Initially seemed very good, but became very demeaning and even contemptuous. Dismissed my side effects to a medication as 'so rare as to be nonexistent' although next psychiatrist said my side effects were common and lowered my dose which helped. The appointments were supposed to b 15 minutes, but he cut me off after 5. Switched to another doctor. read more

Beware! He stopped taking insurance! He saw me for my first visit and suggested a costly test to see how I would react to certain drugs! My future visits were 5-10 minutes.He knew basically nothing about me and he could have cared less! He was rude, sarcastic and arrogant! So many of the medications made me ill! In May I bought all of my pills with me! He refused to look at them and told me to take my pills and leave! I received a phone call today(Mrs Putnam)? I told her I will not be paying the bill and I would not be returning! Dr Putnam needs a psychiatrist and a therapist! My guess is that he is medicated! I am sorry that I ever had anything to do with him! There was no front desk person! She was very rude! There were rarely any patients in his office! It looks like his business is going under! I hope his license will be revoked! read more

Great bedside manner with a genuine desire to help patients. I have been a patient for 4 years.

I have seen dr Putnam over 10 years. He is the best doctor! He has helped me enormously and he's worth every penny

Didn't take insurance and the initial consult showed up as costing $450 in the appointment app. I called to cancel when I saw that.

I've been a patient of Dr. Putnam's for several years. I find him to be knowledgeable and helpful. His assistant, far less so. The reason I'm giving a 2 star review is I'm currently working on weaning myself off from medication. I spoke with his assistant on 3/2 confirming that they would send in the prescription to CVS with the lower dosage. This wasn't an out of the blue request, this was a continuation of the plan that Dr. Putnam and I put in place. They never put the request in. I spoke with her today to ask them to submit the request again. I informed her that I'm now going through withdrawal because of the delay and all she could tell me was I've put the message through. She has 0 sympathy and her response to me stating that I'm going through withdrawal was, "OK." If I called them the day before I ran out of medication I would have understood. This was not the case. I understand he's seeing patients and isn't going to drop everything when I call, but you need to be timely and work with your patients to ensure this doesn't happen. I would find someone else if I were you. read more

Writing on behalf of my friend who is a patient of Dr. Putnam. She called after being discharged from a psych ward needing an emergency visit because she was suicidal and got an appointment two weeks later . She tried to called the emergency number but no one picked up. read more

Thank the heavens for Dr. Putnam! I finally found a psychiatrist in the DMV area that understands ADHD and medication (I had seen a few quacks before Putnam that didnt even know what Vyvanse was or familiar with it). The appointments are quick - in and out, but still he covers everything. I didn't need to be diagnosed, I had been diagnosed years ago, so my initial appointment was different. I just needed to get back on my medication and I knew what dosage I needed to be on. Saw him monthly for like 2-3 months and once we confirmed the dosage was perfect and didn't need to be adjusted, the appointments are every six months. He still does my monthly refills and i don't have to go in person!! I freaking love it. If you're looking for therapy, then go see a psychologist if you want to talk over issues or get advice. But if you need to be medicated, Dr. Putnam is your man lol Oh yes, the front desk receptionist is not warm and fuzzy but who cares. Most doctors office always have rude staff. Welcome to DC. I rather have a competent doctor. read more

I was put on vyvanse by Dr. Putnam along with other medications. The receptionist has been my biggest issue. Always rude and aggressive. Even have had other people call to ask for my refills and they have also experienced the same horrible customer service. I needed a yearly preauthorization back in March. It's April 14th and have been told "you're not the only one who isn't on their meds, we have many pre authorizations." Despite asking multiple times she refuses to tell me if the fax was received or if they have sent it. She said 24-48 hour turn around it's been over a week that they have returned from vacation. I have been going through withdrawals from my medication for 3 weeks and once again was reassured "you are not the only one". read more

This office is run very efficiently. They call the day before your appointment to remind you when to be there. Dr. Putnam is a great psychiatrist. He's attentive and upbeat and very positive. You can tell him your feelings without getting any judgmental feedback. He responds with the positives of situations. He treats you like a person and not a time slot. He's changed my depression and anxiety meds whenever needed. Always on time and emails your pharmacy if you need a script. I've never had a problem with the reception area like some say they have on other review sites. But I'm from the land of treat others how you want to be treated so they are always kind and helpful to me. Thanks Dr. Putnam for keeping this girl happy and anxiety free. read more

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He barely talks to you and diagnosis you in 20 minutes. That was how long my first session was, follow ups are about 5 minutes not even exaggerating. I get that he's a psychiatrist not a therapist but I feel like not enough questions were asked. He also did not care about the side effects of my medication at all. I feel like clients are herded in and out of that office (online office now) like cattle. It was nice he took my insurance but the trade off is a 5 minute session. Basically just not empathetic, didn't ask enough questions, and had a complete disregard for the side effects my meds were giving me. Will be seeing a new psychiatrist that I can pay out of pocket. read more

I have been going to Dr. Putnam for about 11 years. I have been with him through office and staff changes. I have only had a positive experience. Lately, I have been struggling with sleep so we were changing my meds and I had to come in every month but normally I am 6 months out. He listens and we decide together what we are going to do about the meds. So what if his office staff is abrupt! Do you realize how many and in what states you deal with people? Grow up no everyone is going to be nice to you just because. I have never had a problem as I am upbeat when I call her and quick to the point. She is doing a million things at once! read more

It's such a common story. Love the doctor. Hate the office staff. In this case, I couldn't even get past the office staff. I called looking for someone with experience in workplace bullying and abuse issues. I got ahold of the office assistant who would not let me speak to anyone else. I asked her whether Jared Putnam had experience with my issues. She said she didn't know and the only way he could make that determination was for me to come in and be evaluated. Well, the doctor should know what experience he has/doesn't have. And this was a simple yes/no question. I cannot simply go to every psychiatrist in town and be evaluated to get an answer to that simple question. Yet the office assistant spent her time berating me and telling me he couldn't take the time out for everyone who asked to have a phone appointment. That's nuts. I asked a simple yes or no question. If she didn't know the answer, it would have been easy to simply ask him between questions and let me know. And if he said yes, I would have said to sign me up. As it is, I think I get enough bullying at work. No need to be bullied by the psychiatrists office. read more

This is a review of the receptionist. I've called and left a message about insurance issues 9 days ago to make sure Dr Putnam was aware, and she left me a super rude voicemail saying that he was "already aware." And what do you know, the issue didn't get resolved in a timely manner so I had to call again today. This time she was short and interrupted me when I was explaining my situation. I see Dr Putnam for medication management and I'm running out because of her. Dr Putnam, please get a different receptionist! She is rude to patients, is unreliable, and doesn't even send bills in a timely manner. Also, please set up ZocDoc for online scheduling so we don't have to interact with this sour woman. Dr Putnam himself is great, quick easy, painless to see and always listens to my concerns about side effects or interactions medications could have on my other conditions. read more

I am thinking the receptionist may have seen my review (or perhaps Dr. Putnam did and mentioned it to her), either way, she was extremely pleasant to me at my last visit, and I retract my previous review of her. If you are in the market for a phenomenal psychiatrist, you really can't do any better than Dr. Putnam's office. He will have you feeling better in no time. 5/5 stars. read more

Highly recommended! You'll not find a better mix of professionalism, knowledge and chair-side manner. Life can be overwhelming and dealing with it can cause you to question your sanity. Dr. Putnam listens well and accurately asses what you're dealing with and offers sound solutions in a professional yet non-clinical feeling way. For an overall review of his office I'll also add that I like his receptionist. She's always been helpful when I visit or call. I've had to wait my turn in the office while she was checking out other patients. I've received call backs from her that contained all the information I needed. Dealing with mad, sad and everything in between people all day everyday is not a job for the faint of heart. Kudos to her. read more

I have been seeing Dr. Putnam for years. He has excellent ideas, is open to trying new things, and doesn't require rigid appointment schedules. The appointments are short, but he manages to accomplish a lot and gives you extra time if he senses you need it. He is not warm and fuzzy; he's a psychopharmacologist. Should he be? read more

Never got a chance to talk to Dr. Putnam, so he could be great. However, their person answering the phones has a terrible attitude. I called to see if they accept my insurance. The person that answered took an extremely rude and demeaning tone. Sorry for trying to use your service! I'm glad they don't take my insurance. It must be a nightmare coming here. read more

Just leaving a review since there are so many bad ones and it doesn't seem justified to me. I went to Dr. Putnam for late-onset ADHD symptoms after going to a different psychiatrist who was clearly just a pill pusher. It was such a relief that Dr. Putnam took the time necessary to listen and get to know me before throwing stimulants at the problem. We worked through different scripts and dosages until we got it right. Through it all he's been down to earth and understanding. Most importantly, he appears to trust my assessment of my mental state and the side-effects I experience. Yes, his office staff is a bit... abrasive. And if you miss an appointment, they'll send you a bill for $100. But if it was an honest mistake, Dr. Putnam will clear it for you. Just don't ask the office staff to do it. Anyway, if you're going to the psychiatrist for the psychiatry and not the office staff, I recommend Dr. Putnam. read more

Dr. Putnam is fine. I have seen him for years and he has helped me with the very brief appointments. I have to say I left a message for him about medication and was surprised when the receptionist called and asked what I wanted him to do.That is why I was calling him and I did not want to discuss my medication with her. I said as much. She said she takes all messages to him so be aware of what you leave on his machine. She is just barely pleasant... must be tough. read more

This is a review of the office receptionist, who is so rude and unpleasant that it's difficult to continue seeing Dr. Putnam. When you come into the office, she does not look up or greet you in anyway. Same is true when you leave and make your next appointment-- no eye contact, no well wishes, nothing! When trying to contact the office re prescriptions, she's ready for a fight of some kind and, as far as I can tell, she does not listen to or respond to messages. For the life of me, I can't figure out why he keeps her on staff -- she must have some really good dirt on him! Perhaps a sprinkle of anti-depressants in her morning coffee would help. I see Dr. Putnam purely for medication and he's fine for that. But I'll be looking for a new doc; it's just not worth the front desk hassle! read more

I saw Dr. Putnam for several years and thought he was terrific. And I really appreciated that he took insurance, specifically Medicare. Well, now he doesn't anymore. And he charges $145 for a very brief visit -- more than 50 percent more than he was accepting from Medicare. So though he seems like he cares, apparently it's all about the money after all. read more

*This review is solely for the front-of-office woman.* Dr. Putnam is one of the best; finding good doctors in DC is like finding a needle in a haystack, particularly for mental health, but he is fantastic. Listens attentively, hears your concerns, adjusts accordingly. However, I will never go back there. His front-of-office staff is incredibly rude and overall dismissive. She called me a week ago to reschedule my appointment for July 3rd because Dr. Putnam was going to be on vacation that whole week, fair enough. Unfortunately, I am currently trying out new meds and was only given samples, so I had to travel all the way back to the office (8 miles from my home) just to pick up 10 more pills to tide me over until my rescheduled appointment in a few weeks. After my 1.5 hour journey, it turns out the doctor left for vacation yesterday. I am finding a new doctor today that has a competent front desk staff who cares about the patients' time. read more

I've been with Dr. Putnam for three years now and he's absolutely amazing. He treats me for a bipolar disorder. He listens carefully to how I'm doing and my mood state without invalidating any of my feelings. He cracks jokes to help me relax if it's been a rough time, but he never makes me feel like my problems don't matter. He remembers what I tell him between sessions so he can keep up to date on my life events. He's punctual and efficient, usually getting me in and out in ten minutes. I'd recommend him to anyone struggling with a mental disorder. Note: He takes very limited insurance. Call before going. He doesn't take my insurance (Cigna) but I go to him anyway just because I'm that crazy about him. read more

Update on 12/05/2016 Dr. Putnam is irresponsible and uncaring. I called his office on Friday at noon and left an urgent message saying that I desperately needed to talk to him because I was suicidal. I needed something to calm me down to get to his office on Monday. Did he ever return my call? NO! I called his front desk today at 11 am. She claimed (in a rude and aggressive voice) that she had passed the message. i.e. Dr. Putnam does not give a damn about the lives and safety of his patients. probably we are only walking ATMs for him. I am reporting this incident of course. ____________ He is a very competent doctor, that said, his staff are terribly rude and unhelpful and Dr. Putnam himself sounds like a business man rather than a caring doctor. He provides his cell phone for emergencies but never cares to pick up or return your call even if you flat out tell him that you are dying. The staff treat you like you are a criminal or an animal unworthy of human affections. This week, for the 10th time in the past year, I could not get a hold of the doctor and left without medications for days, which made me face withdrawal symptoms such as extreme dizziness, respiratory distress and nausea. I called the doctor almost in tears, he did not bother to return my call. I called the front desk and she cut me off in the middle of the sentence and hung up. This doctor is expensive and does not usually take insurance, I am as educated as he is in a different field, not his maid to be treated like that. read more

This doctor's singular lack of empathy for another human being's suffering is remarkable. Tell him about your life, why you have emotional pain, and he will rebuff you ever so smugly. Tell him about medication side effects, and he says, "That's what happens." Not kidding.Terribly hurtful. And he will not be averse to treating you as if you have no brains or mind of your own, after all, HE's the Psychiatrist, the cream-of-the-crop, tip-of-the-top; and, you, after all, are mental. Going elsewhere. read more

**This review is for the woman at the front desk not Dr. Putnam.** I arrived at Dr. Putnam's office Tuesday, June 23, and was informed by the receptionist that Dr. Putnam was out for emergency back surgery. She told me I was the third patient to show up at the office then said "why don't you patients check your voicemails." Really?? She claimed she left a voicemail at my work number. Okay, fair enough, maybe the call came in after my office hours. I go to work Wednesday and, wonder of wonders, there is no voicemail nor is there a missed call. First, as new patient to Dr. Putnam's office I was completely taken aback by her behavior. Second, I took the day off from work to be treated like crap by this rude, unprofessional women. Again, really?! Fourth, emergencies happen, I get it but to act like I did something wrong when my appointment was never canceled. Oh please! I'll take my $320 and go someplace else. read more

I'm not sure where so many negative reviews are coming from, as I have had great experiences with Dr. Putnam and researched the DC area extensively before choosing him as a psychiatrist. It is not easy to find good mental healthcare that is covered by insurance around here; Dr. Putnam and his office have offered both. In many cases, it seems that it's the system that prevents insurance coverage more than it is the individual providers. I certainly understand many patients' dismay with his office not covering certain groups/policies, but in many ways, that should be the basis of a rally cry to our representatives, not a harsh comment in a Yelp review. There was only one instance in which I left a message on the office line and did not hear back, given that he was traveling. I followed up with an email, but as others have said, he does provide his cell phone in case of emergency, and, really, I knew I should've called him there from the start. One last thing that bears mentioning - as patients, kindness and respect toward providers and their offices goes a long way. If we as patients make rude/harsh demands, we might not receive warm compassionate responses back. It's a two way street! read more

the doctor would give you like 1 min consult visit and need to come in often to get the monthly refill, or even 2 weeks follow up even. too many visits and very little face time or help. this is the kind of office that you have to keep coming in often and get very little time with the doctor. it's just like here is a prescription, try it for 2 weeks and come back, and keep on trying and coming back. the good thing is that the doctor is friendly and seems so upbeat, very perky all the time. front desk is not friendly or nice and billing are awful. incorrect billing and takes much time to get sorted as the outsource billing person never picks up the phone or call you back. i managed to fax the proof of payment to them when they say that i owe them money. read more

Worst Doctor I have ever seen. Was looking at the wall when I was crying my eyes out and telling him the way I feel so I could get the correct medication. Uncaring basically didn't give a dam. Going to report him to Insurance company and to medical board. This so called doctor should have license taken away read more

After asking me very few questions about my history, life circumstances, or symptoms, Dr. Putnam decided to switch me off of an antidepressant I had been on for many years based on a genetic test. He took me off the medication, which is known for its potential extreme withdrawal profile in large doses over a short amount of time, and introduced the new drug, which was of the same class and was supposed to ameliorate any withdrawal. It didn't work out that way though, and I had extreme withdrawal, with weeks of diarrhea, stomach pain, headaches, exhaustion, and a depression that, unlike any other in my life, left me bedridden. I called him several times to see if he could wean me slower or add something in, but his message to me was that I would just have to tough it out for the 6-8 weeks it would take the new medication to start working! So I found a new psychiatrist who put me back on my original medication and I am feeling fine again. I basically lost a month of my life for nothing. See this guy at your own risk. read more

I've been a patient of Dr. Putnam's for about 3 years now. I find him to be a pretty attentive doctor. Nice guy. Good sense of humor. Quick to refill meds and discuss changing them if you start feeling too mopey. I don't have any issue with his receptionist. I really hate the new location, though. $5 parking in the building or $3 parking (cash only) across the street. C'mon, now. Yes, it's cheap by DC standards but I'm still a little butthurt because I'm from FL where parking is free pretty much everywhere. read more

Dr Putnam is an amazing psychiatrist! I've been seeing him for 9 years and he is the only Dr who has been able to keep me stable for any extended period of time. He has a great sense of humor and always treats me and my concerns with respect. read more

Good luck getting a call back from the doctor office if you have an important question. The doctor works 9-4pm if you are lucky and if he has patients during the whole time, you will not hear from him after his appts. I asked if there is a turnaround time on calls, and the secretary said he does not have one and that he will call when he can!! It has been 4 days with 2 messages and nothing back from the doctor. :( read more

I've been a patient of Dr. Putnam for a few months, so I probably have a good sense of his quality of service by now. First, he is the third psychiatrist I've been to since relocating to DC. The first two I didn't click with at all -- one doctor dozed off during triage and the other had an odd manner that made me uncomfortable. Dr. Putnam exhibited a high-energy, very attentive and genuine demeanor. I appreciate that. I find it very easy to be candid with him, and he doesn't beat around the bush with a bunch of B.S., so we make good use of the time. Overall, I'm exceptionally pleased with his quality of care, and also importantly, the efficiency and professionalism of his staff. read more

Dr. Putnam is great! I've been going to him for several years now. He got my medication right on the first visit and it has been working for me ever since. He is upbeat, can make you laugh when you're nervous, and always makes you feel good about yourself. read more

Dr. Putnam is rude and uncaring. If you go there to discuss any issues that might have led to your depression you can forget about it. I have seen many psychiatrists in my life and he is the worst -- total lack of compassion, unresponsive when you try to reach him and truly doesn't give a damn. The receptionist is a nightmare and they never return calls or emails. He went on vacation before refilling my meds like I had requested numerous times and left way to reach him in an emergency. Think early 20th century mental asylum, lobotomy/torture doctor and his image comes to mind. I'd rather go miles out of my way to see someone else or hell, even do without my meds than to take the abuse of those two. read more

Dr. Putnam is a very good psychiatrist with an excellent sense of humor. He is extremely patient, especially with finding the correct medication. He is also punctual which is a huge plus for anyone who has a tight schedule. His front office is run very well and I have had no problems getting refills or appointments. read more

I have been a patient for a little over a year now. Dr Putnam's focus seems to be on medication control and monitoring, and he is good at this. He uses a DNA test to see what medications you will and will not respond to. The only reason I am not giving him five stars is the women at the front desk can sometimes seemed bothered - as if you are interrupting her. read more

I have been a patient of Dr. Putnam's for over eight years. He's a very professional, intelligent, thoughtful and friendly physician who I rely on with complete confidence; he has helped me immensely. Dr. Putnam is very punctual and greets me warmly. My prescriptions are always refilled promptly. I am very selective of the physicians who manage my health, and I highly recommend him. The receptionist in his new location is friendly and professional. No issues whatsoever. read more