Guided Path Psychological Services LLC

"I wanted to be able to give this practice 5 stars because the individual therapist I've been seeing here has been absolutely wonderful. I sought out this therapist because they offer services specific to LGBTQ and gender non conforming people. The care this indidivual therapist provided was excellent and definitely helped me name what I'm experiencing. However, the rest of my experience with this practice has been so negative and concerning that I would not recommend Guided Path. When my therapist onboarded me, I was about to transition from part-time to full time work. I started off paying $75 per session on their sliding scale, with the understanding that the practice would then take my BCBS PPO plan once I went to full time work. I submitted the paperwork to my therapist (there does not appear to be an intake coordinator at Guided Path, so all initial paperwork was handled directly with my practitioner). My therapist then submitted my insurance card to billing in early June. The problem arrived when I realized that billing never actually processed my insurance, and hence I was still being billed $75 per session. It took me a while to catch this, as billing charges erratically. I reached out to my therapist in early August about this. My therapist reached out to billing repeatedly throughout the month of August, with no response. During this time, I decided to pause all sessions until I could get this insurance situation figured out. Eventually, I directly asked my therapist for an email of the billing person and a phone number I could call. I emailed billing and received no response. I left a voicemail message to the phone number my therapist gave me, which was founder Bonnie Estensen's office number. I requested information about when my insurance would be processed and if I could receive backpay for the sessions where my insurance was not taken into consideration. Bonnie called me back and proceeded to tell me that her practice was not at fault because I still hadn't paid down my $5000 deductible, and hence, my insurance would not go into effect. This information contradicted the information I was given by my insurance provider, as I was under the impression that all standard office visits had a $35 co-pay if the practice was in network (which again, I had been told by my therapist that BCBS is in network for this practice). According to my plan, I only pay down a deductible when the practice is out of network. Bonnie never clarified if BCBS is in or out of network. Bonnie also essentially chastised me for being upset because, after all, I was paying out of pocket on their sliding scale, instead of paying full price. This really escalated the conversation for me, since I think it is completely outrageous and insensitive for any health care practitioner, let alone a therapist, to shame patients for using the sliding scale. It is also out of bounds because the fundamental issue here was a) the lack of transparency around whether or not my BCBS PPO plan was accepted by the practice and b) unacceptable delays with their billing department. Bonnie also continually misgendered me throughout this conversation, which was particuarly infuriating, because I am specifically seeking LGBTQ+ services. The misgendering and mixed messaging I received from Bonnie pushed me over the edge, and I ended up hanging up angrily. I can take responsibility for losing my temper over the call, however, I do not think it would have gotten to this point if there had been more transparency throughout this entire process. When you look at Guided Path's website, you'll notice that there is no contact information available for anyone who handles administrative duties. There is also no information available about which insurance plans are considered in network for the practice. From a patient perspective, this practice is suffering from disorganization and a serious lack of communication between staff and billing."

"The one dr who shouldn't be trusted is Bonnie estensen. My experience with her has been dishonest . she values money more than human souls. She is out for herself only"

"Wonderful experience!"