Melvin S. Gale, MD, and Associates

“I have tried other mental health offices and never found what felt like the right fit until I was referred to this office. The front desk staff were very polite and the communication about pricing and insurance was excellent. I appreciate that Lauren was honest with me instead of simply telling me what I wanted to hear, her care felt very sincere and aimed to address the root cause rather than slap a bandaid on it. I never had to wait more than five minutes to go back to her office and the appointments themselves were never rushed. They are very accommodating for my particular mental health needs and provided telehealth as an option. Overall a great office, I’d recommend booking with them.”

“As a patient (I am not using my government name), I am beyond disappointed with my experience at Melvin S. Gale & Associates and feel obligated to warn others before they make the mistake of trusting this practice with their mental health care. I wish I could rate Negative stars, this practice doesn’t deserve 1!!!! This office has become one of the most unprofessional, disorganized, and uncomfortable medical environments I have ever experienced. It is very clear that patient care is not the priority here. The providers seem far more interested in pushing medications and cycling patients through appointments than actually listening, helping, or providing genuine psychiatric care. Appointments feel rushed, impersonal, and transactional. There is little to no sense of compassion, concern, or real interest in a patient’s wellbeing. It feels like the goal is to prescribe, bill, and move on to the next person. Jessica Swarr in particular was one of the most unprofessional providers I have ever encountered. She is consistently late….. not 10 or 15 minutes late, but regularly 45 minutes to over an hour behind schedule. This seems to be the norm, not the exception. Patients are expected to sit and wait with no communication, no apology, and no respect for their time ( but if we as a patient are late, we get charged ridiculous charges). For a mental health practice, where many patients are already dealing with anxiety, stress, and emotional distress, this level of disregard is unacceptable. What I witnessed on Friday was enough to ensure I will never return to this office. While waiting, I witnessed Jessica Swarr scream at a young front desk employee in a way that was shocking, humiliating, and completely unacceptable. I do not know every detail of what led up to it, but frankly, it does not matter. No employee (especially a young front desk worker) deserves to be spoken to that way. This was not a private or professional conversation. This was open, hostile, and deeply inappropriate. The young woman was clearly upset, and from what I observed, she is always nothing but kind, polite, and helpful to patients and families. To watch a provider berate someone so publicly and aggressively was disturbing enough, but what made it worse was the complete lack of professionalism and emotional control displayed by someone in the mental health field. If this is how staff are treated behind the scenes, it raises serious concerns about the environment patients are walking into and the kind of people they are trusting with their care. Shortly after being screamed at for several minutes, the young employee left. It was honestly heartbreaking to witness. No one deserves to be treated that way in any workplace, especially by someone in a position of authority in a psychiatric office. That moment told me everything I needed to know about this practice. This office feels hostile, chaotic, and deeply unprofessional. The providers appear cold, dismissive, and more concerned with money and control than patient care or professionalism. After what I witnessed, I will not be returning, and I would strongly encourage others to think twice before seeking care here. Mental health treatment requires compassion, professionalism, patience, and trust. This practice displayed none of those qualities. Steer far away.”

“This place has changed my entire mental health life, more specifically, Courtney Hopkins has. She is THE best psychiatrist I’ve ever dealt with. I came in almost 3 years ago feeling hopeless, tired, and scared for my future. With Courtney’s help and guidance I’ve done a 180 and feel like myself again. She won’t rest until I’m the best version of myself. She’s recommended medication that has not only improved my life but my family’s as well. Most psychiatrist’s try for “good enough”, not Courtney, she pushes to get my life “even better!” Courtney Hopkins is the best asset this place has. She deserves a raise!!”

“After going here for over a year, they made me switch insurance I've had for over 9 years, then they didn't do the billing codes correctly after my prior appoval and terminated my treatment and scheduled appointments in the middle of a crisis. Amanda was the best provider there very professional and genuinely cared for me. I never saw Dr. Gale but he seemed like an arrogant person who couldn't answer a simple question I had asked him one time. I would not recommend anyone on spravato treatment to this office!! It's already hard enough getting into a practice, they should know how to do billing correctly. Each appointment took 4 hours from my home. I'll be talking to the medical board about this because I know it's affecting more than just myself, other's had the same experience.”