This woman nearly ruined my life in the early 2000s. I was a teenager struggling with an autoimmune illness that caused a serious hormonal imbalance, leaving me severely depressed and feeling completely unlike myself. I needed compassion, competent guidance, and support. Instead, Mary treated me with suspicion, judgment, and an absolutely appalling lack of professionalism.
She repeatedly interrogated me about whether I was sexually active or smoked cigarettes, even though I consistently told her that I did neither. She instigated conflict between my parents and me, attributed statements to me that I never made, and discussed other patients' confidential information during appointments that were supposed to be devoted to counseling my family and me.
Mary also required me to complete an extremely intrusive questionnaire filled with explicit and uncomfortable questions. When my answers did not support the conclusions she had apparently already drawn about me, she accused me of lying and "putting her on." She then claimed that my answers somehow proved I was keeping secrets.
She contacted my academic counselor at school, leaving me feeling completely humiliated and embarrassed. She also told my parents that I should not be allowed to have a lock on my bedroom door and instructed them to place me on "suicide watch," despite the fact that I had never once expressed any desire or intention to harm myself or anyone else.
Mary also recommended that my parents throw away my makeup and anything she considered "goth" or "punk." She made me feel like some kind of mutant simply because I liked alternative styles and convinced my parents that the way I dressed was a "cry for help."
I am now nearly 42 years old, and I still cannot believe the lasting trauma she caused during an already vulnerable period of my life. If dressing goth was supposedly my "cry for help," then I guess I am still crying...because I still dress alt/goth. I also have a stable, well-paying career, own my home, and have no debt. My personal style was never the problem.
As for the autoimmune illness and hormonal imbalance she apparently failed to understand, I am still dealing with the medical consequences and will require hormone replacement for the rest of my life. There was no hidden "cry for help" in my clothing or makeup. The only cry for help was coming from my body, which was telling me that something was medically wrong.
More than two decades later, I remain deeply disturbed by the way Mary treated me and the damage she caused within my family. This review reflects my firsthand experience as her patient. If you want to be mentally and verbally toyed with while your family dynamic is completely disrupted, Mary may be the person for you. Everyone else -- especially parents seeking compassionate, nonjudgmental care for a vulnerable teenager -- should stay away. read more
