Dr. Vishal Hasmukh Patel, MD

I really don't get the negative reviews on here for Dr. Patel. I truly find it bizarre. He literally saved my life when I was at my lowest point and no other doctor wanted to touch my case with a 10 foot pole. I have referred him to several other people I know and everyone has had extremely positive experiences with him. I also see a therapist in addition to Dr. Patel, and Dr. Patel has on occasion asked me to discuss certain issues in greater depth with my therapist. This has always felt entirely appropriate to me given that not all issues can be addressed in adequate depth in monthly meetings. It's not unusual for a psychiatrist to refer someone for therapy. He's not a doctor who's going to pretend to fix something or promise something that can't be delivered. Having said this, he has always shown interest in what I'm saying and I have never felt rushed out of an appointment. He's also given me plenty of good advice over the years. I have disagreed with him on occasion about treatment related things, but he has always heard me out and treated me with incredible respect, even on occasions when I've been borderline rude in retrospect. He is not one of those doctors that just expects you to do everything they say without an honest discussion and addressing patient concerns. He also is not a pill pusher. He has weaned me down off of a very heavy and complicated med regimen to the bare minimum, and I am so incredibly grateful to him for that. I just get angry that people can write this stuff about good doctors on reviews and there is no recourse for response because then it's a HIPAA violation. So I wanted to add my 2 cents.

Dr. Patel has been very caring and always takes the time to explain things. I've been seeing him for years, and he's definitely helped me understand myself much better.

I saw Dr. Patel for almost two years, every three months for five minutes. He asked a litany of "how's it going?" questions, like you do when see a friend you haven't seen in a while. But no matter the answer, he never made suggestions to change or adjust meds. In fact, at one point, he told me I should go see a therapist! He mostly seems disinterested. He doesn't offer advice or suggestions. He just asks banal questions and sends you on your way. If you need a doctor to just get meds, he's your guy. But if you're looking for a doctor you can work with, he is not it.

When I shared something personal that I thought was relevant to my mental health, he told me I should see a therapist. So I just do quarterly checkins on meds and only answer his questions. My appoints are generally no more than 5 minutes. He seems like a nice guy, but now I just feel uncomfortable there.

Great psychiatrist. One of those doctors who just gets how to treat a patient as a whole person. Highly recommend.