Athena Care Franklin

“Dr. Bell is a very kind man. He took ample time with me to describe the treatment and made sure my questions were answered. I appreciate his knowledge on the subject and his ability to translate it into terms I could understand. The individuals in the initial call were very caring, nonjudgmental and helpful. I believe they can help me with my condition and I have faith that this will bring my quality of life to where it should be.”

“Dr. Bell was so nice and easy to talk too. He explained everything so well. I was very happy with our conversation. It was very informative. I liked him so well that I asked him if he still did therapy privately. I wanted to go see him if it was possible.”

“I came to this practice for an autism-spectrum evaluation, but my intake experience left me feeling dismissed, invalidated, and retraumatized. The provider repeatedly questioned why I was there, challenged existing mental-health diagnoses after speaking with me for only about 30 minutes, and did not explain why deeply personal questions about childhood trauma were relevant to the evaluation. Most troublingly, he characterized serious childhood abuse—including being whipped with a knotted electrical cord, restrained with duct tape, and locked in a shed—as “corporal punishment.” This response felt profoundly inappropriate and lacking in empathy. I also tried to explain that sensory overload from lights, sounds, smells, touch, and close proximity to others can cause outbursts that feel different from anxiety. I did not feel heard or believe my concerns were meaningfully evaluated. Follow-up was equally frustrating. The director repeatedly called during my workday without leaving a callback number, despite my emails requesting one. The practice then emailed that they could not reach me and that I was “not a good fit.” My insurance was charged, but I received no clarity about an autism evaluation or meaningful next steps. This experience caused additional distress rather than providing the professional, compassionate care I sought.”

“As an expert in pharmacology Dr. Bell is the best in his field. He fine tuned all of my medications; finding the best combinations. I highly recommend Dr. Bell - Great bedside manner!”