Alexandra Baluna, MD | Talkiatry
Alexandra Baluna, MD
Education and training
- Indiana University Bloomington, BS
- Louisiana State University Health Science Center– Shreveport, MD
- Montefiore Medical Center, Residency and Fellowship
Get to know
Alexandra Baluna, MD
Background and credentials
Dr. Alexandra Baluna, MD, is board-certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. She received her medical degree from LSUHC-Shreveport and completed her psychiatry residency training at Montefiore/Albert-Einstein College of Medicine, where she served as chief of the Consultation-Liaison (C/L) service. Following residency, Dr. Baluna served as Senior Chief, during which she was honored with the Leo M. Davidoff Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Teaching of Medical Students. Her professional experiences include roles at Fordham University, Albert Einstein Student Mental Health Counseling Center, and most recently, as an outpatient psychiatrist at Maimonides Medical Center, where she enjoyed teaching and supervising residents.
Treatment approach
Dr. Baluna emphasizes creating a warm, empathic, and nonjudgmental therapeutic environment. She collaborates closely with patients to develop personalized treatment plans that consider cultural, biological, psychological, and social factors. With a strong interest in psychotherapy, she frequently employs ego-supportive and insight-oriented therapy techniques during follow-up sessions.
What you can expect in a first visit
During an initial visit, patients can expect a welcoming and supportive atmosphere where Dr. Baluna conducts a comprehensive assessment. This involves exploring the patient's history, current challenges, and individual circumstances. The goal of the first session is to collaboratively build an individualized treatment plan tailored specifically to the patient's unique needs.
Why Talkiatry?
We’re a virtual mental health practice that makes it easy to find great care. We combine quality and convenience to help you thrive—faster. Our providers, like this one, are highly trained experts who speciualize in medication management and collaborate with you on a treatment plan that fits your needs and comfort level.

Get matched with a clinician like this one
Ready to book your first appointment? Take our 10-minute assessment. We’ll match you with a clinician who meets your needs, has availability, and takes your insurance.
Get started
Richard Rise, MD
Staff Psychiatrist
Dr. Richard Rise has created a successful career as a psychiatrist over the past 30 years. He has participated in a variety of treatment settings and has developed a wealth of experience at both prescribing medications, providing therapy, counseling, and even coaching. He takes an individual approach to treating others, recognizing individuals as unique and worthy of love, respect, and acceptance. He is compassionate, non-judgmental, and truly enjoys helping others. He tends to gravitate towards a combination of medication management (if indicated) and psychotherapy where he treats all facets of the individual. Dr. Rise believes that we are all unique and should be treated as such. He spent most of his career in private practice until deciding to retire in 2014. After this he spent the next 3 1/2 years, reading, studying, traveling, and spending time with his loved ones. In 2018 he was offered a position as a consultant overseeing Ketamine infusion therapy for treating treatment-resistant depression. When the pandemic hit in March of 2020, Dr. Rise was asked to assist a local psychiatric hospital deal with the unique and often deadly consequences of the virus. This proved to be a wonderful opportunity for personal growth and to improve the quality of life of many others. After working at the hospital for the 2 years, Dr. Rise joined Talkiatry to continue providing high-quality psychiatric care to others in a very loving, supportive, creative, and collaborative environment.

Mohammed Islam, MD
Staff Psychiatrist
Education and training
Stony Brook University (Bachelor of Science)
American University of Integrative Sciences (MD)
Davenport University (MBA)
Bergen New Bridge Medical Center (residency)
University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center/Case Western Reserve University (fellowship)
Dr. Mohammed Islam is board certified in both General Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. He completed his undergraduate studies at Stony Brook University and attended medical school at the American University of Integrative Sciences. He completed his psychiatry residency training at Bergen New Bridge Medical Center followed by completion of a fellowship in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at University Hospitals/Case Western Reserve University where he served as Chief Fellow. Prior to joining Talkiatry, he has trained/worked in a combination of various healthcare systems across New York, New Jersey, Ohio and Kentucky.
Dr. Islam treats patients of various ages- in addition to medication management he is a strong proponent of therapy in various forms. His approach to the treatment of adults and children/adolescents incorporates the impact of various things such as family history of mental health/medical conditions as well as any adverse childhood experiences/trauma. In addition to screening for common conditions such as bipolar disorder, anxiety and depression in all patients, he also emphasizes the importance of screening for conditions that can manifest in childhood (such as ADHD, Autism) as well as first-episode psychosis in young adults.
From the initial visit and onward, Dr. Islam prioritizes a collaborative effort with his patients (and at times their families). In addition to medication adjustments, he emphasizes the importance of optimizing additional tools such as therapy while making appropriate lifestyle changes. During every follow up visit, he takes care to ensure that the current treatment is not hindering his patient’s progress in any way.

Richard Hess, MD
Staff Psychiatrist
Dr. Hess is double board-certified in Adult and Geriatric Psychiatry. He completed his psychiatry internship and residency training at St. Vincent's Hospital and Medical Center in New York City, and then completed a geriatric psychiatry fellowship at Mount Sinai Beth Israel Medical Center. Dr. Hess has practiced inpatient psychiatry at the Long Island College Hospital, NYU Langone Brooklyn, and Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center. He has also worked in emergency rooms, day hospitals, and consultation-liaison settings, as well as seeing geriatric outpatients at a naturally-occurring retirement community (NORC) on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Dr. Hess has taught St. George's University medical students during their clinical rotations in psychiatry. Dr. Hess has more than 24 years of experience providing patients with compassionate psychiatric care for depressive and bipolar disorders, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder, and dementia. He uses pharmacotherapy as well as supportive psychotherapy. Dr. Hess may believe that additional therapy is also needed and ask that you bring a therapist into your care team to provide the best outcome. The philosophy of his practice is to collaborate with patients to meet their specific needs and make an impact in various stages of their lives.

Sumaiyah Qureshi, MD
Staff Psychiatrist
Dr. Qureshi is a Board-Certified General Psychiatrist. She was born and raised in Hyderabad, India. She underwent her medical training at Mamata Medical College, India and completed residency at Maimonides Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY. Dr. Qureshi has gained extensive training in psychiatric inpatient, outpatient, and emergency settings and has worked with diverse populations. She has practiced Telepsychiatry since her graduation, including working at community mental health centers serving the serious mentally ill in underserved areas. Dr. Qureshi's practice includes management of psychiatric disorders in adults including Depression, Anxiety, Bipolar disorder, PTSD, OCD, and others. She is interested in treating issues related to women's health as well. Dr. Qureshi has an empathetic and culturally sensitive approach that is patient-centered and focused on building a strong therapeutic alliance. She believes in collaborating with other providers involved in the patient's care. Her approach involves medication management in tandem with therapy techniques like CBT, Supportive therapy, IPT, and motivation therapy.

Katherine Vital-Daley, MD
Staff Psychiatrist
Dr. Katherine Vital-Daley is an adult psychiatrist at Talkiatry. She treats all adults and her passion lies in providing accessible care for women facing challenges throughout pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum and in reproductive psychiatry. Dr. Vital-Daley's academic background is rooted in science, with an undergraduate degree in biochemistry and molecular biology from the University of California, Merced. She then pursued her medical doctorate at the Medical University of the Americas. Following medical school, she completed her psychiatry residency training. The first two years were spent at East Carolina University, Brody School of Medicine, with a culmination of her last two years of residency at Allegheny Health Network in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to further specialize in women's mental health, which solidified her expertise in this vital area.At Allegheny Health Network's Women's Behavioral Health clinic, Dr. Vital-Daley honed her skills in treating a range of conditions, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, OCD, bipolar disorder, and related issues, and served as a medical provider for their intensive perinatal/postpartum outpatient clinic. She also developed a deep understanding of perinatal mental health, supporting patients coping with perinatal loss and traumatic birthing experiences. In her practice, she employs supportive psychotherapy and mindfulness along with evidence-based medication management, utilizing the most current clinical guidelines and treatment modalities. Dr. Vital-Daley's approach is rooted in a collaborative treatment approach. She works closely with patients, exploring past and current stressors and any relevant medical conditions to develop a comprehensive understanding of their individual needs. Recognizing the importance of cultural competency, she incorporates patients' unique backgrounds, beliefs, and core values into her care plans.
.jpeg)
Lori Peppers, MD
Staff Psychiatrist
Dr. Peppers works with patients to meet the goals that matter to them. She believes that feeling heard and being understood are key factors in a successful treatment relationship.
She has been working in telehealth since 2018. She has worked extensively with patients dealing with trauma from childhood abuse, assaults, combat, and accidents. She also has a lot of experience treating depression, anxiety disorders, bipolar disorder, ADHD, and personality disorders.
After completing her training, Dr. Peppers worked in private practice and in various roles for the Department of Veterans Affairs. She most enjoys working in the clinic because of the long term follow-up.
Dr. Peppers enjoys her work and includes psychotherapy in her appointments. She offers medication options to treat symptoms but also works with patients to examine behaviors and defenses that may be contributing to their problems. For patients who would benefit from more extensive psychotherapy, she may refer patients to a therapist and work collaboratively with the therapist.
She starts off with a thorough evaluation to make a diagnosis. Then, she works with patients to determine what their treatment goals are and develops a treatment plan to meet those goals.