ADHD psychiatrist and psychologist archived

Madelyn Petrow Cohen is a freekin' genius at this. She's expensive and worth every penny and more.

Does she deal with defiance issues as well as ADHD?

Short Hills Associates in Springfield. Dr Osmanova as psych in that group. Therapist/group - you should talk to them about your son and they'll make suggestions.

Dr. Shaley Sehgal in Livingston has been great for us.

Thanks for the feedback. I'm thinking he might do better with a man. Any suggestions?

Sent you a pm

boomie said:

Does she deal with defiance issues as well as ADHD?

I don't know. Ask her. My guess is yes.

I highly recommend the programs at Stepping Forward Counseling Center in Chatham. http://steppingforwardcounselingcenter.com
Dr. Nataliya Osmanova, (psychiatrist) practices there separately from her work at Short Hills Psychological Associates. I find the offerings at Stepping Forward to be much more comprehensive and holistic.
26 Main St, (973) 635-6550

Dr. Paul Schottland, is an excellent psychologist who specializes in treating/working with kids with emotional challenges. 17 Hanover Rd Ste 220, Florham Park, (973) 822-8188

Feel free to pm for more information.
kz

Be careful at Stepping Forward. We loved it. Literally, I posted rave reviews for months. BUT in the end it turned into a nightmare. Due to an administrative error they essentially kicked our kid out in the middle of summer camp and gave his space to someone else. (We suspect that the other kid had better insurance.) Never the less, it traumatized my child who thought he did something wrong and was being punished. (Two years of therapy down the drain!) It also screwed us over as working parents left with no place to send our child and missing work. It's not so much the clerical error, mistakes happen, but how they handled it was atrocious. These people are supposed to be therapists and our child was in tears, didn't understand, spiraled down the drain of low self-esteem "I must be a bad boy" and they did NOTHING. Not even a phone call. Not one gesture of remorse, no apology to our son our us. It was by far the most astonishing and unprofessional experience we have EVER had with any facility.

It seems very geared to making as much money as possible. I got a weird vibe from them.

I can now spot the slick, well-oiled, mental healthcare money machines from a mile away. As a parent these organizations make you feel so cared for and they make it so easy for the child to participate that it is easy to get lulled into a sense of well-being and drop your guard.

Recently we progressed through a seemingly endless series of programs and referrals and I thought it indicated we were moving forward towards a sort of graduation. When a new crisis reared it's head we were referred back to the first individual (from the series of 4) who suggested - literally - upping the visits to 5 days a week. He even threw in a new diagnosis of an additional disorder to impress upon us how important it was to pay them for the much "needed" therapy.

It was all BS. Once I pulled out of their "system" and went elsewhere an entirely new, sane approach was given.

My late FIL was a physician and he always told us to look to the research and teaching hospitals for the most qualified doctors. I now feel much better when my family is cared by physicians who have mis-matched filing cabinets, cramped offices and long waitlists to see them.

Sadly, for me a glossy, spacious waiting room and the ability to see a patient immediately now sets off my warning bells. :-(

I had a bad experience at Short Hills Assoc. We were sent from one therapist to another with the promise we'd soon be with a group. None of the therapists did much good, we never got a group, and one if the main Drs. seemed really clueless about ADHD. Like sfmom, I'm still trying to find a good therapist for my 9 year old son.

These are some bad stories and good warnings. Sheesh!

mestaunton said:

Be careful at Stepping Forward. We loved it. Literally, I posted rave reviews for months. BUT in the end it turned into a nightmare. Due to an administrative error they essentially kicked our kid out in the middle of summer camp and gave his space to someone else. (We suspect that the other kid had better insurance.) Never the less, it traumatized my child who thought he did something wrong and was being punished. (Two years of therapy down the drain!) It also screwed us over as working parents left with no place to send our child and missing work. It's not so much the clerical error, mistakes happen, but how they handled it was atrocious. These people are supposed to be therapists and our child was in tears, didn't understand, spiraled down the drain of low self-esteem "I must be a bad boy" and they did NOTHING. Not even a phone call. Not one gesture of remorse, no apology to our son our us. It was by far the most astonishing and unprofessional experience we have EVER had with any facility.

This is outrageous! You should report the doctor(s) involved to their state licensing board.

Hate to sound like a broken record on this subject, but why not start with your son's pediatrician for recommendations. Assuming you are happy with the care, I would trust his or her professional wisdom far above the wisdom of the crowds.

I haven't necessarily found pediatricians all the helpful on this front.

Might be time to switch pediatricians.

I go to pediatrician for physical health. They may or may not know about psychological health. It's a lot ot know about everything.

At the recommendation of a poster, my entire family now uses Patty Dow out of Montclair. I joke that as a divorced parent with divorced parents I have seen basically every therapist in the state at least once but Patty is an empathetic, intelligent, warm person AND a fantastic therapist which has been a winning combination for us. Her concentration isn't ADHD but she could be a fantastic resource for recommendations and treatment is certainly within her bandwidth. I cannot recommend her highly enough.

soulive said:

Hate to sound like a broken record on this subject, but why not start with your son's pediatrician for recommendations. Assuming you are happy with the care, I would trust his or her professional wisdom far above the wisdom of the crowds.

I know and love plenty of pediatricians, but I wouldn't make this leap at all.

So you would trust the recommendations from strangers on MOL instead?

If you aren't feeling it with your pediatrician, I would seek out other mental health professionals whom you do trust.

FWIW, we got a frigging awesome recommendation from my internist for an adolescent psychiatrist.

that's wonderful, but my pediatrician may have a different relationship with a colleague, than a parent has with someone they have actually used as their treatment provider.
I would definitely get referrals from physicians, ask here, and look at online reviews. Sometimes it starts to add up that one person is a clear choice, or that someone else may not be worth the time.

crazy_quilter said:

that's wonderful, but my pediatrician may have a different relationship with a colleague, than a parent has with someone they have actually used as their treatment provider.
I would definitely get referrals from physicians, ask here, and look at online reviews. Sometimes it starts to add up that one person is a clear choice, or that someone else may not be worth the time.

This. Plus there is no one size fits all. Therapists are MUCH more personal than physicians. I can like a therapist that my kid doesn't. My kid can do well with a therapist that doesn't work for another kid and so on. I don't really need a personal connection, although it's helpful, with a physician but that is the primary connection when finding a therapist that will be helpful.

soulive said:

So you would trust the recommendations from strangers on MOL instead?

If you aren't feeling it with your pediatrician, I would seek out other mental health professionals whom you do trust.

FWIW, we got a frigging awesome recommendation from my internist for an adolescent psychiatrist.

I'm with you Soulive. I love my ped and always ask her for a rec first. She may not know about all areas of medicine but in her role as a child's primary doc, she touches many, many doctors and can easily tell me what's what. I don't care if it's a ENT or a therapist. For therapists, I also ask around and know these "fits" may be tougher to find.

crazy_quilter said:

that's wonderful, but my pediatrician may have a different relationship with a colleague, than a parent has with someone they have actually used as their treatment provider.
I would definitely get referrals from physicians, ask here, and look at online reviews. Sometimes it starts to add up that one person is a clear choice, or that someone else may not be worth the time.

^This is exactly what I would do.

kmk said:

I now feel much better when my family is cared by physicians who have mis-matched filing cabinets, cramped offices and long waitlists to see them.

Speaking of which.....

I looked for a very long time for a psychiatrist to help with ADHD. Probably a good 5/6 years. My pediatrician had no recommendation, or at least none that participated in my plan. It was frustrating and upsetting. About a year ago I finally got a recommendation from someone I trust, who also has a child with ADHD. AND, the doctor participates in my plan. You can bet I called and got the first available appointment. I have been so amazingly pleased with this doctor, even though her office is very much as kmk describes. It's almost as if she has some sort of magical power, and from the chaos rise the answers we've been searching for, clear and concise.

Dr. Farheen Fahim
973-535-3999

Where is she located matb?

107 E Mt Pleasant Ave #107, Livingston, NJ 07039
Directly above Eppes Essen.

TY

crazy_quilter said:

that's wonderful, but my pediatrician may have a different relationship with a colleague, than a parent has with someone they have actually used as their treatment provider.
I would definitely get referrals from physicians, ask here, and look at online reviews. Sometimes it starts to add up that one person is a clear choice, or that someone else may not be worth the time.

I can't argue with this approach. Sort of what I do.