Pasadena Villa Outpatient Lansing

“I recieved poor quality of care in therapy at Pasadena Villa, as the center was not fit to handle my needs despite claiming that they specialized in my issues. The PHP and IOP programs rely mainly on group therapy that is essentially a crash course in DBT. It's great if these concepts are new to you, not so much if you've already done DBT before and your crisis is not related to childhood trauma. I went into this program because I needed a higher level of care than the once-weekly therapy that I was recieving in traditional outpatient. I needed to meet with a therapist more than one hour a week, but that is all they would provide in PHP. This becomes a bigger issue when the life events that put me in this program were off limit because they were potentially too triggering for other folk and simply too personal to discuss with a group. I was told that by the staff, and then my paperwork claimed that I "struggled to be vulnerable in group sessions." The rules were also strange and the enforcement of them were even stranger. One rule was that you had to state "trigger warning" before talking about triggering topics. Its somewhat understandable, but the effectiveness of this is debatable- its like asking "Can I say something offensive to you?" and leaving the person to get worked up before you even say the potentially triggering topic. In addition, it's not consistently enforced by staff- some therapists enforce it by correcting people when they even mention triggering topics, others only enforce it when the conversation begins to go in depth about said topics. This leads to a lot of confusion on where the line should be drawn. They also claim to support self-advocacy from patients, but I felt I had to bring issues up repeatedly that kept getting pushed off mutliple times by my therapist, Chris. First it was the issue would be addressed by the end of the day, then it was "tomorrow afternoon," then, with no explanation, the issue didn't get addressed until the following week. This happened with most issues I brought up, including attempting to get discharged so that I could seek more effective treatment. My other concerns are the inability to satisfy more beaurocratic needs: -Despite being told it would be given to me at the end of my first day, they did not provide the inital leave of absence paperwork until the end of the week, then they failed to provide the necessary return to work paperwork. -Despite signing many releases, they did not provide the documentation necessary to continue my care with my psychiatrist and therapist until well after my stay, and it was like pulling teeth to get it from them. -They failed to provide a referral to a new psychiatrist, despite my need for one playing a part in why I was admitted to the program. In addition, group rules state that- whether you are a professional or another paitent- you must not approach a patient and acknowledge them as part of the program outside of the group, and "what's said in group stays in group." I saw multiple times where this rule was broken, including when the Outreach Coordinator approached me less than 90 days after my stay in a public setting and asked how I liked my stay at Pasadena Villa. There were a three staff members who I think highly of, though: -Kelly, one of the therapists, is very trauma informed and good at encouraging people to step outside their comfort zone without pushing them too far. She also is very open to learning about people's experiences with their conditions. -Dr. Bender, the medication provider, is fantastic. She's incredibly knowledgeable and was able to pinpoint my issues with certain types of medications as well as educate me on my updated diagnosis. She and Kelly are incredibly personable and do very well with paitent education. -Ti, who works the front desk, is incredibly hard-working and very welcoming to new patients. She connects well with people and was able to help me through some of the communication issues I had with Pasadena Villa. She truly never stops moving and she knows how to get things done.”

“My therapist Kelly is amazing. She shows how much she cares about you and your feelings and your emotions and she does help you validate them. I do recommend a Pasadena Villa. If you really want to get your stuff together if you wanna get help if you wanna feel safe, I feel like you can talk to people. This is the place I really do recommend to come to and I want to do a shout out to Kelly again thank you for everything and thank you for helping me.”

“This program changed my life. I’m so glad I got referred here, this is a place that really cares about the people they treat, and they treat everyone with empathy and kindness. I made friends and connections, learned things I will never forget. I’ve struggled with depression and anxiety my entire life, and when regular therapy wasn’t enough, this place really was there for me. I still have a lot of work to do, and my no means am I “cured” but I finally feel like I have the confidence, the courage, and the tools to take back control of my life and learn to love myself again. If you’re considering this program, I highly recommend it. This place is worth it. You are worth it.”

“I had no clue what I needed or how to navigate as soon as I arrived to the php program I felt safe and heard . I was so nervous and unsure if I could participate in group . That was not the case it is such a warm safe environment. You are validated and heard . The other factor is you learn coping skills that are tailored to you and your situation. I’m honestly made strong connections with my peers and our therapist. Music and art based therapy have been amazing . I learned to love yoga and be more adventurous. I was in need of medication and Julianne was amazing she has so knowledge she and all of the therapist truly listen and do not judge . If you have never had intense therapy like myself or been working on it for years this program is truly tailored to everyone all ages and background . This program saved my life and I cannot wait to keep learning and exploring who I want to be .”