Pathlight Mood & Anxiety Center Chicago

"My out-patient pyschologist recommended this place believing it would help me develop additional coping skills. After 1 week, I have decided to check myself out. This place is not worth my time or money and is beyond triggering. On day 1, their in-patient therapist was absent in a foreshadowing of events. So, a substitute sat in her place. While processing personal trauma, they abruptly pulled me out of class ("group support"). Later that day, they facilitated a class of their own only to get in my way of supporting others. I eventually complained about them, but nobody offered a solid way for getting my concerns addressed. From what I have learned, other patients have had similar complaints, yet Pathlight is doing nothing to address this. Uncoordinated to say the least, most facilitators need more training. Classes are introduced as ambiguous acronyms. Descriptions for each class to identify the name of the class, its purpose (in terms of patient placement), and the facilitator's name are all needed. The basic communication gap could be fixed by providing a handout (or legend) displaying each acronym alongside the full name. However, at least one team-psychologist ("facilatator") has stated that they do not want to create more handouts. On day 3, their technology failed resulting in an hour of my time wasted. In terms of peer-to-peer and patient-to-clinician interactions, explicit guideliness are NOT provided. Yet, they are quick to call out patients whom they subjectively accuse of using "triggering language." The administrative assistant at the front desk, the one with the dreadlocks, is not approachable and oversteps her boundaries. After learning that she went behind my back to negatively talk smack about me over a benign comment that was made, I learned the hard way. She is untrustworthy. Their art therapy room is held in the lunchroom. It's poorly stocked, and the art supplies are subpar. They have color pencils but no sharpeners, thread but no needles, paper but no scissors and/or glue. Considering their drab lunch presentation (vegetarian was requested but pork was served), I'm not surprised. Individuals with differing mental health needs (e.g., ADHD, alcoholism, anxiety, depression and etc.) are placed in the same room for classes. This makes it difficult to have meaningful conversations. It's also awkward to process and/or share experiences with others when we do not share similar struggles. On day 4, an ADHD-patient threw a fit of rage because other peers, including the facilitator, laughed at him. Some of their classes are poorly facilitated. Some instructors are better trained than others. The better ones allow all patients to share their experiences without allowing others to dominate the floor. The better ones also encourage ALL patients, and NOT just their favorite ones, to hold the floor. The bias was often very evident and very off-putting. When other facilitators just allowed us to sit in silence for processing, I wondered how this was supposed to be therapeutic. My assigned psychologist was given the benefit of the doubt. They were absent on my first day which made my experience less than great. Lately, they keep stating that they're my advocate, but so far I've been the only person advocating for myself. In terms of their professionalism, I am beginning to question it. Their apparent presumptuousness does not make for a good therapist. Taking a Freudian approach to psychoanalysis is also not very helpful. They assigned a therapeutic handout for my completion; however, we never discussed its contents. The last time I met up with them, I noticed that they apparently failed to recap our session via my patient portal. Final note. Beware when walking into the building. The security guard has an attitude problem and is aggressive. She rolled her eyes at me on my first day given their entry protocol (an entry code). Their lack of signage only made things worse. Others have complained about her, yet again; Pathlight is doing nothing."

"I wouldn't even give this place one star. Theodore Weltzin is the lead psychiatrist and an awful person. I was suicidal and flew to Chicago to admit to Pathlight. I was there less than a few hours and Weltzin came into a room where I was sleeping in bed and starting firing accusations at me that I was high on drugs, which was completely false. He was arrogant and egotistical. I had worked years to stop using drugs and alcohol and to be accused in a depressive state, I felt beaten down. I begged for my things, including my phone so I could call family and leave the facility immediately. I needed paperwork signed by Weltzin to be discharged and he made me sit for more than hour until he "had the time." I had to fly solo from Chicago back to PA the same day, while still wanting to commit suicide. This is negligent and unacceptable on so many levels. Do not admit here."

"Honestly, my experience was fine up until discharge to their virtual IOP. I was discharged from PHP on 12/13/2022. I was told I’d only have to wait until the end of December for their “step down” to Virtual Intensive Outpatient. Found out through EMAIL today that it will be 4-6 weeks. Excuse me, but what’s the point then? How is that “stepping down” if I have to wait over a month? I’m very frustrated with this. I’m not even going to waste my money with the “step dow” being 4 weeks from now. What a joke."

"I am in IOP right now after completing PHP. I thought PHP was a good experience for me and the right fit. It was a pretty detailed assessment, as I spoke to them for over an hour about my life, trauma, and experiences. In regards to waking up on time, that is for residential living, which has strict rules in place to give structure and safety and I know this from what others said that was in it before PHP. Because of insurance, if you are not following house rules, or are late for classes a certain number of times, insurance can't bill you for the complete day, so they have to let you go. It's insurance, not the program. I think it's pretty standard for most places. In PHP, there are classes with DBT, ACT, food and nutrition, relationships, time for you to schedule your weekly plans, and Exposure therapies, along with being given a therapist you see twice a week. In IOP, it's less extensive, so if you jump into IOP, without going to PHP first, you are not going to get as much detail about skills you may need. I am glad I went through PHP first. There were people in PHP who complained about not being assigned a therapist the first week they arrived and I think it's because they were understaffed. That was very disappointing because not everyone was treated equally in getting that initial support. The classes were a little bland at times, but you have to want to participate and get something out of it, or it won't be beneficial. They can't force you to change if you're not ready. Mental illness isn't something that can magically become 'normal' overnight."

"Terrible experience. They would tell me I’m doing so well one day and then the next day take the words I said in check ins and private conversations and try to get me sent to inpatient. It was very inconsistent and not trauma focused at all. The administration have no idea what they’re doing for people with complex trauma. I was racially profiled by the director and have had the police called on me multiple times for not “following rules” such as waking up on time and showing any signs of symptoms. After they called 911, twice, to get me into an inpatient setting, both times I was medically cleared by the hospital and then sent back. Each time they sent the hospital lies about what was said and who it was said to. They then said I wasn’t able to stay and get treatment because I refused to follow their rules. Although I worked so hard to follow their rules that it caused panic attacks. In the end, they kicked me out saying they don’t think it’s helpful and they can’t handle crisis. I flew in from out of state and was told they handle the things I was struggling with. Please don’t waste your money, time or the little bit of strength you may have left. There’s other residential options and Pathlight is the worst one. I gave one star because the option for negative stars isn’t available. They also fired multiple staff and refused to talk to the patients about it. This place is trauma on top of trauma."