I think she is unsafe.
I'm writing this so no one will think they are alone and overreacting if they have this kind of experience with Amanda. Also I'd feel irresponsible for not sharing this experience, so people could make an informed choice and for lack of a better word, know that they'd been warned.
I found Dr. Itzkoff to be devoid of qualities such as understanding, compassion, fairness, kindness, and yes, others too. She presented with inflexible, rigid, and illogical behavior that was dangerous, deaf and out of synch with what I would call the most basic human decency. Her actions were so outside the realm of a healthy individual that i'm concerned there is an underlying psychosis, sadism, and inner sickness that is dark and unsafe.
I did reach out to her and her office when I stopped going and said I'd be happy to share with the Dr. why I wasn't continuing with her and that I thought some of her actions had been dangerous and at least she might want to be aware of them so she doesn't hurt any of her patients. She never responded.
Do you want to go to a doctor who doesn't want to know what their patient means when they say they think they are doing things that are unsafe and may hurt one of their other patients?
If I ordered food from a restaurant and then called them to let them know there had been rat poison in it, shouldn't they at least ask what I ate so they can check it out to make sure it's safe? Not Amanda.
Now some things that happened (this is not close to being a complete list):
1. FACT: If I stop taking my medication I could have seizures and die.
1a. She wrote me prescriptions every week for 7 days supply.
1b. The thing I was seeing her for had me unable to Leave the apartment one day and so I called to say I could not get there and tried to reschedule right away but she was booked for the next 5-7 days (not a problem, I'm the one that cancelled and of course she has other patients).
1c. She refuses however to refill my prescription until I see her, even though I tell her I'm out of the medication. All she'll say is that then I shouldn't miss my appointment. That's it, stone cold, come in now, even though the thing I'm treating you for has you unable to leave your apartment, and otherwise I cut off the medication that's supposed to help what's happening to you right now and put you at risk of death.
2. Separate issue: she was never less than 45 minutes late to EVERY session. I spoke to her and asked if I should just come late to my appointments because I had work, etc and couldnt spend an extra 45 minutes waiting every time. I also said it felt disrespectful and when she said not to come late she then agreed, except for rare occasions, not to be more than 20 minutes late, which I said was about the most I felt comfortable with.
2a. Next appointment she is 1 hour and ten minutes late. She says the same thing to me she has said every time "Thanks for your patience".
2b. Next time my wife is coming with me to help give some more information on what's been going on. We have a double session booked. She is again 1 hour and 10 minutes late and when I ask her if there was an emergency her verbatim response was: "NO, I HAD TO VOTE AND YOU KNOW, IT'S RAINING".
So you went to vote while I waited for you and then the rest is the rain's fault. And I'm coming to you for mental and emotional help when you can't take ownership for your actions or apologize?
2c. Although she was over an hour late, when we said we couldn't now do the double session (we could only stay for 1 more hour) she said she was going to bill us for the double session anyway because it was our choice to leave.
Much more, but here's one last thing:
3. Her office calls me the night before my regular appointment and says she has to cancel. I go ok, but as she knows my grandmother just died and I have to go out of town for the funeral at noon - I already have tickets of course - so I'll need her to fill my prescription for me. She refuses and tells me I can come in at 6pm which I tell her I can't do since I leave at noon. She refuses to refill my prescription and we get off the phone.
3a. Her office calls me back and says she will see me at 9:00am the next day. I get to her office and at 9:05, her office calls and says she has to cancel.
If it feels wrong trust your gut. read more