Go elsewhere. This is the only bad review I have ever left on Yelp in my life- Im not a fan of the whole online social credit system. However, because of the nature of the work that Dana Iscoff is privy to, it would feel really irresponsible not to warn other parents. I will simply quote a quote of another review (that's right 3 of us saying this) that really nails our experience with Dana : 'The woman has no boundaries, is arrogant, obnoxious and narcissistic'. I will add sexist and absolutely disengaged. If you have any desire to co-parent amicably, that will not happen with Dana. If you have any desire to work with someone who cares at all about the children involved, do NOT work with Dana. She is self-involved, inconsistent, and seems most concerned with collecting financial retainers. Stay away. Her reviews speak for themselves- she has the lowest reviews of an Ma/MFT in San Francisco- in SAN FRANCISCO, therapist Mecca. Im only writing this because her first impression is pretty solid but it immediately devolves and I am hoping to spare other couples/parents- otherwise Id never bother with this. read more

I worked with Dianafor four years on almost a consistent weekly basis. She was extremely insightful, caring and took the time to really listen and offered meaningul and empathetic feedback. There were moments of almost l" tough love" but she called me out on a lot of really important issues and made me aware of not only what was driving me psychologically but how to recognize red flags with other people and most importantly, how to communicate effectively with others. She's an excellent therapist and I highly recommend her to anyone who really wants to work on their deep seated issues and communication skills. read more

I understand that Dana has a difficult job of being a mediator for "contentious" co-parenting. Consider Dana's reviews though: They are the worst - in numbers and reviews - for all MAs/MFTs in San Francisco. I agree with previous reviews that Dana seems to perpetuate arguments. Perpetuating arguments would be done to her benefit as she'd continue to charge for mediating the "circular" arguments (albeit charging at a fraction of the time it would take to read all co-parenting arguments in Email. But did she even read the Emails? Why allow me and ex to continue arguing over Email if she could stop it? Tell us to stop because a decision/protocol has previously been made on the matter. Cite the decision/protocol...). Dana is also lazy in doing due-diligence. My now 16 year old daughter has a medical condition (Type I Insulin-Dependent Diabetes). Many of the arguments between me and my ex stem from differences in how we care for our daughter (I'd been her primary caregiver since her diagnosis at 15 months old; he considers my approach as "nervous parenting.") I offered to sign "disclosure" agreements to allow Dana to speak with my daughter's doctors about the complexities of Type I Diabetes. Dana basically dismissed my offers. She did however speak to them once - and that was after I pointed out a potentially fatal recommendation she made. My daughter uses an insulin pump 24/7. The pump's program is customized to the patient. Reprogramming an insulin pump takes training. Incorrectly programming an insulin pump could have dire consequences. My daughter was not yet 14 years old when she (along with her dad) though it would be a good "morale booster" (as her dad implied to Dana) for her to reprogram/"refine" her insulin pump - basically alone (since her dad did not know how to do it and without doctor oversight). Dana agreed with my ex (many times I've felt she dismissed my parenting as "over the top" Asian. I'm Asian; ex is Caucasian). I was livid, pointing out to Dana that she just okayed a minor child - without training - to adjust dosages of a prescription medication that could potentially cause her to become unconscious. Dana then contacted my daughter's doctors and "backpedaled" the issue. And that's another thing: Dana will "backpedal" and say she hadn't made a "bad" recommendation. In a following session, I would ask permission to record it but Dana wouldn't allow it. I recorded sessions anyway (kept phone in bag). I also took good notes and kept my Emails. I think this particular medical issue is big enough to have Dana's practices reviewed by a governing board. I think Yelp though could take care of the matter sooner rather than later. read more

Ms. Iscoff's interactions with our family 17 years ago were similar to those of the first reviewer. We had no choice in remaining with Ms. Iscoff, as she was our Court appointed Special Master. I would strongly advise anyone who does have a choice to stay clear of Ms. Iscoff. Other families may be unable to report their experiences given the legal power Ms. Iscoff has over their children. It is only now that I am able to. My children's father, call him Jon, left our family for a neighbor, hiding her two children for several weeks from their father. Jon then involuntarily committed his girlfriend, and the doctors offered to commit him as well. Later Jon demanded to see my children. Jon insisted that his visits with my children be under court supervision, which is highly unusual. The supervision continued for nearly a year. Due to limitations in court resources, the Judge transitioned Jon to unsupervised visits. At these unsupervised visits, Jon engaged in activities leaving physical marks. Based on what my child told his pediatrician, the doctor reported these activities to Child Protective Services. These activities were later confirmed by a distinguished pediatric psychiatrist treating my child, and visit supervision was resumed. Even during these supervised visits, the psychiatrist noted that Jon inappropriately stimulated my toddler. Ms. Iscoff was then assigned by the Court as the Special Master to our case. Ms. Iscoff ordered unsupervised visits with Jon. As with the first reviewer, Ms. Iscoff simply dismissed Jon's activities as "history" and discounted the reports of the medical experts. Worse, Ms. Iscoff demanded that my three year old visit Jon without my older child present, so that my toddler "can build a relationship with his father". When I raised the concerns of the medical professionals, Ms. Iscoff said, "I think you coached your child". She accused my 7 year old of sexually molesting his little brother. Ms. Iscoff warned she would have me held in contempt of the Court if I tried to hold my toddler back from alone visits with Jon. Ms. Iscoff also insisted that her services were critically necessary to our family, and must be paid for promptly. When I explained I had little money, she told me to go to my family, specifically my mother and sister, and get loans from them to pay her. When Ms. Iscoff heard I had a record collection, she insisted that I sell this, and some of my clothing, in order to pay her quickly. I did so. read more

I saw Dana a little over two years ago with my then-wife and, under the difficult circumstances, could not have been more pleased with the guidance and direction she provided us. She was quick to nip in the bud the irrelevant arguments my ex-wife and I so often collapsed into. My ex and I saw her for about 5 months and with each session, I found my trust growing deeper and deeper. Even though the sessions were difficult at times, I knew she always had my son's best interests in mind. This was made clear by her delicate yet direct reminders that this was not marriage counseling but mediation. I have heard countless horror stories of custody battles and their outcomes and am confident that Dana was an integral part of ultimately assuring our child would be brought up in the most stable and nurturing environment possible. I generally reserve my Yelp reviews for great coffee places or delicious new restaurants. In this instance however, I felt compelled to share my experience in hopes that a fellow Yelper, in search of a great mediator, will come across this review and give Dana a call. read more

My experience with Ms. Iscoff is that she is extremely knowledgeable and well-versed. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend her. She has a very caring and warm approach. (As an aside, I know that some of her professional activities include acting as custody evaluator and special master, which brings her into the middle of some of the most heated of all conflicts. I see that there are a number of reviews that discuss her work in family court, and my sense is that those reviews might reflect the extremely high-conflict nature of that environment.) read more

Ms. Iscoff was retained as our Special Master from February 2011 until she resigned June 2012, before completing her two year commitment. After I endured a shockingly hideous term of her behavior, I initiated a formal grievance process with her -- she immediately resigned, rather than address my specific concerns. I have waited a full year and 1/2 to comment on my direct experience with her, in the hopes that such distance would provide for a more considerate review. In short, in my opinion, Dana Iscoff is the absolute worst third party professional I have ever encountered during my 40+ years on this Earth -- in any field whatsoever. Her conduct as SM is directly related to her service as a Family Therapist. She is jaded, hostile, cynical, biased beyond repair, closed-minded, offensive, and utterly unprofessional. It is only because of the lack of accountability in the Family Court system that she must be able to retain any professional credentials, or continue to be approved and assigned cases. During my entire term with Ms. Iscoff, I consulted with another court approved Family Therapist, who, upon reading all of the communications between Ms. Iscoff and I, told me that, in their opinion, Ms. Iscoff operated "beneath the standards of her profession." In my opinion, Ms. Iscoff put my child in harm's way by her conduct, and it would be unconscionable for the court or lawyers to put other children at risk by placing their fate in her hands-- to any extent in the slightest. Ms. Iscoff likely believes my opinion has to do with a perception of "winners or losers" in situations like this, or her perceptions of my personal issues. I can assure everyone that there are only losers in the Family Court system process, most certainly children. And Ms. Iscoff's absolute rigidity to false "perceptions" without any curiosity or basis of fact is just a small part of her unprofessional conduct. Ms. Iscoff is utterly unconcerned with the truth getting in the way of her immediate, preconceived delusions. My opinion of Dana Iscoff is the sole result of my experience with many other professionals over the same time period. I was made aware of other clients who share similar horrible experiences, but might be afraid to comment publicly for fear of retribution. Any such retribution, by purposely increasing hostility between parents during a troubling time for their children, only tears apart children even more. I agree with the concern: it is Not beneath her... read more

When two people can't communicate and they go to a mediator to help the expectation is that the mediator will discern how each person communicates best and then help them communicate together to resolve painful and sensitive issues. It is inherent in a mediation that no one will walk away with everything they want - but a good mediator can at least help them each feel like they got some of their needs met. Dana Iscoff is *not* that mediator. I don't believe I have ever encountered a person less suited to be in the 'helping' profession than her. She has made no effort to get acquainted with what brought my ex and I to her door - she waived her hand and said "everyone has a history" and just dismissed it from there. She has repeatedly rolled her eyes, shown contempt, made outright false accusations as to my motivations, sneered at my efforts for compromise, insulted me, and implied that I am stupid, selfish, don't love my son, am co-dependent, thoughtless and irrelevant. Even if any fraction of those things were true...a good therapist guides her client - she does not alienate them with insults. All of this has happened in only two visits, folks...just two visits in which she has done not a scrap of due diligence in helping my ex and I talk to each other over a huge emotional divide. I didn't go in to her office expecting to "win" but I did expect at least a compassionate hearing of my feelings and she has been clear that she could care less. She claims to be objective and to use objective sources, but she does none of the clinical or critical thinking that is necessary to mediation - she is absolutely, positively horrible. Please do not make the mistake I have made and trust this woman with any issue near to your heart - she is not compassionate, she is not professional, she is not a 'helper'. I wish I had researched her more before just trusting the referral that I got to her service, I might have found someone better and spared myself a lot of pain. Run from this woman's office - run screaming if you have to - but don't trust her...she is a monstrously bad MFT. read more

If you are looking for a bulldog to help you get custody of your kids, Dana Iscoff is your answer, but it comes at a major cost. You will likely never be able to properly co-parent after she is done as the wedge between you and your former spouse will be so deep that it will take years to recover. Also, if you plan to continue seeing her after your divorce and custody battle is over, plan on never being able to sustain a happy relationship going forward as she will make sure you are so messed up in the head, you will not be able to have a meaningful relationship with anyone. She will play on all of your fears and anxiety to keep you down so you keep coming to her. Dana Iscoff is a therapist who is unethical and ruins lives. Her license with the state should be revoked! read more

I saw Dana for several years. When I decided not to see her anymore she said, "you know you will never get better without seeing me." Well I never saw her again and I got better. She sucks. read more

Dana Iscoff has been my therapist for many years. She has an uncanny ability to understand not only people's problems, but the deeper subconscious issues that motivate them. She has helped me immensely to have a better relationship with my children and parents, to move on from a broken relationship and form a new healthy one, and to be more successful and happy in other areas of my life. Don't be put off by the negative reviews. Dana does a lot of child custody evaluations. Almost always, at least one of the parents is extremely upset with the evaluation findings. Not surprisingly, often the "loser" in these custody battles is motivated to discredit the evaluator or mediator who called them on their stuff. And if you don't think people make things up, you have never been through the family court system. The ONLY aspect of the negative reviews that resonated for me is that Dana will "call you on your BS" -- which is part of what a good therapist is supposed to do. But she always does it in a caring and professional manner. I am moving on from therapy as a much better person than when I started with Dana, read more

I often look back in wonder about how Dana managed to navigate and manage two extremely strong personalities in a very high conflict custody situation. She was truly amazing. While I think both parents thought that they each know what was best for the kids, we were so caught up, in my opinion, in our anger at each other, that we did not truly always put the kids first. Our kids felt safe with Dana and she was able to match both our strong personalities with her own strength, compassion, boundaries and methodical approach that managed to keep things contained for the most part. Although she challenged me a lot, her intent and actual results were most always beneficial for both the kids and me. I would never wish a high conflict divorce and custody battle on anyone but if it ever comes up, I would recommend Dana Iscoff highly and without hesitation. read more

I saw Dana over a year ago with my expartner for about 6 months. It never occurred to me to put a review on Yelp until I heard about this bad review. Contrary to the other reviewer, my experience was very positive. I found Dana to be completely professional and compassionate. She called both my ex and I on our crap - and kept us focused on our children. Whenever we tried to devolve into our old relationship stuff - she reminded us that we were there for our children. She set up systems and defaults so that we would not argue needlessly. She helped us learn to communicate with one another more effectively so that we might argue less. My ex and I are not the best of friends -but have learned strategies to deal with one another from Dana. I would not hesitate to recommend her. read more

My wife and I started seeing Dana for marriage counseling. She was polarizing, dismissive, uninterested in going into our deeper issues, and with nearly each session defaulted to "Well, when you get divorced..." My wife asked her twice to stop being pointedly negative, and to help our relationship rather than drive a wedge between us, but Dana lacks the skills, sensitivity, training and interest to do any of that. We did divorce, and our children are severely paying for it. Dana's instincts are terrible. She is not an intelligent nor empathic individual, and after searching on the internet for more information about her we have learned that she managed to severely screw up her own two children. How she has managed to continue her practice is a tragedy, she hurts and does not help. She, and anyone who recommends her, lacks the ability to understand individuals at deeper psychological layers. It's all about getting in and out in an hour. read more

I worked with Dana Iscoff for more than 4 years and I think, in so many ways, she gave me the tools to save my life. I was stuck in a marriage to a mean, bully-of-a-husband who did not want to get divorced. Week after week Dana worked with me on strategies and skills that would help not only make me stronger but also set me free. I think she is one of the best therapists in San Francisco. I still carry her number in my cell phone and I literally recommend her at least several times a month to friends new and old. I think she is everything a good therapist should be. She is productive. She is action oriented. She is kind and sympathetic but also bold and visionary. She helps empower you to feel not only better about yourself but moving forward too. read more

I worked with Dana for many years and In my experience she was compassionate, reliable, ethical and insightful.

I had to write a review to let anyone know what a bad choice Dana was in handling my family case as a Special Master. I really would recommend that nobody use her for any reason. She caused far more damage than any other part of our divorce and literally just wasted two years and caused harm to us and our kids. I recently won the custody battle and we are now sharing 50/50, so am happy with the overall outcome, but Dana Iscoff was the worst third party involved in our divorce(and there were a lot). She just got in the way, ignored the court order openly, made very few decisions, billed us for work she did not do, barely did any complete work, was unbelievably rude, lazy, obnoxious, etc.. She should not be on anyone's list of recommended providers. I am sure my ex-wife would agree as well. Dana Iscoff simply elevated all the contentious behavior between the two of us. Dana was a despicable person and should not be given any powers or Special Master under any circumstances. I have to assume any of her good reviews are written by people who see her voluntarily(and thus can leave voluntarily) and the bad reviews are by those who mistakenly allowed the courts to assign her and therefor were stuck. Which makes her an even more wretched person. read more