I was a patient of Dr. B's for over 4 years. In that time, I was always on time, never missed an appointment, stayed on top of his occasionally forgotten or erroneous prescriptions, and complied with any changes to their practices, care, and paperwork. In May of this year, I lost my mom, and have been struggling more that usual. The doc was very aware of this. For that reason, for the first time ever, I forgot to schedule my most recent recurring appointment. I received zero phone calls, zero reminders, zero communication from the office whatsoever that I was due or overdue for my next visit - and then out of the blue received a TEXT message that because I have "missed several appointments" (not true - I had simply forgotten to schedule my next visit, not missed an actual appointment) I am no longer welcome as a patient and that "Dr. B has discharged you from his care." When trying to reach them for further clarification, they rejected my calls. A psychiatrist carries the safety of some of the most vulnerable patients in our population. People at risk for self harm, deep depression, or struggles with other disorders that put them at increased risk of danger to themselves or others. In many cases, their psychiatrist is their only point of safety and security during the worst time in their lives. Dr Bircea used his medical license and power to take that away from me, mid-care, mid-crisis, simply because I was late in scheduling my next appointment. The abandonment been devastating for me, and I cannot understate the long term effects this will have. In my case, it's too late to repair the damage, but I want to urge you all to seek care elsewhere to avoid this happening to you as well. I hope both current and future patients read this and think twice about continuing or beginning care with Dr. Bircea. Lastly, I want to add (before the office responds to this with any comments) to anyone who wonders how this office handles patient care in general outside of this callous act of abandonment, you need only look across the platforms at the various replies by the receptionist to other complaints. They are defensive, insulting, patient blaming, and even go so far as to say that the patient is "not deserving of Dr. B's care." I believe these replies speak volumes to the general lack of empathy, professionalism, and recognition of the field of medicine that they practice in. read more

Sorin Bircea, PC - Psychiatrists Near Me - Queens, New York

Dr. Bircea is the best Psychiatrist I have worked with. He genuinely cares about his patients, their well being and constantly offers great medical advice. Almost every appointment I get some kind of print out with valuable information surrounding diet and exercise, stress relievers, etc. Dr. B - Thank you for responding to my countless emails! The office manager- Alina is the glue that holds the practice together. She is simply the best and has a great personality for the job. I do not know how she does it! Alina- Thank you for ALWAYS going up, over and beyond! read more

have been a patient of Dr Birceas for years now and I would highly recommend him. It has taken me years to find a good doctor and have been so happy since I've found him. He is very professional and a great doctor. And the receptionist is honestly the most pleasant and helpful person ever. read more

Avoid this Dr at all costs. The old woman at the front is incredibly rude and cannot handle answering the phone. I needed to reschedule an appointment and she was unable to understand. She told me she was too busy to deal with me. When I told her she was being rude, she said "Then never come back" and hung up the phone. This is not the first time she has been rude. I one arrived for my 9am appointment. The Dr. took someone else back before me. I asked her how long it may be (I come on my lunch hour). She curled her lips into a sneer and said "You will wait as long as it takes, because the Dr. is busy and you are one of many patients. You think you are special? You think you are the only one? The dr needs to make money too." Plan on waiting at least an hour and a half, as they book many people for each time slot. I work during the daytime, and have to come on my lunch break. You will sit through six or seven people before you. The doctor doesn't care about you. He cant remember your name or who you are. He has no idea what you talked about last time or if he has seen you before. He reads from Wikipedia, which is frequently incorrect. Its a little scary he doesn't know the names of medicines and their uses and side effects. The office is dirty and has few plastic chairs in a row. It is unlike any waiting room I have ever been to in my life. I put it up with it for awhile, because it was close to my house. However, recently with the addition of the new nasty, incompetent receptionist I will never return. I emailed Dr. Bircea about the old woman hanging up, and his response was that he is too busy to deal with her and he has enough patients. Fine with me. There are plenty of doctors in this city who don't need to Google medications and read form Wikipedia. There are plenty of people who would never hire a receptionist who yells at clientele when they call with a simple request to change an appointment from one day to another. Do yourself a favor. This place is a dump. The staff is beyond rude. The doctor doesn't care about you and doesn't know his stuff. AVOID. read more

I had seen Dr. Bircea for four years. I don't know what happened, but my last year seeing him was filled with extremely uncomfortable experiences and I should have left a lot sooner than I did, but long story short, there were insurance issues and it was difficult finding another psychiatrist in Astoria that would take my coverage. Some example of really really poor practice and why I would strong advise against anyone seeing this doctor, especially young women or people in the queer community. - he constantly asked me when I was planning on getting pregnant and starting a family, and asking if I had a boyfriend, when I told him more than a few times that I had a partner and that she was a woman. - Two years ago I wore athletic shorts to my appt (normal length adidas). It happened to be 65 degrees and Dr. Bircea questioned why I was wearing them because it cool outside. Then, he proceeded to keep bringing up how I wore shorts "that one time" at numerous appts afterward. He would ask things like "next time I see you it'll be spring, will you wear shorts?" I addressed this with him and told him that it made me uncomfortable when we continuously talked about my shorts and what I was wearing. He said "he didn't realize". -I paid a few appointments out of pocket because my insurance changed ( I only saw him every 3 months). One time, I cancelled my appointment because my pharmacy told me that I had three extra refills submitted by the doctors. I didn't question it, because at this point I was feeling significantly more uncomfortable during my appts and plus, it was nice to have the extra $100 in my pocket (im a grad student and not making much money). Well, the next appt I went to, Dr. Bircea berated me for missing my last appt and even mentioned that he just repainted his walls and "someone has to pay for that" He also was just extremely condescending during that appt and didn't listen to a word I said. I actually cried after this appt. -The above last appt was right before the shut down in NYC in March. Dr Bircea mentioned to me that some of his patients told him that they didn't want to come to their appt because they were concerned about the virus. He told me that "those people might as well just hole themselves up in their homes with a bunch of canned goods". I hope he realize how insensitive he was and regretted saying this, at the very least. And honestly I hope he felt like an idiot when the city was shut down not two days later. Anyway, please do not see this doctor if want someone who is in any way empathetic or sensitive to your thoughts or needs. read more

Dr. Bircea saved my life!!! Look no further if you genuinely want a doctor/psychiatrist, and a circle of professionals within his office, to help you better your life with the proper medication, treatment plans, and psychological therapy! I have been seeing Dr. Bircea since October 2020. I have never had any doctor/psychiatrist help me the way he and his office has helped and treated me! I started to give up on psychiatrists and psychologists altogether. But, even his mannerisms when suggesting medications, treatment plans, etc., is not overbearing and he lets you consider his options and doesn't push medications or diagnoses too soon or too often. He also recommended a psychologist and kept pushing me to go speak to someone because he genuinely wanted to see me become healthier and more progressive, mentally, outside of "medication-only". The therapist he recommended is also one of the best psychologists I have ever seen. And I have been to several throughout my life and no one helped. I have never had more hope and help in my life. Not only is Dr. Bircea a savior of a psychiatrist, but the psychologist he recommended is something I have never experienced and I have never opened up to a psychologist and she is so good I even had two sessions with her this week. So, overall, I have even more to say than what I will ever be able to write in works, BUT, he and his staff are hands down some of the most helpful, honest, and heroic professionals I have worked with. I also don't know who the negative reviews are talking about, but it must not be Dr. Bircea. Maybe they take is straightforward nature the wrong way? I personally prefer a doctor/psychiatrist/psychologist to be direct rather than passive when evaluating myself and my situation. I do not know who would not prefer honesty and directness while still holding compassion during an evaluation or diagnosis. read more

Dr Bircea has been treating me for at least four years. I find him kind and caring. he pays attention to what I am asking or telling him, and we find solutions together. regarding medication management? there is none better. And the staff? Excellent, responsive,understanding, and caring. i suppose some people rub others the wrong way. Libeling a competent professional is what BRATS do when they can't get what they want. sarah p.! what are you talking about? your insanity and dissociative impairments are leeching through into your letter writing abilities. you belong in a hospital. read more

I have no idea what the 1-star reviewer is talking about. I have been going to this office for about a year now, and I have never experienced (nor witnessed anyone else experience) the issues she is talking about. Staff and appointments: Everyone on staff has been wonderful. Dr. Bircea has a couple of receptionists who work different days of the week. I have dealt with each of them, and nobody has ever been rude to me. I have never had a problem with setting up or changing an appointment. I always receive a text reminder the day before my appointment. Wait time: I arrive on time, and have never had to wait for more than 15-20 minutes. Dr. Bircea: He is extremely knowledgeable about medications and other treatments, and uses several different resources to explain them. One resource he used was Wikipedia, but only to illustrate different categories of medicine, not to verify information. I have always found him to be caring, willing to listen, and he always remembers what we discussed during my previous appointments. In addition, he is kind enough to email links to online resources, support groups, etc. Condition of the office: The office is nearly brand new and not dirty in the least. The design is contemporary and minimalist, and the chairs are wood and metal (not plastic). The office is definitely not a dump. To summarize, I have had nothing but a positive experience at his office, and would recommend the practice to anyone. read more

Do NOT go to this doctor. He does not know what he is doing and how to effectively treat patients. I had to go to the hospital because of the practices he used to treat me. I do not trust this doctor anymore as I've come to realize how little knowledge he actually has when it comes to treating patients. Please do yourself a favor and stay away from this doctor at all costs!! read more

Dr B is awesome! He provides you with so many treatment options, not only prescriptions, but condition specific reading materials, take-home worksheets, holistic health options, and general wellbeing tips. he's very thorough with his care and energetic. i've never felt judged by him for being honest about my feelings, unlike doctors i've seen in the past. he also has a couple therapists who train under him - very useful for your therapist and psychiatrist to be in communication & on the same page in terms of treatment plans for you. Alina, his office manager, is the sweetest woman & knows all of the patients by name. She's always checking up on the status of my insurance deductible so I don't overpay, and always follows up with me to make sure any prescription changes went through to the pharmacy properly. great practice overall & definitely would recommend. read more

The office is new and clean. The stuff are amazing. Very nice and always helpful. No problem with last minute reschedule. I have no choice and often I have to visit the office with my toddler. They are always welcome and open to it. The doctor knows his stuff. He gives you Wikipedia information because this is the easy language most people understand. read more

"I don't even know where to begin" is the comment he made to me that sticks out in my head. Well, I thought I paid you for help on that, because I don't quite know either. I came in because I wanted to discuss my issues and come together with a plan somehow. Instead he just looked over my initial paperwork and shook his head in bewilderment. He made me feel like I'm a hopeless case. He referred me to other services instead. I didn't particularly have the will to say much during my initial consultation because right from the start he was very pessimistic about what he'd be able to do for me. I'm not a machine - maybe try hearing me out first instead of just looking at paperwork that my condition prevented me from properly filling out and concluding I'm a lost cause. This visit was psychologically damaging to me. As I left the office, I felt as if all the progress I've made this year was reset to square one. I felt like he deconstructed everything I've worked on because he wanted to just take jabs at how terrible my condition was. He definitely had concern in his voice, but it was the kind of pitiful concern you'd have for a wounded creature on the brink of death that you took pity on. It took a lot of time and mental effort to even schedule it, after months of contemplation and putting it off. I was hopeful for the day of my visit to give me some kind of path forward. I had been making great strides to understand myself, manage my own symptoms, and felt like I was finally at the point where I could receive medical help to alleviate symptoms that behavioral changes alone could not resolve. And yet this visit shook my whole perception up, made me feel inadequate, and I was spoken to like a child. I don't quite know what kind of psychiatrist starts listing off side effects of potentially prescribed drugs from a Wikipedia page with the implication that "this can happen to you, I can't be responsible for if it does." But for someone who already has anxieties about starting medical assisted treatment, it certainly didn't do much for my confidence and made me feel like I should quit seeking help all together. I know medications have side effects, I think I'd be able to know if "god forbid" I get a seizure from them and of course wouldn't continue taking the medication if it had such an adverse effect. I would have assumed a monthly appointment, like every other psychiatrist I've visited, would be sufficient for monitoring my reaction to medications, but apparently not. I would have liked to have voiced my concerns to him more, but with how overwhelmingly negative he seemed about all of my symptoms, I felt the weight of all my issues collapse on to of me. Please don't just point to how severe someone rated themselves on their self assessment and belittle them for it. I don't understand why anyone would do that in this field. I appreciate the other resources you provided, but navigating the mental health system and gathering up the motivation to even book appointments is pretty damn difficult when you're afflicted by extreme ailments. I would have expected a professional to understand this, but I question how well versed he is on severe cases of mental illness. Considering I'm not the only reviewer to complain that he's turned them away saying he can't help them (see ZocDoc reviews), I'd say this isn't a very good choice unless you're on the low or moderate spectrum of whatever ailment you have. Don't know if he's comfortable with challenging cases. It almost felt as if being honest on my self assessment was something I should have avoided, and I'd have been taken much more seriously if I just lied about the severity of my issues so he wasn't so intimidated from the start. I do want to say that I'm sure Dr. Sorin Bircea has helped many patients before. I'm sure there are cases in which he specializes in. I just don't think he was quite prepared or equipped for the severity of the conditions I have. If you believe your issues are mild, then I'd assume he'd be much more receptive. The receptionist was kind and caring, but please be more mindful about pointing out how bad a patient's medical insurance plan is. I know it's terrible, I know I'm paying a lot, I would prefer not to have a downer comment like "that's just how it is, sorry...maybe next time you can enroll in a different plan?" when I never asked about the topic. It wasn't a huge blow to my confidence, but it did set the stage for my anxieties to ramp up before I even entered the doctor's office. read more

He is reasonable and knowledgeable. I have found him to be one of the best who accepts insurance since coming to NYC five years ago.

DO NOT USE THIS SO CALLED "Doctor"!! I have never had a more unprofessional experience with not only a medical professional, but any sort of business in my entire life. I made an appointment for a first visit back in early November. After asking what my insurance was, I was told it was accepted. A week before my first visit, which was not until December; I received a call that the "doctor" was canceling on me, and was not going to be able to see me until the middle of January! Since i hadn't heard anything from them, I called to confirm my appointment. I of course got sent to voicemail. When I finally received a call back, I was told my name wasn't on the appointment list! Then I was told my insurance wasn't accepted. Now again, this is TWO MONTHS after I had made my initial appointment. When i brought that point up, the very rude person I was talking to told me that if it was that important, "Why would I keep waiting so long?"!!! To which I replied you told me you took my insurance!! At this point I had to hang up. DO NOT GO HERE!! I cannot make this point strong enough!! If i could give zero or even negative stars, I would! read more

Dr. Bircea is an intelligent, caring psychiatrist that listens to his patients. He puts you and your needs at the center of care. I highly recommend him for anyone that's looking to take the next step in their mental health care. read more

Listens to his patients & puts a lot of thought into objective treatment decisions/plans. More responsible than any of my (many) past psychiatrists. Considers long term & overall health. read more

Dr. Bircea is a wonderful doctor with an extensive background. I've been a patient of his for years and he has always gone above and beyond for my care. He's down to earth and isn't a pharm pusher. His secretary is awesome and is very resourceful. I never have to wait long to be seen. read more