Seton Mind Institute Behavioral Health Services

UPDATE: I go to the one off of 38^th street at Seton Hospital. I’ve been a patient for 4 or so years. This is a teaching facility so be prepared to have different doctors every few years. The second doctor I had which was up until recently was absolutely wonderful which is why I gave 3 stars that and the fro t desk staff, Unfortunately, he graduated and I was put with another doctor. My first appointment with my new doctor, Cusser, was pretty bad. It was clear he hadn’t read my file and new nothing about my case. When it came time to my meds, he didn’t even know that Vyvanse can’t be sent in electronically. So, I told him that I nerve a physical one. I waited 45 minutes for him to give me ONE prescription. He forgot because he came and got another patient. So I told the front desk and FINALLY got my prescription. Today (⁹⁄₂₅) I came up the office just to pick up my Vyvanse prescription that I requested a few days prior. Cusser called me that day saying it was ready for pickup. I come into the office and they can’t find it. Guess what? HE FORGOT! So, they message the doctor and he said he would be there at 12:15. So I waited. He got there at about 12:20 and about 10 minutes later said it will be out soon. AN HOUR AND A HALF LATER I finally got my prescription. I am extreme livid at the lack of proper customer service and professionalism. I didn’t even have an appointment. Something that should have taken 2 minute took 2 ½ hours and now I have to pay for parking and they don’t validate it and I wasted 2 ½ hours.
Turns out that 2 ½ hours I waited was for only 8 pills! They did not tell me that they were giving me that amount. AND I had to pay full price for said 8 pills bring the normal cost of $ 1 a pill to over $ 3 a pill. I’ve called several times asking to talk to my doctors supervisor but each time, my doctor calls me. I can’t find a place to submit a formal complaint. I am so done with this doctor!

Skills. Skills. Skills. And/​handouts. The structure is completely erratic which is tough for someone in this situation to begin with. Do NOT expect consistency. Do not expect much empathy. Do your work. Keep your head low and ACCEPT that mental health care is an atrocity. (putting it mildly). Get your skills and research on your own and get the heck out. These folks are compassion fatigued and have very little social skills (pretty whack for licensed counselors, but whatever…) You have to go into this knowing that it is strictly for information and NOT for kindness and/​or acceptance. And be prepared for the pharmaceutical pushers. That is all. Best of luck.

Currently in my third week of the 5 week Intensive Outpatient Therapy Program using DBT/​CBT models. I’m in a rather special category, as I suffer from military-​related PTSD as well as Type 1 bipolarity, so the challenges are a bit daunting.
I’m not going to go into the particulars of group therapy, other than to say it is working for me. The Psych’s and Clinical Social Workers here are among the best I’ve ever worked with. That is coming from a person who’s been dealing with Bi-​Polarity most of his adult life, and PTSD for over 20 years. So without going into a long, ridiculously over-​inflated, Unilocal review, I’m just going to point out the goodness of the sharing and learning in the presence of others who share my disease.
It’s taught me Empathy on a new level. Listening to others problems. Really listening to them. It will teach you as much about yourself as them.
The LCSW’s and Psych’s ask excellent questions of you, and are exceptionally skilled in guiding you through the C/​DBT models.
The LCSW’s and the Psych’s are so very compassionate. They are true professionals behaviorally, but their compassion shows through like a beacon.
In three weeks time, I’ve been able to modify my reactions from angry and violent to calm and attentive. That is quite an accomplishment for me.
Most importantly, I want to publicly thank my wife for her non-​stop support and love through the years. This is so hard for both of us, but her love for me has never wavered. I’m not religious, but I truly feel blessed to have her in my life. Kisses, Bebe.
If you’re suffering with PTSD, and have insurance, this is your place. There are folks in the problem using Obamacare, so if you need help, it’s here.
Best of Luck!

Editor’s note: This review pertains to the DBT intensive outpatient therapy group only.
If you are anything like me, you’re rather apprehensive toward the idea of attending group therapy. The thought of having to share all of the «bad things» about myself makes me cringe; I’m a highly private person and I don’t like opening up to people, especially strangers. I can count on one hand the number of people who know about my current issues, and there are only two people who know everything. Like I said, I wasn’t really open to the idea of group therapy.
I’d stuck to my guns and refused to attend group therapy for a few months until a particularly bad incident occurred and I started to reconsider. I had to try something, right? Doing something was better than nothing, and doing nothing obviously wasn’t improving my situation.
When you call and inquire about starting group therapy, you’ll make an appointment for an assessment first in order to see which therapy is the best fit for you and your particular needs. If you’ve been to a therapist or a psychiatrist before, this is nothing new to you. If you have not, the assessment is really pretty simple — they’ll ask you questions about yourself, your history, and what brought you in and you’ll provide a basic rundown of your life and whatever problems you are currently struggling to resolve. Based on what you say, the social worker completing the assessment will tell you which therapy they recommend. Note: It is imperative that you are honest during the assessment, no matter how ashamed or embarrassed you may feel; if you are not honest, then they can’t provide the best recommendation and you will miss out on getting the help that will be the most effective.
Once you’ve figured out which therapy is best, you have an option of attending group in the mornings, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m., or in the evenings, from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. You will most likely be put on a waitlist, but the waitlist moves very quickly as people are constantly «graduating» from therapy or simply dropping out. I started group less than a week from my assessment, and I was fifth on the waitlist.
It’s called intensive therapy for a reason — you will go for three hours a day, four days a week, for five weeks. If you have three absences, you will be dropped from the program, as you will have missed too much material. You can always attend therapy again, but you will start over from the beginning.
As far as group goes, it was nothing like I thought it would be. You spend the first half of group checking in, which means you fill out a diary card that asks you questions about your mood, appetite, amount of sleep, and various other things and then the group leader checks in with each person one-​on-​one. This is not a process group, so there is no cross talk during this part of group. Once everyone has checked in, there is a small break (15 – 20 minutes, depending on your group leader), and then you begin skills training.
Dialetical behavior therapy (DBT), also known as emotion regulation therapy, does just that — you learn skills to help you regulate your emotions for a variety of issues. I won’t go into the details about DBT here because you will learn more about it if it is the recommended course of action for you.
My group leader, Heather McDuffee, was wonderful. She’s kind and genuine, and she will push you to be honest. If I say I’m fine and I’ve circled that my anxiety and depression are up, she’s going to call me on my bullshit and push me to express how I’m really feeling. She truly creates a safe space in which you can open up and I never once felt judged for anything I said during group. Heather will help you to identify your own personal struggles so that you can focus and work on them in order to build a life worth living.
I was absolutely opposed to the idea of attending intensive group therapy, and I was in denial that I even needed to be there, but I can safely say that I am glad I completed the program. Someone mentioned that this was pre-​treatment for me and that I have a lot more work ahead. I know this is true, and while that seems daunting at times, I am thankful that I am now equipped with the skills necessary to deal with the challenges ahead.
This path is not easy, but, as Heather would say, it is as it should be. If DBT therapy is recommended for you, I highly encourage you to give it a try. It’s not a magic cure, but it can set you on a path to make the changes you feel are necessary to create a better life. It takes work and you’ll have setbacks and that’s okay; none of us are perfect. I’m still coming to terms with letting my own need for perfectionism go; it isn’t easy, but I’m closer now than I was before and that’s a start.
It’s about the little victories and being gentle with yourself. You can’t fix everything at once, but DBT therapy can provide you with the skills to change what you can, and that’s all that really matters.