry (the treatment of women who are considering pregnancy or are pregnant or postpartum) and acted as Chief Resident of the Women's Life Center at UCLA. Dr. Obler has experience working with a diverse group of patients. She has previously worked in community clinics in the greater Los Angeles area and as a staff psychiatrist at UCLA. She prefers a holistic approach to psychiatric treatment and therefore uses a combination of medication management and talking therapies to treat patients. Techniques she may utilize include cognitive behavioral therapy, experiential psychodynamic therapy, mentalization based therapy, and medical hypnosis.

Dr. Nicholas Sahagian is a Psychiatrist in Colorado who has been practicing since 2023. He completed his MD and Adult Psychiatry Residency at the Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University and earned his BA in Neuroscience at Skidmore College. Dr. Sahagian has experience managing a broad array of complex psychiatric diagnoses in patients of diverse socioeconomic, cultural, and clinical backgrounds. Outside of work, he enjoys hiking, biking, skiing, playing guitar, reading, and collecting board games.

Dr. Sahagian offers psychiatric medication management while also incorporating elements of cognitive behavioral therapy, motivational interviewing, internal family systems, and lifestyle interventions. He believes that every patient is unique, and he works to create a supportive environment where individuals feel heard and empowered in their care.

Grounded in the biopsychosocial model, Dr. Sahagian takes a collaborative, patient-centered approach. He partners with patients to develop personalized treatment plans that integrate biological, psychological, and social factors, with the goal of guiding them along their path to improved wellness.