Dr. Sandip Buch, M.D.
Dr. Buch received his medical training from Rush Medical College and completed his residency at Lutheran General Hospital in 2006. Over the years, Dr. Buch discovered that patients can struggle to stay consistent with their treatment due to the limitations of traditional office-based appointments. Long commute times, overbooking issues, and general discomfort when starting psychiatric care, can make patients less likely to prioritize their mental health. He created Skypiatrist to provide clients with convenient, high-quality, personalized psychiatric services so that they can access care from the comfort of their own homes. When patients are comfortable, they can effectively manage their mental health, which has a positive impact on all areas of their lives. Dr. Buch is a board-certified psychiatrist who takes a compassionate, collaborative approach to medication management, actively working with all members of his clients’ medical teams to ensure optimal care. He is attentive, investigative, and strives to empower his patients to take active roles in their mental health. In addition to seeing patients, Dr. Buch oversees a staff of compassionate, experienced medical doctors who have all achieved the highest level of training in medication management.
Dr Elisabeth Gray, M.D.
Like many of Skypiatrist’s doctors, Elisabeth Gray brings a wealth of life experience to her work. But, although she’s had a comparatively unorthodox path to psychiatric medicine, one thing has always been a constant—a passion for helping people. A native of upstate New York, Dr. Gray received her BA in Studio Art from Williams College before earning her MS in Mathematics from Syracuse University. For years, she helped struggling college students complete their remedial math requirements. But it was volunteering and later working professionally as an EMT that gave her the confidence to pursue medicine. Through her residency at SUNY Upstate Medical University, Dr. Gray remembered her time working on the ambulance and felt a calling to specialize in psychiatric medicine. “I always liked helping the patients where you had to puzzle it out, which is a big component of psychiatry. The patient says something and you’re looking for the space between the words,” she recalls. A career with New York State Office of Mental Health, Office of Addiction and Substance Abuse Services, and other state agencies followed. Now retired, Dr. Gray is excited to work in a practice with a variety of people, adding that she’s especially open to helping transgender patients.
Dr. Manpreet Grewal, M.D
Dr. Grewal moved to the United States from India when she was sixteen. After attending college in Michigan, she received her medical training from American University of Antigua and completed her residency at Albany Medical Center in 2015. Before joining the team at Skypiatrist, Dr. Grewal was the Medical Director and Chairperson of the HealthAlliance of the Hudson Valley, where she oversaw both adult and adolescent patients. Dr. Grewal comes to Skypiatrist with experience in both office-based treatment and telemedicine. Dr. Grewal takes a compassionate approach to patient care. She understands that connection and comfort are critical to positive treatment outcomes, and strives to create both whether she sees people in-person or via a telepsychiatry platform. She has found that patients are more likely to attend appointments and discuss difficult topics when meeting from the comfort of their own homes than they are when in the doctor’s office. In addition to seeing adult patients, Dr. Grewal treats children ages seven and older. She can also provide services in Punjabi, Hindi, and Urdu. In her practice, Dr. Grewal encourages patients to take a full-body approach to their mental health, incorporating physical activity as much as possible. She is a proponent of meditation and yoga.Close
Dr. Imran Jamil, M.D.
Dr. Jamil graduated from King Edward Medical University in Lahore, Pakistan. During his electives at Yale University, he developed an interest in research. Later, he joined a research team on Alzheimer’s disease at New York University, where he published a few research articles including two book chapters on Alzheimer’s disease. After residency, he completed a fellowship in Addiction Psychiatry at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital. He later moved to New Jersey and became Medical Director of a psychiatry unit at Christ Hospital – Carepoint Health, while also working in private practice An excellent listener, Dr. Jamil, prides himself on his ability to engage with patients on a deep level and achieve optimum results with as few medications as possible. He takes a collaborative approach to treatment and encourages his patients to explore other self-care pursuits such as psychotherapy, yoga, and physical exercise. Dr. Jamil believes that telemedicine’s convenience helps patients take a more proactive role in their mental health. Without the hours lost in waiting rooms or stuck in traffic, it’s easier to make and stick to appointments. Additionally, he finds that patients are more likely to open up when calling in from their preferred environment. He is committed to providing timely, high-quality medication management through Skypiatrist’s secure, HIPAA compliant video chat. When he is not working, Dr. Jamil enjoys spending time with his family, watching TV, and listening to music.Close
Dr. Katherine Pan, M.D.
Born in New York City, Dr. Pan spent her childhood and early teen years in Taiwan. She returned to the United States to attend high school in western New York state, and then onto SUNY University at Buffalo, where she earned an undergraduate degree and later M.D. from Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. “I chose psychiatry because it gives me the opportunity to listen to people’s stories and be there with them through difficult life events,” Dr. Pan says. To expand her horizons to see adults as well as children and adolescents, Dr. Pan completed her psychiatry fellowship at Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. An anime fan, she believes her interests sometimes reflect those of children and teens, giving her a unique perspective. Dr. Pan treats anxiety disorders, depression, OCD, PTSD while encouraging therapy. “I am excited about the evidence supporting combined treatment of medication and therapy so that the emphasis isn’t only on medication,” she says. Noting the necessities that arose from the COVID-19 lockdowns, Dr. Pan is enthusiastic about working in telemedicine. “Since the pandemic, telemedicine has shown that it’s really easy to adapt to different situations. I see that increasing,” she says. “Telemedicine helps make it easier for patients to access care, and I think we will be seeing a continued increase in telemedicine going forward.” An avid traveler, Dr. Pan has made numerous trips to Japan and visited Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea, New Zealand, and Hungary.Close
Dr. Nirupama Tamirisa, M.D.
Although she works with people of all ages, Dr. Tamirisa has always had an affinity for helping younger patients. Born in India and educated in Dubai, she completed her medical studies in the United Arab Emirates. “I was always interested in adolescent and childhood mental health issues, including autism,” she recalls. While doing adult psychiatry residence at St. Louis University Hospital , she also completed psychodynamic psychotherapy training to get a deeper understanding of psychiatry and therapy She then focused on her interest on child and adolescent psychiatry. In 2018, she graduated from fellowship in child and adolescent psychiatry from the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio and almost immediately started working with patients both adults and children online. “I was working in telemedicine before Covid. It felt like a great option to be able to do what I love professionally, and reach a broader range of patients in different states, rural regions and be part of different settings of care from my office. It also makes it easier for younger adults to access care from anywhere.” Dr.Tamirisa’s training allows for a comprehensive and holistic approach, she believes in minimizing medication use while obtaining maximal therapeutic benefit.
Gabrielle Brainard, LCSW
Gabrielle Brainard’s path to working with people seemed meant to be. As a resident of a small town in western New York State, she grew up in Arkansas and spent some time in New York before starting her advanced education in Maryland. However, it was in Baltimore, where her aunt was a psychiatric nurse in a behavioral health hospital, that she was exposed to therapy. After getting her Bachelor’s in Sociology and Law Enforcement at Towson University and studying abroad in London, she continued her education, earning a Master of Social Work degree at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford in Pennsylvania. Now she spends most of her days utilizing her training as an LCSW, MSW, and trauma counselor working with young people at an alternative education high school and providing counseling services to adults via telehealth. “Social workers are knowledgeable and helpful in many areas—medical, school, home, and family. It’s a versatile field and is person-centered,” she says, also emphasizing how telehealth opens up a spectrum of treatment options for people in small, rural towns. “Living in a rural area, transportation tends to be a huge barrier, as is having limited resources. Telehealth opens up opportunities for individuals to receive treatment from the privacy and comfort of their own homes.” As a mother of three, Gabrielle has a passion for travelling. Growing up, she visited all 50 states with her mother and now is building a ‘travel bucket list’ which includes Iceland and New Zealand.Close
Jason Mancini, LCSW-R
Growing up in the college town of Binghamton, NY, Jason found his calling early in life while taking a high school psychology course. He would go on to pursue a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology from SUNY Oneonta before returning home to earn his Master of Social Work (MSW) degree from SUNY Binghamton. “I’ve always had a calm demeanor, and, even as a teenager I would help people with their problems,” says Jason, who later applied his concern for young adults while working for Child Protective Services before entering grad school. He currently works as Clinical Supervisor at an Outpatient Mental Health Clinic where he helps his patients (who range in age from five to adulthood) deal with an array of life’s challenges, including depression, anxiety, PTSD, bipolar disorder, and behavioral disorders. A firm believer that developing a trusting therapeutic relationship is essential to patient success, Jason emphasizes the importance of creating a calm, warming environment, explaining, “I believe therapy should be a rewarding and enjoyable experience.” Jason sees many advantages to working with patients online. “With adults, I’ve been surprised at how much can be achieved through virtual visits. You get to see into people’s personal lives, their home environment, and overall living situations. That’s very helpful.” In his free time, he enjoys lifting weights, spending time with his wife and their Lhasa Apso, and winter getaways to Florida.Close
Patricia Sage, LCSW-R
Patricia Sage-McLean, LCSW-R, hails from a small town in upstate New York. After receiving her BA from Binghamton University, she completed her MSW at the University at Albany School of Social Welfare. She received advanced training in cognitive-behavioral therapy and dialectical behavioral therapy from Upstate Medical University at SUNY Syracuse. For the last four years, she has been part of a multi-disciplinary team at Lourdes Center for Pain and Wellness. Before that, Patricia worked for a substance abuse facility and an inpatient psychiatric hospital. Patricia strives to create a safe space where her patients feel welcome and validated. She takes a person-centered approach, allowing for self-exploration of past and current struggles to work on problem-solving and growth. She focuses on strength building and working on areas of life that they value most. Interested in the human being behind the story, she facilitates a therapeutic relationship that encourages patients to open up about their lived experience. Patricia has worked with patients online for two years and sees teletherapy as a solution to the transportation, scheduling, and accessibility issues commonly associated with in-office care. While she specializes in treating personality disorders, Patricia has extensive experience treating schizophrenia, chronic pain, substance abuse issues, stress, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, grief, and coping with life changes. In her free time, she enjoys working on her daughter’s farm and playing golf. She is also an avid nature photographer and animal lover.Close
Sheila M. Torres, LCSW-R
Sheila grew up in a large family on Long Island, where she learned the importance of helping one another. “My parents encouraged us to consider the needs of the whole family.” This mindset helped Sheila develop the ability to see things from another person’s perspective. Years later as a student at California State University, Fullerton, this early lesson would guide her course of studies. “I started as a business major but knew it wasn’t for me,” she recalls. An undergraduate course in psychology was a turning point for her. “I discovered that this was what I was meant to do.” After earning her bachelor’s, she returned to New York where she completed her Master of Social Work degree from Fordham University. Through her twenty-plus-year career in mental health, Sheila has worked in clinical and private settings. In addition to helping adults with a wide range of issues including anxiety, depression, trauma, relational and substance-abuse-related troubles, she has helped many patients deal with grief. She uses a variety of therapeutic approaches when working with patients. “Most individuals struggle today due to negative thoughts patterns that guide their choices and behaviors. Therapy is about examining and redefining core beliefs so patients can make better, more informed decisions about how they live their lives today.” Raising her own family on Long Island these days, Sheila enjoys sharing her love of baking, biking, books, and Broadway shows, with her husband and daughters.