I've seen psychiatrists since I was about 8 and I've never had an experience like this one. In California, a practitioner like this would be out of a job. I had to drive an hour to Corvallis because my insurance doesn't cover anyone within my area that is accepting new patients. When I got there early, I was reprimanded for not having filled out an in-depth questionnaire and then asked to fill one out, which took me about 40 minutes. I had just finished taking finals and completing projects in school; more paperwork is the last thing I wanted to do. Instead of talking to me and getting to know me, Dr. Elder attempted to pick apart my answers on the form and diagnose me based on each one. I wasn't looking for a diagnosis (and if I was, this would be an interesting way to get one!), simply trying to renew a prescription I've had for over a year. When I mentioned this, he got snappy and told me prescribing medication was a risk and he needed more "details" about me. I asked what sort of details he needed, which led him back to picking apart my questionnaire answers. Since I wrote "yes" to "Do you worry about contamination and sanitation?" he started to say I had OCD tendencies, and I explained that the question wasn't clear, I meant that I don't eat meat but I'm not washing doorknobs obsessively. When I told him there wasn't a connection and he was reading too much into my answers on the form (just talk to me! that's what you get paid for!), he got defensive and informed me that based on my answers I also show signs of "attention deficit disorder and depression". Well duh, I wrote down that I have "ADD and depression" on the very first question and that's what I told the receptionist I needed to be seen for! Very difficult to work with, and when I questioned his strange practices he got EXTREMELY defensive and then angry at me, eventually telling me he didn't want to work with me and then kicking me out of his office, yelling "God!" and slamming the door behind me. I'm reporting this to the medical board, he really should not be working with depressed people because he makes people more depressed. Absolutely no compassion or concern and a very quick temper. read more

I saw Dr. Elder for a couple of years despite his beside manner. I will say that he isn't a pleasant man to deal with, and in this setting, that makes for problems. I initially set out to work with him to get OFF medications, but he just kept adding more insisting that it would stabilize me. It had exactly the opposite effect. When I expressed suicidal ideation to him, he cut the appointment short and sent me on my way. He told my GP that I'd been abusing a prescription because he hadn't figured in 31 day months, and one time I needed it two days "early". He caused me great distress, solved no problems, and to top it off, he's expensive! I would not recommend him to anyone who is looking for a compassionate psychiatrist. The one positive thing I'll say about him is that he knows his meds. read more

I would give no stars if I could I really wish I had seen these reviews before seeing him. I don't know how he is still in practice for so long, except that quite a few people with depression have experience abuse and behavior as exhibited by him, and so it likely feels familiar to them, and maybe this behavior doesn't come out for those who just do what he wants. He acted just like some abusive men I have known, who got arrested for violence! In my experience with him, he acted just like these individuals, using same phrasing, tone of voice, etc. While I have never seen a psychiatrist before ,I have seen over 20 different crisis counselors, as a well as the same therapist for over a year, and have experienced both good, bad, and ok (ok being people who have good intentions but maybe not a great fit or very helpful), I haven't experienced such rage and victim-blaming from someone working in mental health. I have PTSD and this triggered me greatly. He projected a lot, saying that I was angry, when I was mostly just upset, and he came off as very angry to me. He plays mind games, and tries to make everything you say, a mental problem. People with depression tend to have a lot of self doubt, and he preys on that vulnerability. As soon as you have any confidence in what works for you,what is making your depression worse (based on lots of trial and error), and try to set boundaries with him, he will freak out on you. He assumed a lot about me and my life, when I tried to explain things to him, thinking that would help, he basically told me that he was right because he is a psychiatrist and has so much experience. Big red flag when someone tries to invalidate your experience like this. He has only talked to me for one hour, you can't know everything about a person in that time! I was thinking that if I provided more history, it would be helpful for him and he would be able to provide better treatment. He doesn't seem to like someone self reflecting and working on themselves and their lives, though he comes across this way at first. He seems to want to stick labels on people, push the pills and be in control. Pills don't always help people with a history of abuse, especially right after having been been abused and dealing with lots of changes in their lives. I will be filing a complaint, I am very concerned that he will push a suicidal person over the edge to hurt themselves. One thing he did was to make cutting motions on his arms to see how I would react which isn't a good thing to do, triggering someone for the sake of a diagnosis. One can find out these types of things in a less triggering way. I've had several suicidal friends and would be very careful to keep myself from using this body language as I know it could trigger them. He needs to hold a mirror up to himself and work on himself instead of trying to control others. Stay far away from him if you value your mental health. If you are desperate (can't find anyone else) and someone who really benefits from a prescription, just stay vague and agree with him and don't tell him much or let him push your buttons. read more

Dr. Elder violated basic human decency by having me forcibly medicated and not communicating effectively with me. When he met with me the first day I was at the hospital he told me upon my reading of a medication override: "I'm sick of your S-word, I don't want any more or your S-word, I don't need any more of your S-word... I'm about to retire". I was sent to a court commitment hearing on medication that I still do not know the name of. For approximately two months I was on medications under his care. I woke up in the hospital cognitively okay and was medicated to the point where it was difficult to speak. Staff would not tell me what medications I was on when I asked and Dr. Elder did not offer me this information. I was informed after one particularly bad night that I had been given Seroquil. In the State of Oregon patients have a right to know what medications they are taking, voluntary or otherwise. Given the number of people I have talked to who have had problems with him I do not know why there are no sanctions against him. I am actively doing what I can to make sure he does not practice psychiatry ever again. read more