Paid $125 cash on 4/10/2026 for my Virginia DMV MED-2 form at the Alexandria clinic. I called ahead…read moreand was told they do these all the time. Nurse Practitioner Jessica Porzel was unprepared and accused me of hiding something about my hit-and-run accident, implied I was on drugs, questioned my tattoos ("why did you do that to your skin?"), and said "people like you are always up to something." Office Manager John Woods told me to wait for a refund after I explained the discrimination. I waited hours in the lobby as instructed. The front desk later said he had left through the back door. I asked to speak to the nurse again and they said she doesn't want to talk to me anymore, she's too busy, and anyway she can't even help with the refund. The office locked the doors while I was still waiting. The form was returned completely blank. I have video, receipt, blank form, and DMV letter as proof. Extremely disappointed and unprofessional.

I went here with my daughter and my experience with Rubina Dolvane was horrible. I was speaking up…read moreand telling the provider what is going on with my daughter and she said that "she can speak English " she won't talk to me about my daughters condition who is 11 years old. And won't give me the respect to even look me in the eyes and speak to me. Very very rude. I don't recommend this place or this kind of behavior to anyone. Everyone should be treated as a human and the scarf on my head should be making a difference. I don't wish this experience upon anyone.

Went to a session, therapist then suggested we ended the session early, then pushed a bill through…read morefor a "missed session" of $135. I will absolutely tell others to stay away

I have been counceling with Thriveworks for 6 months. I asked 30 hours in advance to cancel an…read moreappointment for the first time and got told $135. Complet BS! Roll out the red carpet for your good clients! I'm quitting therapy because of this. The first therapist I had was trash anyway. They hire people that can't get hired elsewhere. Change your policy and you might get better reviews. my tutoring company I ask 24 hours but roll out the red carpet for my VIP clients. You could learn some customer service from me.

I just want to take this time to thank Early Start Therapy! I'm a single mom to a three year old…read moreboy, I was unsure about ABA and Speech Therapy. After a few sessions with Deborah A. and the Team.. my son has blossomed! He started out shy and he wanted to do everything independently but now he has learned how to work with others and be a good friend! I also wanted to give a huge shout out to Deborah A.! I appreciate you so much! Thank you for your guidance, support and patience! My son had a really hard time understanding his own feelings. Especially being half verbal/nonverbal. Deborah took her time to show me how I can help my son when he was going through his big meltdowns. He's not having many tantrums anymore but when he does; I use the technique and after a few minutes he's okay! Thank you for everything! I'm really glad that we joined Early Start!

We were referred to Early Start Therapy by Kaiser for speech therapy. They evaluated our child and…read moretold us they had the perfect class. It was not perfect. It wasn't even speech therapy. It was some kind of behavioral therapy. It was not helpful. Additionally, when we requested that they provide our child's "Speech, Sound, and Language Evaluation," so we could take that to another therapist, they were unable to provide this despite having charged Kaiser hundreds of dollars for it.

I went to this Clinic for the SPECT scan to get more detailed information on my ADD. I'd read…read moreabout Dr. Amen and the scan in online ADD sites. I was treated very well; everyone I encountered was professional and friendly. I felt like a respected person, as opposed to just a number. Because I drove from six hours away, the necessary three evaluation appointments were scheduled for me three days in a row. Nothing was scary, nothing was invasive. When all was done, the report, scan images and other information were all put in a nice three-ring binder for me. Many insurance companies do not pay for the scan. Many in the medical and insurance fields consider this scan experimental. Because of that, CPT/billing codes with descriptions are included with the information. There is also an example letter by Dr. Amen to use when appealing an insurance company's claim denial. I would recommend this place to my nearest and dearest. The trip and money were well worth it.

I went into my Zoom appointment with Dr. Sumner feeling nervous, which honestly was expected since…read moreanxiety was the very reason I was seeking help. That said, I was not terribly anxious because I had already had such a wonderful, warm, and reassuring intake call with her assistant Sarah, who was kind, patient, and thorough. Even so, I had never met Dr. Sumner before, and with my anxiety being as high as it was, I felt that familiar edge of fear creep in. Within just minutes of speaking with Dr. Sumner, that fear completely melted away. Her presence was calm, grounded, and deeply compassionate, and I immediately felt safe. She took the time to truly listen, not just to my symptoms, but to my story. She gently and clearly explained that the anxiety I was experiencing was a very normal response to the amount of stress I had been under. That alone brought such relief. What truly stood out to me was when she explained how anxiety often feeds on itself, how we become anxious about having anxiety, which only intensifies it. That insight hit home so deeply. I had experienced a difficult bout of anxiety back in 2019, and having it return stirred up so many old, painful memories. Dr. Sumner understood this immediately and addressed it with such wisdom and kindness that I felt seen and understood rather than judged or rushed. She also quickly picked up on the fact that I am very hesitant about medication and strongly prefer natural approaches. Instead of dismissing that, she respected it fully. Learning that Dr. Sumner is also an herbologist spoke straight to my heart. It meant everything to be working with someone who honors both mental health and natural healing. Her approach felt balanced, thoughtful, and deeply humane. By the end of our call, I felt something I had not felt in a long time, peace. I could breathe again. I felt hopeful. I even felt excited about my life moving forward. That shift alone was priceless. Dr. Sumner is thoughtful, caring, gentle, brilliant, and genuinely kind. She has a rare ability to calm, reassure, and empower all at the same time. I am beyond grateful for her care and cannot recommend her highly enough to anyone who is struggling with anxiety and looking for a compassionate, whole person approach.

I highly advise against this location. The culture here is one of forcing the staff's ideas and…read morenarratives onto the children and parents. The team treats parents with disdain - they act like they are above everyone. It's as if you (the parents) are there to serve them and not vice versa. There is no consideration of working parents - you will be at their office when they tell you - and when you do show up for scheduled therapy appointments, it's not uncommon to wait 15-20 minutes for the therapist-- again reinforcing the idea that, you and your time is of lessor importance than the staff. At no time did it feel like a team environment (staff + parents working together) - rather, it was the staff speaking at the parents - with a heavy bias to keep the child in the program as long as possible. As I recall, the program operates on a four-week cycle. So, if you are there on week 5, you get to do the same things you did in week one. My child became agitated with the repetition - wanting to cover topics they hadn't already made significant progress on. This became another point of contention with the therapist, who only seemed focused on keeping my child as long as insurance allowed. The doctor they have on staff is based out of New York and spends a (virtual) whole 5 - 15 minutes with the child, all the meanwhile prescribing medications rapid fire. In the end, it got so ridiculous that the therapist told my child that if she left the program early, she wouldn't get a graduation party. It was almost like they were playing a game of chicken with us. My child saw it for what it was and decided not to return. In summary, I highly recommend against this Embark location.

Embark Behavior in Cabin John Maryland is a money making scam…read more I am a PhD brain scientist with a background in brain development My son had a behavioral diagnosis and he has received incredible treatment that helped him become a healthy and thriving young individual Embark stands out as a con. The therapist on the bills were not the actual therapist There were all sorts of treatment costs that were supposed to be covered by my insurance but Embark kept demanding money from me Staff would constantly lie They'd claim they had spoken to my child's previous therapist or guidance counselor but that was not true. When I said my son would be seeing his pediatrician, they said that was not allowed When I said my son would be receiving his social services they brought me into the office claiming it was "therapy" with my son, but I didn't see my son. Instead the staff yelled at me for "treatment interference" When the county advocate tried to join a call with them, they banned her from communication and once again sent bullying emails. Again my son has received incredible treatment from other facilities Embark, is a scam, they will bully, lie and charge your insurance half a million dollars to get rich

The office staff is incredibly responsive! The clinicians are very experienced and thoughtful. It's…read moregreat that they offer a variety of services that are built and can be adjusted to meet (and exceed) client needs. Highly recommend this practice!

From the owner: We are a full service Mental Health practice with 6 locations (in Alexandria (2), Vienna, Mclean,…read moreReston & Sterling) & 110 clinicians providing psychotherapy, medication management, assessments, and expert witness testimony to address patient needs. We have IMMEDiate OPENings please CALL to Schedule. We have Psychiatrists and NP's for Medication Management (participates with insurance). We also provide alcohol assessments, immigration hardship evaluation, gastric surgery evaluations, and expert witness testimony. We accept most Anthem, BCBS incl Federal BCBS, Cigna (not EAP) & United, all major credit cards, and can provide insurance documentation for you to submit to your insurance if you have out of network benefits. Average fees range from $185-$400 per hour depending on clinician & service provided. Thank you for visiting & please contact us 7 days a week by telephone to schedule an intake.