Pinnacle Behavioral Health, Albany NY

Absolutely terrible experience overall; doctors unpredictable emotional state leave you feeling more mentally ill than when you started. I've never been given such a hard time for trying to ask questions about what I'm being advised. Do not waste your time and seek any other office in the world, truly.

Such a wonderful experience. From making the appointment to being greeted in the serene setting. I saw Dr. Elizabeth Buchanan and she is beyond wonderful, she has helped me in too many ways to count! I highly suggest ignoring the bad reviews and scheduling with them, it's really a great office and a fantastic experience.

I was very disappointed with the care I received from Pinnacle. They require you to have your credit card on file with them but they took it upon themselves twice to take money out of my bank account without my permission. They then tried to charge me for a service I did not agree to and did not even know I was receiving. I would be careful before deciding to become a client at Pinnacle.

Pushed me towards remote meetings even though I didn't want it and the Doctor who prescribes basically ghosted me.

I was concerned when reading the previous reviews, however, everyone that I have interacted with at pinnacle has been so so nice. Everyone right down to the receptionists genuinely care for the patients. I see both a therapist and psychiatrist with pinnacle and both of them have gone the extra mile for me to make sure I get the medications and care that I need.

We decided to proceed with Pinnacle in spite of the many negative reviews because the office was conveniently located and we thought the reviews might be biased. They are not. **STAY AWAY! ** The level of incompetence is jaw-dropping. We experienced rudeness and inappropriateness within the first 15 minutes, including by the M. D, and it just got worse. We walked away from the first appointment and immediately called the other Albany TMS provider (Capital Region). Our experience THERE has been like night and day - they are very professional, polite, highly competent. Just. STAY AWAY from Pinnacle. I'm shocked that they are certified. Shocked.

If you want to be disappointed with receiving poor health care, Pinnacle is the place for you. Mary Baker took a personal call during my second session with her even after I told her not to take that call. Also, she doesn't give you feed back unless you ask her for it. I will not be returning.

I have had a really positive experience seeing Karen Ockenholt, NPP-BC for med management. It’s the first time I feel like I’ve been validated and listened to, instead of being dismissed. I have nothing but wonderful things to say about my experience so far!

Their services can be had a lot less exspensive in other places but not a bad place at all if you need that kind of help

I do not recommend Pinnacle Health. Dr. Lauren McMahon dropped me as a patient because I did not schedule a follow-up appointment within a certain timeframe. I had a follow up appointment time scheduled for this week, but she said it didn’t matter. Being a new patient, I wasn’t sure if I had to call and schedule an appointment or if Pinnacle was supposed to call me. She was very insensitive to my predicament since I needed a prescription refill. For a place that deals with people with mental health issues, I did not feel as though she cared about me.

Dr Van Meter is wonderful. Caring and compassionate. He listens to me and validates my feelings. He made a couple of minor changes to my meds and it made all the difference in the world. I highly recommend him.

Please be careful before you use this place for your mental health services they are very dangerous. I was prescribed a med by one of the so-called doctors and then was offered no support after I was developing side effects that were very severe within two weeks. No call back even though she told me to call anytime I needed anything and never called back with any support.seriously it was almost the end for me.it was crazy no support whatsoever a terrible organization even when I'd called the director and left my concerns never got any call back it seems they just want the money they want your credit card on file I think they are only motivated by money because the doctors offer really no service and no support and a lot of people are left with new meds and no help to get used to using them be careful with this organization they are very dangerous.
Deborah Sweeney was the Doctor Who administered my meds and then left me no support just terrible the worst psych doctor I have ever seen please be careful and don't go to this place I swear they almost killed me

Actually I took my cousin there & we both see positive results. Fast & thorough. Courteous & patient.

I have had consistently problematic experiences with this practice. Their office staff is rude, deeply incompetent and lost my paperwork multiple times. Kenna Burns the provider I was seeing implied during an appointment that my feeling disconnected during the pandemic was due to side effects from the Covid vaccine. What are you doing prescribing meds if you do not believe in medical science?

Definitely avoid if you have ANY other options on your insurance. Lack of organization and dismissive attitude of staff members is unacceptable, especially for a mental health provider. Minimum levels of empathy and understanding you might hope for in a psychological practitioner appear to be lacking in at least some of the staff here. Based on this, it seems reasonable to question their basic competency in prescribing and managing treatment. To provide an example of questionable practices, they call repeatedly to push TMS on patients despite declining the service on several occasions, which suggests a monetary incentive for the practitioners. Meanwhile, follow-ups with respect to making and keeping patient appointments are practically nonexistent, and the staff tends to be unaccommodating if you are late or attempt to reschedule. Makes you question their priorities as a practice, dunnit? For individuals with time-sensitive psychiatric regimens (and what psych medication isn't, really?), look elsewhere if you hope to have your prescriptions refilled in a timely manner.

Very unhappy again going there. Last time I went to see a Dr. Cox (how ironic) and he said I felt the way I felt because I was ‘over weight’…mind you, in my chart it said I had issues with eating disorders (so WHY say something like that?) …it was the medications they were putting me on made me gain a ton of weight. Instead of a solution he just made this claim with no changes…I stopped my meds abruptly because of this and got messed up (vertigo etc…still have issues to this day) but the weight did come off, shocker. I tried again about 8 yrs later with a Dr. Chappin, he seemed very dismissive claimed I was ‘too late’ …I was at most 7 min late. He seemed annoyed if anything. After he asked me a million questions that we had to ‘rush through’ because I was ‘late’. He told me about medications he WOULD NOT give me. He was like ‘you won’t get those from me’ pretty much, which I wasn’t even looking for meds I just told him about previous meds I was on. Seemed very closed minded and I felt uncomfortable the whole time. ALSO brought up ‘I see you have problems with eating’ ummmmmmm WHOA! That’s what really got to me. It honestly feels like a money making mill every-time I have attempted to go there and they don’t actually care for their patients. On top of that he gave me a list of places where I had to be ‘tested for adhd’ I did not and do not mind taking the ‘tests’ but I told him I had been previously had been tested especially when I was applying for SSDI they had to reevaluate all that stuff, he said I had to go to the list he told me even tho I have been diagnosed through multiple places…. Just very unsettling. I have been to a lot of therapist, counselors, psychiatrists, psychologists and this place is a big no for me…

Absolutely useless. Made an appointment just for them to tell me they can’t help me and give me a phone number to call

I have been a patient for well over a year. I have never been treated badly, never had to wait more that 5 minutes, and Dr. Chappin has been only helpful and kind.

Bad customer service and the physicians are Luke warm at best. Avoid if you have the option and means to.

There’s a receptionist who will not listen and takes glee in making you feel terrible. (Even laughs at you.) Dr. Chappin has issues; very snippy and short-tempered. Not good to visit a prescriber who doesn't control his emotions. Very unprofessional.