Used Clinical Associates for a psychological evaluation and weekly telehealth therapy for a family…read moremember for 6 months.
What went well: Scheduling for the psych eval was quick and staff were courteous. Intake questions about forms were answered promptly.
Major concerns:
1. Months-long delay delivering the written evaluation & poor coordination. The dictated psychological evaluation report took months to finalize and obtain. We were told it was "in dictation" with no ETA. This delayed medication management and higher-level care; we eventually had to hand-carry a copy to another provider despite a ROI signed and a request to immediately distribute a copy of the psych eval to psychiatric prescriber in order to resume medication for patient stabilization.
2. Mismatch between verbal feedback and the written psych evaluation. At the follow-up, personality-pattern concerns and risk factors were discussed verbally; the written report emphasized stress/depression/anxiety (and ADHD/Autism screening) and omitted key details we'd been told. That contradiction made treatment planning confusing.
3. In-house referral did not match the clinical need.
We requested a counselor experienced in DBT for complex emotional dysregulation. The referral proceeded without promptly sharing the completed evaluation to the counselor, leaving 2 of the 5 months of sessions without the potential for a targeted plan. Ultimately, patient never received adequate care even with psych eval in hand after 6 months and specific requests made by patient for direction, structure, guidance, and feedback during treatment.
4. Generic couples-therapy guidance without a safety caveat. Patient was told that individual and couples therapy often co-occur for best outcomes. In a high-conflict, dysregulated situation, that advice needs an explicit sequencing/safety caveat (stabilize and demonstrate accountability first; couples work only when safe). Without that, the guidance was easily misapplied at home and increased pressure.
5. Lack of structure in weekly therapy. Sessions felt like open-ended venting with minimal direction, skills coaching, or measurable goals. For a high-risk presentation, we expected a structured, skills-based approach (e.g., DBT), clear objectives, and documented contingencies (e.g., when to step up to IOP/PHP; how safety would be addressed).
Bottom line: Kind front-desk staff and a smooth evaluation intake didn't offset months-long documentation delays, a misaligned referral, and guidance that lacked necessary safety context. Families with complex presentations may be better served by a clinic that (a) coordinates records promptly, (b) uses DBT-oriented, skills-based treatment with measurable goals, and (c) explicitly sequences care for safety before suggesting couples work.
