Melissa Gragert, LPC, Washington

"Try out the practice if: If you’re a strong person and EMDR will untwist something in your psyche. Tips: attend every meeting with her, even if it was supposed to be canceled. You never know what her personal calendar might say. Maybe you both agreed a session as canceled: text her anyway. Gragert helped my friend who was/is high functioning. He suffered the general ‘wow the workforce is awful’ malaise, wanted help for his trajectory, and possibly had unresolved emotions regarding his birth parents. Skip this practice if: YOU’RE VULNERABLE! I'd hope it flows flawlessly and you leave on a good note. But it would be an injustice if Dr. Gragert leaves you up like she did me. Melodramatic? Bfd. I’ve been thru a lot (hence a therapist) but it was only Dr. Gragert who actually factually 100% convinced me to give up trying. It’d be irresponsible to not warn others before I check out. Maybe you can have depression and still benefit from her practice. If you have other mental health support like friends or family, things in your life that are on your side, that can provide either kindness, understanding, or caring: good! You can give her practice a try. But if you are low functioning, have a history of rejection or trust issues, trust another doctor. Dr. Gragert was genuinely helping me in a way that meant more than I can say. Without warning she snapped, tired of my low functioning (coupled with her own scheduling mistake), and dismissed me from her practice in such a manner that, months later, I must admit she managed something no amount of pain had done to me before: Dr. Gragert's medical treatment terminated my ideas of 'recovery' and proved, thru her words and actions, that 'help' wouldn't work for someone like me. Some people make it, others don’t. Whatever medical terms weren't articulated for accountability’s sake, she made her assessment clear. It’s a shame. Dr. Gragert had included my parents in a call right before the call she told me she scheduled but never mentioned to me nor my parents despite us talking and signing off the call the very previous day. My parents were so enthused. They thought maybe they’d get their daughter back. But over the next 2 days, Dr. Gragert changed her mind on me. I would be so much better in a hypothetical world had I never used her practice. She abandoned me a month before a last chance to save my career presented itself, magically, after 5 whole years. Out of the shame I still felt from the sting of Gragert’s callous, unfeeling, self-righteous de-valuing of me as a person, I self-destructed by sitting at home crying. No courage or ounce of self worth to do what, when not destructively hateful of myself and closer to recovery, I would have described as 'something I'm perfect at!' Can you imagine what damaged you most in your life is someone you deeply cared about acting normal and then one day ghosting you? Then your brother repeats the behavior 10 years later? And as you’re trying to work past it, your therapist does it? I know it’s a professional relationship but…it’s pretty hilariously cruel when you think about it. Out of nowhere, Dr. Gragert professionally recreated the treatment that began chipping away at my soul, erosion over 15 years. It took a medical professional I trusted to do it, but like they say something’s gotta give. And the fight has gone out. Just a matter of time now. So anyone vulnerable, save yourself. If she pulls something like that to just one person, it isn't worth her whole practice, schooling, and profession. Quick EDMR? Go for it. But if you need help, if you need decency or understanding from another human being, stay away from her. No one in need deserves to be treated the way she has behaved."