After three years since finishing up my stay at Yellowbrick, I continue to see the benefits of…read morebeing a part of the YB community in my life today. Since finishing YB, I've graduated college, moved to a new city, started a full-time job, successfully transitioned to a second job, and really have embraced adulthood. Life is not without its bumps and I'm still someone who deals with depression and anxiety. But that's a part of life and I'm not scared to face all the emotions and feelings that once derailed me and my family. I was talking with a fellow alumni from my time at YB and we continue to look back fondly at the experience. YB was a special place that fostered vulnerability and self-discovery. Again, in the moment, there were definite struggles. It was the most challenging work of my life. But I feel proud of the work I was able to accomplish and have so much love for my therapist, the other doctors, the staff, the patients, everyone who cultivated a community at YB that allowed me to be, well, me. I've taken this experience with me into other environments and settings that has allowed me to really thrive as a more confident and loving person. I sincerely hope young adults and families who feel hopeless take a look at Yellowbrick. It's an investment that saved my life and I will forever be thankful.

I'm still traumatized to this day because of yellowbrick and stand by what I said on google 7 years…read moreago. "The most traumatic experience of my life was my 10 months at this treatment center from hell. The staff full on engaged in psychological manipulation, to the point where I was hallucinating because of how much they messed with my head. Jesse Viner, the founder, has indirected killed 3 known individuals. Two from suicide, the other from a heroin overdose. You could say that what they did was graphically molest each patients psyche to the point where they threw all the fragments of each person's Self out of the window, and expected each and every one of them to jump and put them all together in mid-air. The manipulation and trauma caused by the staff upon the patients is most likely among the worst on the planet. The place is laced with pure malpractice and should be shut down immediately. That is all."

Inspire charges for intake sessions that do not result in therapy. Therapist left eight hours…read morebefore our child's first session -- with his notes about our child and apparently our money.

A convenient location but extremely uncomfortable. The place was set up like a maze... no windows…read moreand bright fluorescent lights.. will not be returning.

A truly wonderful place, I got accupuncture here while going through chemo many years ago and it…read morewas a huge support for a difficult process. Very caring, soothing environment.

Total hidden gem. No, really, it's actually hidden. There is a door, I think it's red, across from…read moreBennison's Bakery and this is Heartwood (upstairs). I didn't know this place existed until this summer. The yoga classes are great! The owner is welcoming and kind. Grateful Yoga, Nick and Lela Beem, teach here. Their classes are excellent and refreshing. I have not explored all of the services they have to offer but I hope to in the coming year.

My 15 year old child is under the care of this group- my ex wife misrepresented our relationship…read moreto them- they did not know that I have 50 / 50 custody over my daughter- when I asked them about it and get told to find information on the internet- great- could you at least provide me a hyperlink? I don't appreciate the lack of communication, professionalism and accountability.

Two different therapists, very rigid in their respective approaches, even after we specifically…read moretold them we did not want a "by-the-book" approach. The second therapist, Heather, told us that was fine, and then our third session in, literally pulls out a book and dared to look shocked when we were upset. Medical director did not care, basically said we were probably beyond help if two different therapists - both inept and who retraumatized us both with their incompetence. Even the front desk clerk was callous and crappy toward us when we were obviously emotional and upset from our encounter. Quote: "Maybe The Family Institute isn't for you." Northwestern needs to get its name off this business. Can say the Family Institute accelerated our path to divorce at a point our marriage still could've been saved had anyone given a s*** about helping rather than lying, reading their scripts, and getting their $$$.

The care and administrative experience here were both disappointing. I had numerous billing issues…read morethat could have easily been resolved seeming that it was the same problem that repeatedly occurred. The therapist was often late or cancelled at the last minute. Overall, very disappointed in the treatment.

My husband and I started seeing Alicia for premarital counseling and we have continued to see her…read morepost nuptials because she has helped us so much! We go for a monthly maintenance appt and sometimes it's just nice to have an outside party help you work through something who is unbiased. I actually see Amy here as well for one on one counseling. Really, both of them are great. I highly recommend this practice.

It saddens me that the poor care of the Albany care Evanston residents has led to so much harm. Our…read morefamily has found ourselves as the unfortunate recipients of most of the resident drug deals, directly outside of the front door of our home on the corner of Lee/Maple Streets in residential 4th Ward Evanston. It is directly related to these unfortunate incidents that we will be moving. Stop acting like people are a business transaction and give the proper care that is deserved of any human being! Feeling outraged @albanycare

Albany Care & Nine Affiliates: Not as "Unprofitable" as They Seem…read moreWarning: this is a true deep dive. If you are curious about what the heck is going on over at Albany Care, I think you'll benefit from understanding more about its business structure. To do so, anyone can access Albany Care's finances on IDPH's website via their annual cost reports. A quick glance and you'll see its net income in 2023 was a big loss of -$3,217,144. Ouch. And yet, as will be outlined through this post, the owners made at least $700k in profit from 2023 operations, not counting additional equity captured through $2.8 million in lease payments to related parties. The reality is that Albany Care and its nine nearby "sibling" Specialized Mental Health Rehabilitation Facilities & Nursing Homes are part of a united ownership group who pulled at least $6.3 million of total profit out of their 'unprofitable' Illinois mental health rehabilitation clinics in 2023. I'm not saying that these are shady community members egregiously stealing money - not at all. If anything, they have built an impressive system to care for patients and make money through Medicaid reimbursements. The reason I'm shining a light on this is because 82% of their $110 million revenue came from tax dollars (Medicaid/Medicare) and they provide vital health care to vulnerable populations --- they can handle a modicum of public financial scrutiny. My intention is not to disparage anyone. How do you make profit on a conglomerate of healthcare businesses that ran a $10.9 million net loss in 2023 via the IDPH filings? They do it through related-party rent payments, "consulting fees," and other line items IDPH flags as not related to patient care. It's legal and common in this line of work. This post is just one Evanstonian's attempt to unpack the financial operations that underpin Albany Care for community awareness. I'm happy to share the spreadsheet of data, links to IDPH cost reports, and will make edits if anything here is misstated or miscalculated. Who am I and why care: I live a few blocks away, have an MBA, and got curious when I saw Albany Care's 2023 cost report on the Illinois Department of Public Health (that's IDPH) site. The "related-organizations" page sent me down the rabbit hole. I pulled every 2023 filing for the ten linked organizations, stacked the numbers, and here we are. The complexity of Albany Care's organizational web: Via the public cost reports, Albany Care is part of at least 10 IL healthcare facilities that share owners / management companies (I'm leaving off the non-IL entity in my analysis b/c I can't easily research it): Albany Care - Evanston Greenwood Care - Evanston Decatur Manor - Decatur Generations at Applewood - Matteson Generations at Neighbors - Byron Generations Oakton Pavilion - Des Plaines Generations at Regency - Niles Generations at Rock Island - Rock Island Bryn Mawr Care - Chicago Wilson Care - Chicago The ownership map centers on a small circle of inter-locking family trusts. All are named in the IDPH filings. The Rothner family sits at the center. Close behind are the Wolff family, the Barrish family, the Giannini family, the Robinson family, the Vales family, the Matthew family, the Gesualdos, and the Winters. Scattered beneath the major blocs are a long tail of sub-one-percent holders. Those same families also control a lattice of related-party entities that channel money out of the operating facilities like Albany Care. Albany Care LLC and a collection of property-specific landlord shells (Neighbors Property LLC, Oakton Arms LLC, Bryn Mawr Care Inc, etc) own the real estate and receive roughly $15 million in total annual rent payments from all orgs. Over that sits Generations Properties LLC and SIR Properties LLC, master holding companies for multiple buildings, while Generations HC Network LLC and the legacy SIR Management LLC bill each facility for "administrative and consulting" services. Vertical integration extends to vendors such as MAC Rx LLC (pharmacy), LTC Lab LLC (lab work), and Big Ten Supply LLC (medical supplies), all disclosed as 100% related orgs. Together these affiliates absorb rent, management fees, and supply margins --- allowing the operating companies (like Albany Care) to show paper losses even as cash flows into the same ownership circle. It's a complex web and it's all openly viewable in the public record and legal. Its also not inherently "bad." It's just business. Method I used to create a financial summary of this conglomerate of related businesses: I opened 2023 IDPH cost reports for each separate entity, which conveniently lists every related business with overlapping ownership for public awareness, and dumped key lines into Excel. I added the numbers together so the 10 IL facilities look like one business. I wanted to see what the owners actually pocketed, so I added up three things: Cash paid to owners / relatives / board - this is literally listed in admin costs for each facili

Lilac Tree is amazing. During a very difficult time when you likely have no footing, LT can be a…read morelifesaver. Excellent offerings and access to resources. Everyone is kind and compassionate. Their network and support groups have been invaluable.

Divorce can be painful and something we never expected to have to figure out. One of the most…read moreuseful services The Lilac Tree provides is support groups, where you can share tears, tips, and even the occasional laugh with others going through similar issues. Be aware, however, that their counseling and legal referrals can be dated and rely on formulas that may or may not work for you. Take notes, consider, and then hunt for other sources that are more useful and supportive for your particular needs. For example, while consults with their recommended lawyers helped me understand what I was up against, a one-hour consult with my accountant / tax preparer was much more useful in figuring out how to deal with financial issues.

I wasted four months with Justin Lee and got nowhere. I originally sought help for ADHD symptoms…read morethat I've experienced since childhood, but instead of truly listening, he dismissed my concerns and disagreed with my self-assessment. Our meetings were short (15-20 minutes at most) and felt more like a way to bill me rather than provide real support. When the medication he prescribed wasn't working for me, I stopped taking it - but instead of discussing alternative solutions, he threatened to drop me as a client for not informing him first. Rather than working with me to find the right treatment, he made me feel unheard and unsupported. Thankfully, I've since found a real ADHD specialist who actually listens and provides meaningful help--no gimmicks, no pointless conversations, and no pressure. If you're looking for real ADHD care, I strongly recommend going elsewhere. ---- Sent me a bill for 100$ fee after 4 months of no services... with no description of the fee. Sent me ANOTHER bill for 75$ after 5 months of no services... with no description of the fee. Front desk never answer the phone. BE AWARE OF THEIR BILLING PROCESS AND ASK FOR IDOMIZED STATEMENT. ---

I experienced discrimination from Dr. Rahman. I had an initial point with Dr. Amera Rahman for…read moremedication management after being diagnosed with inattentive presenting ADHD by my normal therapist. The first appointment was canceled the day before. Things happen so I rescheduled for another day. During the initial appointment Dr. Rahman was dismissive when I addressed my concerns regarding ADHD treatment and options. She questioned the competence on my therapist and insisted that I was depressed even though I explicitly expressed that I was not. I had no feelings of depression or anxiety. She offered Wellbutrin and I declined. After a long drive to the Evanston Clarity Clinic location for a face to face appointment she reluctantly prescribed me 10mg of Vyvanse. After a week on the medication and doubling the dosage after a few days as she instructed, I had a follow up appointment were I explained how I hadn't noticed any change or experienced any of the previously mentioned side effects. At this time she responded "well maybe you don't have ADHD", and insisted again that I was suffering from depression or anxiety. She did not listen to me at all and showed a lack of consideration for what I was experiencing. I felt like this was a form of discrimination. I decided to see another psychiatric provider who gave me a formal evaluation that confirmed my original diagnosis. I have noticed a significant positive change since receiving proper medication management. It is unfortunate that Dr. Rahman made a diagnosis based on her personal biases without evaluating me herself or even adjusting medication.

A recent phone consultation with Robert Farra at Ross Therapy Group was deeply disappointing and…read moreuncomfortable. During what was supposed to be an intake consultation conversation, he laughed when health anxiety was discussed (later apologizing), asked probing and intrusive questions about past romantic relationships, made comments that appeared dismissive of mental health concerns, and made several judgmental and highly inappropriate remarks. Additionally, he made an entirely unrelated comment about the ethnicity/national origin of one of the therapists in his own practice. Due to the nature of this interaction, a formal complaint has been filed with the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation for review.

Phenomenal. Simply phenomenal. Very kind, patient, and understanding. Willing to do the work if you…read moreare and genuinely cares about your progress which is a rare trait in this business. Most will care to an extent but he genuinely cares always.