Unfortunate experience with Southeastern Counseling Associates, specifically with Maria M. Arroyo, LMHC. At the time of booking an appointment for my GF's son, Ms Arroyo was given all of the insurance information upfront. The first appointment (the intake meeting) went great. My GF's son seemed very comfortable with Ms Arroyo, and much to our delight, seemed very willing to meet with her on a regular basis. At the second appointment, despite my GF and her son arriving for the scheduled session on time, they wound up waiting in the waiting room for nearly 30 minutes before my GF decided to go to the back of the office to see why Ms. Arroyo was delayed. When Ms. Arroyo came out of her office she explained to my GF that she does not accept her insurance and said she left a message with my GF a few hours prior to the appointment explaining the need to cancel. Okay, a little disappointing as my GF's son really connected with her, but as it turned out there was another person at Southeastern Counseling who did take my GF's insurance, so it wasn't a total loss. When I took him to his first appointment with the new person, I had mentioned to the receptionist that we had a $5.00 credit due to us from the first appointment with Ms. Arroyo (Co-pay was $15. All I had was a $20, and Ms. Arroyo did not have the change, so we agreed to apply it to the next visit). The receptionist stepped away for a few moments, presumably to check with Ms Arroyo on the $5.00, and a few minutes later Ms. Arroyo comes barging into the waiting room, saying, "I remember the credit, but I didn't get paid by the insurance company for the first visit., so if you are looking for me to repay the $5.00, then I am going to have to bill you for the visit." I was seriously taken aback by how Ms. Arroyo approached this; For one, I simply inquired about a credit that was rightfully due my GF, and was disheartened by Ms. Arroyo's decision to immediately come out threatening. Fact is, Ms. Arroyo was given all the insurance information prior to my GF's son's first appointment. She should have known prior to meeting with him whether or not she accepted his insurance, so to threaten to now bill my GF is completely unacceptable. As a practitioner, she seems quite capable, but on the business end of running her practice she is a disaster. read more