Dr. Grunsten has been my psychiatrist since 2022, and I can confidently say he is one of the best…read moredoctors I've ever worked with. From the beginning, he has made me feel genuinely supported, respected, and cared for -- not just as a patient, but as a whole person. What stands out most about Dr. Grunsten is how much he truly cares. He takes the time to listen, asks thoughtful questions, and never makes appointments feel rushed or transactional. It's rare to find a psychiatrist who combines medical expertise with such empathy and warmth, but he does exactly that. I always leave appointments feeling heard and reassured, with a clear plan moving forward. He is also incredibly flexible and accommodating, which has made a huge difference in my ability to stay consistent with my care. Whether it's scheduling, follow-ups, or adjusting treatment over time, Dr. Grunsten has always been responsive and supportive. He makes it easy to be honest and open, and he creates a safe space where I feel comfortable discussing anything without judgment. Dr. Grunsten is highly knowledgeable and professional, but also extremely human. He explains things clearly, checks in regularly, and makes sure treatment is personalized rather than one-size-fits-all. It's obvious he takes his role seriously and is truly invested in his patients' wellbeing and progress. I feel very fortunate to have found him, and I'm grateful for the care he has provided me over the years. If you're looking for a psychiatrist in Chicago who is compassionate, attentive, and genuinely committed to his patients, I cannot recommend Dr. Grunsten highly enough.

I have been seeing Dr Grunsten for over 15 years. I had struggled with mental health throughout my…read more20s and I'd had a few attempts at medical treatment through my primary before. Dr Grunsten diagnosed me and we worked on a plan together to treat it. He has been an amazing listener and has always been genuinely empathetic and concerned for my well being. There need to be more physicians who take his approach to patient care!

I have been a patient of Dr. Ciganek for more than a decade. He has proved a true professional and…read morea committed advocate for health and well-being. I am surprised to be the first to review him, but am honored to give his practice 5 stars! Note: he moved his practice from the Northwestern campus to the Nieman office building a few years ago and also changed his telephone number. It's either VM or pager now.

OK, how often does one get a chance to speak candidly, and this PUBLICLY, about their shrink?…read more I've made calculations, and I'm pretty sure Dr. Ciganek has been my psychiatrist for just over 16 years. I wouldn't want to embarrass this truly gentle man, but I've not had a more caring, attentive and knowledgeable psychiatrist, or any one physician I've seen over any extended period of time. So .... forgive me if I seem a bit smitten, or like a know-it-all. I realize Dr. Ciganic has all kinds of people as patients, with a spectrum and variety of medical situations I would know little to nothing about. As Darkling S. expresses well, and so succinctly, Dr. Ciganek treats the whole person, and considers all aspects of your mental, emotional and physical being in the world. I've only seen Ciganek for prescribing medication and its management; I know he also works with patients as a psychotherapist. I've been in group therapy, individual psychotherapy or counseling with psychologists or social workers I've chosen since I've been under Ciganek's care, and he has worked in tandem with them, when necessary. I used to imagine that only when and if I had a grave, potentially terminal illness would I ever be seeing a top specialist in the Chicago Metro area. Even then, I'd want to interview several of them carefully, with a loved one beside me to help me decide. And though it's true you might feel, due to the personal nature of the specialty, that having a good rapport, and feeling understood by your psychiatrist would be more important than their standing among most peers and patients alike, I have had the good fortune to find both a top specialist in his field, and a psychiatrist who understands me as well as Ciganik does. I've recently faced a complex family crisis, and Dr. Ciganek, right away, recommended I seek psychotherapy. I'm grateful, now, for the insight he had, then -- knowing I needed more than medication at this time, when I'd assumed otherwise. Along with his useful intuition, Ciganek is open-minded and flexible when it comes to considering my quirks and sometimes stubborn need or decision to do things my own way, though he requires we stay in close communication about such agreements, and he's this accessible and dependable in my life. Dr. Ciganek has possibly been the most valuable source of my broader education on how to take the best care of myself I can. Along with being ahead of the curve in the most recent psycho-pharmacology research -- which he obviously considers and advises patients on, wherever applicable -- he is the same when it comes to research on human health likely to affect his patients. This has assured me for a long while that Ciganek's practice is not at all about being a pusher for the pharmaceutical industry. He's an independent professional, and respects my independence. That being said, he has finally gotten through to me on the things I've always been most disinclined towards, like the importance of keeping a regular schedule -- and how sleep is an especially critical aspect of this, affecting everything about a person's life. ONE EXAMPLE: this doctor -- my psychiatrist -- not my internist, and not the nutritionist I saw for six months, told me about the lack of sleep affecting weight, and that was eight years ago, long before studies only recently in the news showing sleep loss can actually lead to gaining weight. Ciganek also knew long before I did that sleep apnea was probably one of the factors behind my problem with fatigue -- that it was not ALL due to my sleep disorder. Then, about three years ago, I began waking up with horrible, horrible headaches most mornings, which it would take a few hours to shake off -- and I've never been one to suffer headaches. I was even more upset to learn, then, that these headaches were due to a nightly loss of oxygen! So FINALLY, after maybe twelve years or so of my insistent conviction that the use of a mask and loud noise of a C-PAP machine couldn't possibly be tolerable, it has more or less become so. (I should have listened to my doctor ....) FINALLY: I recently read that many people don't realize patients suffering from chronic pain -- caused by all kinds of conditions -- and people in clinical pain management programs, are often treated with, and benefit from, the skilled use of medications -- such as anti-depressants, anti-seizures, and others -- involving the brain's chemistry. (You're not imagining it, but it IS in your brain!) Dr. Ciganek has continued to surprise and impress me with this and many other aspects involved in appreciating all that a great psychiatrist can do.

Very knowledgeable doctor, Compassionate, sensitive to patients…read more I'm trusting him a lot. Especially, hoping to get rid all RXs on my retirement !!!!

If I could give zero stars I would but that is not an option. This guy is an absolute tool. I did…read morenot need to be assessed while at McLaren but they asked and said it was optional and I figured it would not hurt. I was wrong. This crook kept me for an additional day at the hospital because he said a Dr. had reported they heard me making statements indicating I was homicidal. I was not even suicidal much less homicidal. He was trying to railroad a mental health nurse to inpatient care because I guess maybe he was behind on his car payments. He asked me three times during the first interview what I did for a living. You think he would remember if someone told him they were a mental health RN but not this genius. I was in for pain and CMH did a mental health screen and cleared me. Then the NP later told me since Mark assessed me he could override the CMH recommendation. Of course they did not tell me this prior to seeing this liar. I will never step foot back in a McLaren as a patient. I will be going to Munson in Gaylord or Traverse city. I find it hard to believe this guy has so many good reviews, I question the veracity of these reviews. They cannot possibly be real. He provided substandard clinical performance with clearly questionable medical judgement and honesty to be frank. He was dismissive of my statements and he talked at me more than to me trying to build his BS case for homicidal ideation. He lacked professional conduct as his approach to medicine was highly questionable and unprofessional, he actually called me a liar when I denied homicidal ideation and told him he was a quack. He yelled it as the nurse was pulling the monitor away from my bed. His dismissive attitude and unprofessional conduct compromised the patient-physician relationship. It was all BAD, it is as simple as that. I honestly cannot say one good thing about him. I only saw him twice but he made and cancelled multiple appointments throughout the day and I saw him LATE. UNACCEPTABLE! Even my nurse said he was horrible. The NP that was caring for me overrode this MOMO's recommendation and I was discharged to home at the end of the second day on the trauma floor. I have patients on the behavioural health unit I work on tell me that ER nurses and doctors as well as psychiatrists and CMH screeners lie about what they say all the time, I was skeptical regarding this possibility but now I know this definitely happens. What is way more common though is the patients telling me that ER staff tell them they can either get out after 72 hours or they can leave whenever they want. Then once they get on the unit they find out the truth. This is exactly what happened to me. I was told I would leave the next day after a MRI was performed but this was not the case. This experience has made me change my specialty in nursing as I refuse to work for a behavioural health unit, I do not want to be any part of the broken mental health system in this country. You have been warned.

I am so grateful to have found Wellman Psychology & Associates. I just happened to be searching for…read morea new therapist online through ZocDoc, and decided to give them a try. My experience has been unlike any other in all my years in therapy. If you're looking, give them a call immediately. I booked an appointment with a therapist online through ZocDoc, and received a confirmation email from them within minutes. They made it extremely easy to get everything in order, and I was able to secure an appointment for the following week. After going on their actual website to further research the therapist I had booked with on ZocDoc, I ended up seeing a therapist on their website that was not on ZocDoc, but I thought could be a better fit for me. I emailed them asking to book with that therapist, and they replied immediately and switched it, no questions asked. Also, the admin is always quick to answer questions if you email them, which is great! I have been seeing Ryan Coventry for three months now for therapy, and it has been an incredible experience thus far. I have seen many therapists over the last 15 years, mainly for my anxiety disorder, and he is in a league of his own. He creates a safe space in therapy to be able to discuss any issue, no matter how difficult. I've never felt this comfortable sharing with a previous therapist. You can tell he listens, and that he is invested in his clients. Maybe most importantly, he challenges you, and provides valuable feedback. He has gotten me to look at things in new ways, and tackle things I didn't realize I could. I feel like almost every week there is a 'breakthrough.' He is certainly one of the best in the business, and I am thrilled to have him as my therapist. I also have gotten to become a patient of Dr. Andrew Richardson as well through Wellman. I was looking for someone new to take over my anxiety medications, and Wellman happened to have Dr. Richardson on staff for this very purpose. I was floored immediately on my first visit with his obvious vast knowledge of medications, and psychological disorders. After listening to my medical history, all the medications I've tried in the past, and what I was currently taking, he said he had a recommendation for a new medication he thought would help. He suggested before he prescribed it though to take a DNA type test that would tell him what kinds of medications my body processes best, so we know which drugs I might respond to best. I had never heard of it before, but I was very excited because these kinds of medications can be trial and error. I booked an appointment to see him the following week when he had the test results back, and it turned out the test showed I should react positively to the medication he had in mind. For the first time ever, I have an anxiety medication that I can feel working, and I've tried many. I could not be more thrilled to have Dr. Richardson as well on my care team. So, if you are looking for mental health services, please call Wellman up right away. You will thank me later. I couldn't be more grateful to have found them.

I had a few therapy sessions with Benjamin Foster, and I cannot think of a worse person to receive…read moretherapy from. I frequently inquired about how to cope with anxiety (which should not be hard to help someone with if you have a doctorate in psychology! Very much questioning the legitimacy of that), and he beat around the bush with every question I had. He would say things like "that's rough" and never gave me an actual answer. On top of that, Wellman and Associates promised only a $10 copay for therapy sessions, yet billed my insurance for psychiatric evaluation sessions, leaving me with $100 charges for every session! They did not disclose this service they said they would be providing yet they maliciously went behind my back to pocket insurance money for their benefit! When I tried to contacting them about this, I received no email response and no one answered the phone. Please do yourself a favor and skip this group - they're extremely fraudulent and your mental health is the very last thing they care about. Very malicious behavior!

After seeking help for depression following my divorce, my trauma symptoms were diagnosed as…read morebipolar disorder. I spent the next 25 years medicated, confused, and increasingly isolated. I lost years of my life and much of the optimism and joy I once had. I am finally getting help that better fits what I believe was the real problem, but I can never recover the decades that were lost. While my former therapist has moved on with her career, I am still living with the consequences of those years. That is a devastating reality, and I would want anyone considering treatment to know my experience.

Like most guys I was afraid to go a psychologist for marriage counseling. I was afraid of what I…read morewould find in side myself or how the Psychologist would only take my wife's side and belittle me. Dr Z listened, asked questions, gave me candy (ok that always works to improve my mood) and did'nt say anything negative to me that wasn't true and offered advice and how I could realistically change. I can't say enough good stuff about Dr Zamick. She has helped me and my wife with marriage counseling, business counseling, gotten me through the hardest times of my adult life and probably saved my life getting me through addiction issues with prescription meds after a spinal surgery. She has been patient, kind and hard as nails when it was needed. Dr Zamick's office in old town is very relaxing, smells nice and is very clean. She deals with most major counseling issues and has worked with my weird hours for my business. My wife Cherish and I both see her together and seperately and we advise our friends to come see her as well. I didn't know what to expect when I was looking for a Pisces, female, empathic, Jewish Psychologist (yeah I know I'm picky) but I got a great counselor!! 5 Stars!!

Dr. Crane is a wonderful psychologist. He worked well with my middle school son and helped with…read moreanxiety and social issues.

I was severely depressed. I dropped out of school. At the point when I first met Dr. Crane, I had…read morehonestly forgotten what I "used" to feel like. Dr. Crane never gave me instructions on what I needed to do. He never even had advice on what was the right way the think or the right way to act. He asked me questions about my life, and he questioned me about the way that I thought and processed those experiences. Through these conversations, we navigated the intricacies of my vulnerabilities, pain, and desires. I came in as a skeptic after a psychiatrist that offered ever increasing doses of medication and a psychologist that concluded that "eating too much candy" was the root cause of my depression. Dr. Crane completely changed my perspective on what a psychologist can do. I left school 4 years ago, part of it that I wasn't willing to admit, was that I no longer loved what I wanted to do (biology research). I haven't spoken with Dr. Crane in over 3 years since I moved to San Diego. However, I can say that he played a pivotal role to finding myself. I can say with conviction that he is the best there is. PS. I just got employed as an elementary school teacher in San Diego!

"Not good" is putting it mildly, Yelp. So Yelp has decided that it can't recommend my genuine…read morereview about this loser of a therapist. But Yelp has no problem recommending a ridiculous review from some woman who likes repeating herself and, on another site, refers to this dreadful therapist as "talented." Talented? Really? People who can act and sing and play piano are talented. He does a good of "acting" like a therapist, but the truth is he doesn't know what he's doing, and he doesn't pay attention. It's not a matter of "talent." It's a matter of being genuinely caring and perceptive and thorough. Has nothing to do with being "talented." I also don't remember him as a caring person except when it's about him getting paid. He definitely cares about that. He doesn't possess a natural concern or sensitivity to other people, though he puts on a fine act. I try to understand his reasons for ignoring my complaints about him, and he probably thinks what happened to me was not his fault. I disagree. He's the one who decided I was "bipolar" and set my life in a devastating downward spiral. His arrogant little diagnosis cost me everything, including my enthusiasm for life. Because of his deadly diagnosis, I walked around in a fog for 23 years! That was HIS doing, and he killed my spirit for living. And now many years later, I realize that as a result of his counsel, my life will be cut short. Please spare me of all this "talent." I recall so clearly the day he reassured me, in his tender therapist voice, that it would be safe for me to take lithium, not just for now, but for the rest of my life. It's sickening that he offered this counsel to me without any scientific data to back his claim. That's not how a genuinely caring person would behave. Talk about screwing up a person's life. He ignored what should have been obvious signs to a trained professional that I was suffering from a neurological disorder. Yes, the great (talented, caring) Wizard lacked a basic clue of what he was doing to my life. A distant relative noticed in 5 minutes that I wasn't lifting my heels when I walked, something the expensive (talented) "genius" failed to notice in five years. He completely missed the most important diagnosis of my life and now wants potential suckers (new clients) to believe that he's an astute observer of human behavior and that my "negativity" is the real problem here. I feel sick just writing those words. I wonder how well he would deal with a "professional" whose stupid counsel cost him lots and lots of money, but more importantly, years of life. I wasn't alive while I was receiving his "help." I was going through the motions. Yelp tells me my review is looking epic, while it places it in the unrecommended file. Yelp is in cahoots with this joke of a therapist.

Unfortunately, I experience daily reminders of the damage this practitioner did to my life. I have…read morepermanent health issues, thanks to him, and I live with the realization that not only did I spend a huge amount of money for his worthless services, but that he doesn't care about the damage he did to my life. It is devastating that I put my faith in someone who is such a moral coward that he chooses not to respond in any way to my very real complaints about him. Sorry but I am unable to forgive him for his inept treatment and his decision to pretend that I no longer exist. How ridiculous is it that psychologists are paid so well for doing so little? When I tried to communicate my physical symptoms to him, he insisted that my problems were all in my head. Instead of insights I got insults. What is so painfully clear is that he failed to listen to me. But he actually failed me at every level. Today this practitioner takes NO responsibility for what happened to me apparently because he considers himself above all that. Clearly he wants all of the rewards that come with his work--but not the responsibilities. One of those responsibilities is to confront the long-term damage that he caused. But I understand there's no money involved for this "helping professional" in revisiting the past. Instead of responding to me, he turned his focus to pumping up his online scores--funny how suddenly he received such glowing, exceptional reviews to offset the bad reviews I left. Instead of responding to me directly, he turned his attention to mitigating the damage of my negative reviews. The "P" in his PhD clearly stands for Parasite. Had no idea I was dealing with this kind of person. He did so much more harm than good. I have such a clear memory of him telling me that I absolutely must take lithium, and I am so angry at myself for believing him. This, in fact, was his parting message to me, and I cringe at his laziness. His care took the life out of my spirit and my soul. It deadened me. As he was wrong about so many things, he was completely wrong in his diagnosis and treatment, and I have such profound sorrow that I spent so much money on someone who failed to provide me with any meaningful insights and saw such limited options for me. I wasted my time, money, and energy on this lame and clueless practitioner. His care nearly cost me my life. In fact, I paid for his mistakes and his lousy advice and service in many, many ways. He nearly destroyed my relationships with friends and family and truly threatened my very livelihood. He had a profoundly negative impact on every aspect of my life. Don't fall for his kindness act. It's all part of his caring professional routine, and it is truly only an act. He really is only interested in your money. Anybody can act like a kind and caring person, and he learned that part of his job well. But he is not genuine. Sadly, I cannot undo the damage that he did. It is completely disheartening that he demonstrates not an ounce of concern or regret for the role he played in all of this. He was so careless and negligent in the way he treated me, and I am unable to forgive him. This guy's inept treatment truly damaged me. His careless diagnosis cost me so much and in so many different ways. He harmed me in major ways, and not only does he not apologize, he doesn't even acknowledge his central role in destroying so much of my life. That's 23 years of my life that no one can give back to me. I just wish that alarm bells had gone off and I had realized that this practitioner did not have my best interests at heart. I recall the time I planned an out-of-town trip to see my family. I let him know well in advance that I would be unavailable for our weekly sessions. Yet, his bill showed a full charge for the dates I was away. I told him this immediately, and he looked at me like I should already know that he was charging me to hold the appointment time! Yes, he charged the FULL rate and acted like I should already know this! Charging for missed sessions was something he never discussed with me but felt perfectly entitled to do. This unethical practice is actually a form of stealing. If I had to do it over again, not only would I have not have paid for those sessions, I would have canceled all future sessions. I have serious health issues today because I listened to him and continued to take a drug that numbed my senses and truly poisoned my body. This careless, clueless man completely misdiagnosed me and did a superb job of messing up my life and charging me a fortune. It's his fault that I walked around like a zombie for 23 years.. And as the final insult, he has decided to ignore my anger and complaints. Here's his service in a nutshell: "You're bipolar. You're welcome. That will be $80." Save yourself from thinking that this clueless wonder is in any position to help you improve your life.

Hands down, best Psychiatrist in Chicago. Initial…read moreappointment is a couple hours vs other docs where the intake is 20 minutes. (How much can a doc learn in 20 min) she is warm, caring and very honest/matter of fact in telling you a med that might work and how it might not work. If you really want to get better and have a compassionate/knowledgeable doctor, she's the one. PS-she even starts appointments ON TIME!!!