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Berni Michael

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Berni Michael
Berni Michael
(5 Reviews)
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4026 Northeast 55th Street Seattle, WA 98105
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About

Berni Michael

Berni Michael is a Marriage & Family Therapist facility at 4026 Northeast 55th Street in Seattle, WA.
Primary Specialty

Marriage & Family Therapist

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4026 Northeast 55th Street, Seattle, WA 98105
Services Berni Michael practices at 4026 Northeast 55th Street, Seattle, WA 98105. Marriage and family therapists diagnose and treat mental and emotional issues and concerns within marriages, couples and families.

For more information, call Berni Michael at (206) 625-0904.
Consumer Feedback
(5 Reviews)
Recommended
4.5 star average for Recommended
Environment
4 star average for Environment
Expertise
4 star average for Expertise
Staff
3.5 star average for Staff
Service
3.5 star average for Service
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Recent Reviews
Mike is a great guy and has been very helpful to me for many years.
by Jeff xxx.xxx.208.98
December 17, 2014
I thought he was very unprofessional. I would give 0 stars if it were possible. He did very little -to nothing- useful to help us in family therapy, but he got his money (and lots of it)! Those looking for support with relationships should choose ANY other therapist for their needs. While considerably long I realize, I have tried to be as concise as possible in my account, while still explaining why I came to the opinion I have about him (and why I would advise to not waste a penny on him).

While I did not train specifically in individual or family counseling, I have a Masters in Social Work myself, which requires a year of coursework for any career track in the basics of counseling, including attending to a clients needs, keeping bias and personal feelings from the situation while working towards the goals of the client, maintaining confidentiality and other basic tenets of professionalism when working with people. In my opinion, he was not only very unprofessional, but verged on malpractice at multiple points in his "counseling" methods.

Example: My parents wanted to meet with him in advance to my trip in which we were going to pursue therapy (I lived out of state at the time) to "make sure they liked him" [aka tell their/ my mom's/ side of the story]. He spoke with me without issue on the phone (in advance to the sessions/getting paid) and assured me he would not be biased towards her view despite their meeting (and I assumed this to be true- assuming there would be some level of professionalism).

He then started in, with no exaggeration, within the first 15 minutes of the very first 50-minute family session, talking about my "symptoms" and suggesting useful medication for "my symptoms." (Which is the whole reason we are in family therapy- my mom, principally, feels I am not addressing "obvious" mental health issues. I feel she has no real basis to make strong assertions and has turned her anxiety about me living out of state and dealing with frustrations that do happen in your mid-twenties, bad roommates, fair-weather friends, financial troubles while in grad school etc., into scapegoating and invalid accusations about me - which has strained our relationship greatly- resulting in very little communication over the past 2 years with either of my parents [I believe my dad feels a crippling sense of obligation towards her as he does not echo her attitude towards me or feelings in any way when just he and I speak]).

I thought it was ridiculous/highly unprofessional to either base a diagnosis on what my parents/mom had told him about their adult daughter who they had spoken to very infrequently over the past few years or to imply ANY diagnosis within 15 minutes of meeting a new client (!). Either way, he was doing one or the other. Even IF I did have a serious disorder, as he was stating I did so early on, it is impossible to create trust with a client by starting off a therapist-client relationship that way. In the worst it was verging on malpractice by stating a "diagnosis" so quick, in the very least it was very bad counseling method.

I was inclined to not go the second day but had paid for a ticket home partially to repair things and was really hoping for the best. So at the beginning of the session I expressed that I was very uncomfortable with how he had started things off- to which he replied, Ok, I'm sorry you feel that way, I could see where you are coming from… I thought maybe what I had said had clicked. He then proceeded to refer to me as "resistant to diagnosis" during that and the remaining three sessions. Nothing much improved after the sessions, few tools for improved communication were established or even discussed, and shortly after I returned out of state tensions rose between my mom and myself and again my parents ceased communication.

I called him recently to ask one question in regards to something he'd said during our sessions. With my previously described education, I am attuned to the fact that therapists in private practice make money from their time. But, with this in mind, after my family had spent upwards of $900 on his services in just one week, I didn't think 2 minutes of his time on the phone was a lot to ask. (You might wonder why I'd want his opinion if I think he's so unprofessional. He had made one statement that made sense to me in the context of my own training in counseling: relationships should not be triangulated. IE while my dad and I have maintained a calm and kind relationship the inability of my mom and I to do so should not result in him and I not having a relationship, as it has. I knew if I got an answer about something from him she'd believe it. She thinks his word is as good as gold. I don't think it's a coincidence that she thinks this and he was clearly agreeing with her from the very beginning. And though I hoped for the best, after meeting with him I also don't think it's a coincidence that he knew they were paying and could see that she makes the decisions…and made it completely apparent from the beginning he was taking her side, to her approval and the stifling of any real progress for our family).

When he called me in response to the voicemail I left in which I laid out my question clearly he said simply: "Your parents offered to pay for additional individual sessions, why don't we set up an appointment and we can talk about it." With no offer of any response to my question, even after I stated it again. In comparison to our previous conversation- before payment- he was very brisk and sharp this time, and seemed unwilling to spend even a moment on the phone other that to set up an appt. And frankly, it almost seemed like he was trying to play on family dynamics for profit- that the disaccord in my family would be enough for me to want to spend my parents money recklessly. It was a question that he could have answered quickly (he said it or he didn't- or if he didn't feel comfortable giving a direct answer-at least try to address in any way) versus being very short, not addressing it at all, and simply implying I would have to spend another session fee to answer it (and his fees are expensive in comparison to what others charge).

The fact that our family relationship has not improved in any way after intensive therapy with him is not evidence- as every family is different- but definitely an indicator- that our time and money was wasted there.
He makes a bad name for all therapists which is sad as many work hard for every penny their clients pay them. Stay away!
by Alana xxx.xxx.8.177
August 20, 2014
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Recent Polls
Did you feel like this counselor genuinely listented to your perspective?
Yes! They listened intently and asked me questions after my explanation
Did you feel that the counselor's advice was unbiased?
Absolutely, they've really help me come to terms with where my problems lie
Did this counselor provide a comfortable chair for you during your session?
Yes
Was the music playing while you waited or during your visit pleasant to you?
Yes
Was the wait time for your appointment reasonable once you got to the office?
Absolutely
by bob xxx.xxx.95.211
October 09, 2014
Did this counselor provide a comfortable chair for you during your session?
Yes
Did this counselor answer all of your questions?
Every question I had was answered thoroughly
Did this counselor keep your information confidential?
Definitely! They always make sure that everything I say is kept private and confidential
Did this therapist help you better understand your partners point of view?
Yes, they really helped open up the lines of communication
Was it clear that this provider takes pride in the appearance of his/her office?
Yes, the office was well organized and taken care of
by Anonymous xxx.xxx.200.192
May 05, 2014
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