Psychiatrists for Children

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Archived Q&A and reviews ▼

Parent Q&A

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  • Young Child w/ Mood Disorder- Seeking Psychiatrist, Therapist etc

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    Sep 29, 2022

    I'm looking for recommendations for medical providers for my 6-year old child who has a manic-depressive mood disorder (disruptive mood dysregulation disorder).  These types of disorders are not universally considered or understood by all pediatric practitioners, so we're hoping to find treaters who are both understanding and knowledgeable about them.  We're interested in recommendations for pediatric psychiatrists, developmental and behavioral pediatricians, therapists/psychotherapists, and group therapy.  If anyone knows of DBT practitioners or groups for children this young, that would be fantastic, but we're open to other modalities too for sure.  I know many places may have waitlists, and I'm willing to get on the lists to get the ball rolling.

    Any additional resources, books, websites, parent support groups, etc are also welcome.  Thank you very much!  Your kind support and resource suggestions are greatly appreciated.

    Sep 29, 2022

    Our child has alternately been diagnosed with that and bipolar disorder as they got older.  Brad Engwall in Berkeley is a wonderful, kind and thoughtful psychiatrist with a broad understanding of these issues. 

    Oct 5, 2022

    I highly recommend our psychiatrist.  Her background is extensive and deep, so I would guess that she has the expertise that you are looking for.  

    Lisa R. Benton-Hardy, M.D.

    3 Crow Canyon Court, Ste 150
    San Ramon, Ca 94583
    925-362-3861 phone/925-362-3904 fax

    Oct 5, 2022

  • Child psychiatrist for ADHD

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    Jun 18, 2021

    Our 10-year-old daughter was recently diagnosed with ADHD, inattentive type, after a neuro-psych eval back in March.  The diagnosis was no surprise as her dad also has ADHD, and we were thrilled to have figured it out now so we can address at a young age, unlike her dad who didn't get a diagnosis until age 40.  We've seen one psychiatrist that was recommended by her school therapist.  He flaked on our first appointment, but then we still saw him b/c it's so hard to find any openings with anyone.  He is out-of-network, so we basically paid the guy $1200 for a prescription that we can't even fill because he has been MIA as far as getting back to us, except when he wanted to charge us more for working on the pre-authorization for the medication he prescribed.  My husband is irate because his psychiatrist is in-network, responds to his emails in a day or two max, and has worked hard to make sure he gets the right medication.  So I'm at a loss and would love some recs from folks.  We live in Berkeley and are open to anyone in the area as long as they actually care about their patients.   And btw, is mental health a luxury?  Like does everyone around here just pay $300-400/hr to see a psychiatrist?  It's been mind-blowing to find so many of them don't take insurance.  We're both self-employed and pay A LOT for insurance, so spending even more money for a psychiatrist really hurts.      

    Jun 18, 2021

    ADHD is very commonly seen by a child’s PCP, until they reach age 18 and switch to adult psychiatry.  Pediatricians are very accustomed to treating ADHD in children. Best of luck.  

    Jun 23, 2021

    I can empathize. My experience with child psychiatry has been pretty similar. My child was diagnosed at 11 with a mood disorder and ADHD. We've been when the same doctor since then because it's so difficult to even find one. They all seem to be out of network and don't file insurance.

    My child sees Dr. Bradley Engwall. I have a somewhat mixed review for him. As a doctor, he has been very capable, thoughtful and approached medication and treatment in a holistic and well-reasoned way. My child is doing well from a treatment perspective, after starting from a place in crisis. However, it is by far most challenging and disorganized practice I have encountered in medical care. The office manager is terrible, communication is terrible. There have been several times were we spend half the session re-discussing what we covered in a previous session because he didn't remember or write notes on that (for example, previous medication trial outcomes or events and how they were handled). Considering it costs essentially $40/5 minutes of time spend with him out of pocket, this is ridiculous. We have had to chase down expected medication refills last minute multiple times because they weren't sent in after appointments, including for the medication that my child must take everyday and ramp down off if my child ever goes off. The office manager enforces strict policies, but then also doesn't respond until you've called/written communicated several times over a week or two. It's very hit or miss with the operation of the practice overall, but Engwall is a good doctor.

    Following this because I'd love to have a better experience with this, but yeah, we end up paying $450/hr out of pocket (I have PPO so I get reimbursed for some of it). Treatment-wise we reached a good point and mostly just need to get medication refills, which are hostage to paying for a visit every few months, so despite the frustration, I haven't wanted to rock this boat at this point. It's insane how hard/expensive it is to get mental health care, but especially for children. Our pediatrician had suggested earlier in his life when discussing the symptoms he seemed to be having, that we try a developmental pediatrician (when we were just considering their issues might be ADHD alone). We waited too long and reached a crisis point before getting him medication, but a developmental pediatrician (Unfortunately I don't remember the referrals), might be a good option for your child. 

    Good luck!

    Jun 23, 2021

    I hear you! We had a psychiatrist who sounds a lot like yours.  Super frustrating and expensive. We ended up finding a psychiatrist in Concord, Dr. Philip Shein, who seems to be in network for almost every health plan. Dr. Shein is a very traditional doctor who focuses on medications and a little bit of cognitive behavioral therapy. He did manage to get the right medication cocktail for my kiddo with ADHD and some other behavioral issues. My child has stabilized a lot - they are managing school situations that would have been impossible prior to working with Dr. Shein. If you primarily need an in-network Dr. for med management, I'd say Dr. Shein could be a good bet.  

    Jun 23, 2021

    Our child sees Dr. Robert Epstein (510) 848-0900. He was referred by our pediatrician, as well as family members/friends in the medical field. I suggest calling him, leaving a message, and setting up a time to chat to see if he's a good fit. We've found him to be cautious and attentive. He's located in Berkeley and although he's pretty busy, he's always been punctual and worked to accommodate our changing schedules. He's also been very patient with explaining and talking through issues with us when requested. We have a very high deductible that we had to meet before our insurance coverage began and because he's out-of-network for our provider, we receive less coverage than an in-network provider.  We reached our child's deductible quickly as each visit is quite costly, so at least all medical visits are covered (at in-network or out-of-network rates depending) for the remainder of the year for our child.  I agree, mental health does seem to be a luxury and our experience was that most providers are out-of-network for our insurance and/or not taking new clients. The steep cost is another hurdle, but in my limited experience, these visits fall within a similar range. We file our own insurance claims and receive a reimbursement from our insurance, which means we have to pay up front and wait for the reimbursement. 

    Jun 25, 2021

  • ISO Excellent Child Psychiatrist Who Takes Insurance

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    Aug 12, 2020

    I'd be grateful for any recommendations for a child psychiatrist with lots of experience with children with anxiety and depression, and who takes insurance (Anthem BlueCross a plus).  Many thanks in advance. 

    Aug 12, 2020

    Greetings Daisy, We have the same insurance and I found Pacific Coast Psychiatric Association (https://www.pcpasf.com/) to be an invaluable resource. They have five offices throughout the state and my daughter has had two outstanding psychiatrists from PCPA at the Walnut Creek office, both were women. My daughter’s first PCPA psychiatrist left the practice to pursue private practice but prior to leaving she selected a PCPA colleague to manage my daughter’s clinical depression. Local offices are in Walnut Creek and San Francisco. I struggled for a few years finding good doctors for my daughter. When I discovered PCPA I perused all doctors bios and found a very promising sounding psychiatrist that interviewed us parents (twice!) before seeing my child. 

    It’s a tough road navigating the mental health industry to find appropriate care for my depressed child. Best of luck to you seeking a good match for your child.

    Aug 20, 2020

  • need a warm, compassionate, and engaging child psychiatrist for our "complex" child

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    Feb 13, 2019

    We are in search of a psychiatrist for our child, age 10, who has been described by specialists of all kinds as having a "complex case." Our child has ADHD, ASD, depression, and atypical mood presentation, which makes it very challenging for our child to fit into any neat box.  We have already had one mismatch with a psychiatrist who was very cold to neutral, which we as adults found off-putting, and who really activated our child's anxiety and made working with this psychiatrist untenable for our family.

    We are looking for someone who is warm, engaging, and deeply knowledgeable about prescribing meds for kids who have WAY more than one thing going on.  Also (obviously) she or he needs to be accepting new clients, as we have already been on this journey for way too long without the right psychiatric help.

    Many thanks.

    Feb 13, 2019

    Karen Sprinkel has held my son's hand since he was eight.  I think honestly she saved his life.  Now at 26, they are still in touch.  Finding a therapist for this tender age can be difficult.  I am eternally grateful for her. karen_Sprinkel [at] yahoo.com

    Reenie

    Feb 20, 2019

    You might try Dr. Paul Abrinko in Oakland -- %20PaulMD [at] PaulTAbrinkoMD.com (PaulMD[at]PaulTAbrinkoMD[dot]com)  •(510) 496-6014  • 

    We have friends whose son had multiple conditions and were really happy working with him.  He helped us too, but we only had one issue. 

    Feb 20, 2019

    I recommend Dr. Lisa Hardy in San Ramon (well worth the drive from Oakland, in our case). 925-362-3861

    She’s just wonderful in every way. I don’t know whether she is taking new patients or not, but it doesn’t hurt to ask!

    Feb 21, 2019

Archived Q&A and Reviews

Questions & Advice Related Pages

2010 - 2014 Recommendations

Child psychiatrist for ADHD treatment

Feb 2014

My six year old son has recently been diagnosed with ADHD. I am looking for recommendations for a child psychiatrist or qualified doctor to oversee and educate us on medication for him. We are located in Alameda, so Berkeley, Oakland, Alameda or other nearby locations would suit us best. Thanks in advance, Annette

We have seen more than one psychiatrist since our son was diagnosed with ADHD and have found Petra Steinbuchel to be warm, knowledgeable and a fantastic resource for both medical treatment and non-medical treatment (such as CBT). Bonus - she is with Children's, so your insurance is likely to cover her! Petra Steinbuchel, 510-428-3571. Once, when she was out for maternity leave, we saw Dr. Schreier and also really liked him. Camille

Psychiatrist for 7yo with possible Aspergers & ADD

Sept 2011

I think we finally need to look into a psychiatrist for my just-turned 7-year-old (we will probably start up therapy again too). He received a ''possible'' Aspergers diagnosis two summers ago, and this past summer received an ADD-inattentive diagnosis. We've been living with years of emotional volatility and my son is becoming increasingly physical when he's angry. Although he doesn't do it frequently, he does talk from time to time of wanting to kill himself (and not for the dramatic effect) and it's happened often enough that it's too often. He's negative and unhappy more than he is happy. I'm looking for someone who is great at dealing with younger kids, especially ones that are highly intelligent, shy and not really forthcoming. Someone with experience in the above mentioned conditions would be great to help us sort things out. I would appreciate hearing others' experience or suggestions too. thank you BPN community! anon

Hi. It sounds like your child, you (and undoubtedly the rest of your family) have been dealing with a complex and likely to be ongoing situation. My son was first evaluated at age 5--he is now 18--one excellent piece of advice from our pediatrician --this is a marathon, not a sprint. Over the years, he has had diagnoses of ADD, Asperger's, social anxiety--all valid to a certain extent. I wanted to make several points that I hope can be helpful.

First--while assessments and diagnoses can be helpful, each child is unique and needs to be valued for their individual gifts and strengths, as well as supported/coached/learn to compensate for their specific challenges. And it is crucial to love and support the child.

Second--medication made an immediate and dramatic improvement in my son's ability to participate in his ''journey'', as well as school and social interactions. He himself sees medication as useful. Currently we see Brad Berman for medication and periodic assessment/encouragement.

Third, ongoing therapy from Betty Tharpe, MFT (510) 549-2092 has been invaluable for my son, and our family--she is positive but clear thinking and pragmatic about what we all need to be doing. fellow marathoner

Child psychiatrist for 5 year old son

Feb 2011

Looking for a child psychiatrist in the bay area for my 5 year old son. Has anyone used a psychiatrist at UCSF? Please let me know if you have any recommendations at UCSF or other places. Thank you J.

My friend in Palo Alto has spoken quite highly of Dr. Carol Harrus. Harriet

We have been very happy with Dr. Karen Hardy in San Ramon. Dr. Hardy was head of the Department of Child Psychiatry at Oakland Childrens's Hospital before going into private practice. She has really helped our daughter recover from a severe depression. The office telephone number is 925-264-4069. Anon

Child Psychologist or Psychiatrist in East Bay

Jan 2011

Our son was diagnosed with Selective Mutism earlier this year and we are looking for a child psychologist or psychiatrist (preferably in the Walnut Creek or Lamorinda area) who we can meet with on a monthly basis. While he has responded well to speech therapy, etc.- we want to better understand what is causing his extreme anxiety and how to better support him as parents. Ideally, this doctor would do play therapy with our son and also work with us as parents on how to better support him. Thanks

There are many talented psychotherapists in the East Bay. Some are more concerned with quick, short-term relief from symptoms. Others are more engaged with seeking the underlying causes of problems. One in particular who works with kids, and adults, is Reyna Cowan. Her office is near the Rockridge Bart. harriet

2007 - 2009 Recommendations

5-year-old child who is hearing voices

Dec 2008

My 5 years old child recently told me several times about hearing voises. The child is much more anxious, aggressive and doing tentrum tantrums often over last 2 weeks. There was a recent stress (relocation) which might provoked it. Could anyone PLEASE recommend an experienced children psychiatrist. Had anyone had an experience with this, and is it possible at all for a normal child this age to hear voices in his head and to have ''conversations'' with someone in an empty room? I am sooooo scared. Thank you very much. anon

Our pediatrician gave us a referral. Try calling your pediatrician and making an urgent appointment or ask for a call back to get a referral. The referral we received was great, but not sure if it is the right age range for your child -- Dr. Philip Grossman in Albany. Best of luck to you. anonymous

WE've seen Dr. Brad Engwall in Albany,559-1819. He helped us a great deal with my son's ADD and anxiety. He's young, really sweet adn ''kid like''. The person who recommended him to me (a therapist) said he was great with figuring out the right meds for the particular person. For my son he did a brain scan. Good luck. anon mom

You might want to consider getting an evaluation from both a psychologist and a psychiatrist. Community Psychiatry Associates offers easy access to psychiatric services. Their closest offices to Berkeley are in Downtown Oakland (510-834-2049) and Lafayette (925-299-9033). They have other offices also. If you want to do a psychological evaluation from a licensed Psychologist: Alisa Crovetti, Ph.D., is in Albany (510-882-2771) and Alan Siegel is in South Berkeley (510-652-4185). Evaluations can be expensive, but some insurance will cover them, depending on the psychologist and insurance coverage. I suggest that you get a couple of opinions to make sure your child is being evaluated properly. These evaluations can be very different, depending on the provider.

You may not like this response: however, try to learn more about where you relocated. It could be that your 5 years old is a bit stressed with the move expesically if she left friends. However, it could also be the case that your 5 year old really does hear voices- this doesn't mean that it's wrong or bad.

Don't be scared.. be educated.

Learn as much as you can about ''who she talks to'' (if she open to sharing with you) The worse thing you can do is issolate your child and make her think she crazy. I have had personal experience with a situation VERY similar. Yes it is very possible for her to have conversations with no one you can see in the room- it's called using her imagination (which is very heathly).

Please don't think she's ''crazy'' or lead her to believe she is the only one that does that. ~Zariah

When my son was discharged from John George Hospital in May of 2008, I found myself with the challenge of helping my mentally ill son regain his life again. I did not have a glimmer of hope, because everywhere I turned for answers, I was turned away. That was until I found Dr. Janice Cohen. Dr. Cohen not only helped my son medically, but also educated our family about his illness and the many resources that existed. She has been interested in all aspects of my son's life and has helped him address his recovery like a whole person. Dr. Cohen proved that what I thought to be impossible was actually very obtainable.

In the six months that we have worked with Dr. Cohen, my son has made outstanding progress. Prior to seeing Dr. Cohen, my son had two very traumatic hospitalizations and was discharged on high doses of six medications with no supervision. These medicines caused him very bad side effects, which led to an emergency room visit and then a second hospitalization. Dr. Cohen reduced the number of his medications and lowered the amount to a point where he now has no more side effects.

From the first day of working with Dr. Cohen, I felt her warmth and sincerity. Not only has she helped my son recover, but also, she has helped me see the light at the end of the tunnel ' A light that everyone else told me was lost. I highly recommend that anyone faced with a mental illness or simply seeking therapy for life problems give Dr. Cohen a chance. You will find what you're looking for.

Dr Lisa Hardy at Children's Hospital. Call NOW anon

You can try Dr. Jonathon Gross (psyciatrist) in Berkeley or Dr. Nancy Euwing (psychologist) in El Cerrito. Good-luck-your doing the right thing. anon

I'm so sorry to hear about your son's troubles. It sounds like his behavior change may have stemmed from the recent move? Are the voices telling him bad things? Is it possible he has created an ''imaginary friend'' to help him cope? I hate to sound kooky, but is it possible he has picked up on something paranormal going on in the new house? Kids are very in tune to those things. It sounds like this change in his behavior most likely comes from the new adjustment, and not him suddenly becoming psychotic, but that's just my personal opinion.

I still think it would be a good idea to get him to talk to someone, I'm sure you'll get other good recommendations here.Or you could start by discussing it with his pediatrician. Try not to worry, talk to him about it some more. Ask him what the voices are saying to him. Open up a dialog and let him know it's OK to feel differently about his new surroundings. Don't be ''scared'' he will pick up on it and it can cause more unneeded stress. good luck. -anon

Seeking child psychiatrist for 4-year-old

Feb 2007

My almost 4 year old daughter is quite difficult to manage. She is quite stubborn and defiant, she rarely plays on her own, demanding my attention most of the time, she has difficulty socializing with other children. I finally think she and I need help. I am looking for a psychologist or psychiatrist to help with these issues. We are in Berkeley. Thanks for any recommendations! Tired parent

Brad Engwall MD is an excellent child psychiatrist with a private practice in Albany: 510-559-1819.

2004 - 2006 Recommendations

Child psychiatrist with OCD experience

June 2006

Can someone recommend a good child psychiatrist? Someone with expertise in OCD who can, if needed, prescribe medication anonymous

Any/ All of the psychiatrists at Oakland Children's (Herb Schreier, Lisa Hardy, Andrew Giammona) are wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. You can't go wrong there. One Who Knows

Child Psychiatrist (MD)

Nov 2004

My five year old needs a full evaluation done by a board certified CHILD psychiatrist. I am looking for a child psychiatrist (not a psychologist or therapist) since we do not want to rule out medication. My son responds much better to warm and empathetic than cold/clinical type, which unfortunately most psychiatrists we have encountered are. As you can imagine this is very sensetive and importante to us and we dont want to muck it up. If you have had a good or even bad experience, please let us know. Thank you in advance. PS. Isnt it funny that I come to this site for recommendation before asking our pediatrician?? Thanks everyone! concerned mom

For the concerned mom looking for a warm, board-certified child psychiatrist, there's one at Children's Hospital Oakland named Andrew Giamonna. (don't know if I spelled his name right). I'm a pediatric resident there, and have had good experiences working with him. The main number at Oakland Children's is (510) 428-3000. Hope that helps. Joan

I can recommend Dr. Philip Gross as a child psychiatrist. He is an MD but he does not prescribe medications. If he feels meds are part of your child's treatment he will refer you to another doctor, probably starting with your pediatrician. While Dr. Gross or Dr. Phil to our son, spends time with your child, you and your spouse will consult with his wife, Miriam Gross, a licensed clinical social worker. We were able to have our insurance pay for all this; however, if you can't, perhaps, you can skip seeing Miriam; I don't know. Dr. Gross spent 3-4 months getting to know our child before he felt any additional testing was warranted. Our child, who was showing quite a bit of defiant behavior at home, which was why we initially sought a psychiatist, was always happy to go see Dr. Phil. We felt that was a testament to Dr. Phil's ability to connect with our child.

It was very hard to get a psychiatrist, as you may have already learned. Most do not take new patients. Dr. Gross was not either, but when we left the initial message on his answering machine we mentioned we had been referred by Dr. Gruber who was our pediatrician at the time. Dr. Gross and Dr. Gruber are good friends so that got us in the door. Another approach you could try is a developmental pediatrician. We now take our child Dr. Gary Landman in Orinda for meds management. Dr. Landman will do testing and meds but he does not do counseling. I think the only doctor in the area who does all of that is Dr. Berman in Walnut Creek. It only takes a year of waiting to get in to see him. No kidding! I called in August of 2004 and was scheduled to see Dr. Berman in August 2005. Hope this helps and Good Luck. been there, done that

Have you ever thought of going to a place like Berkeley Therapy Institute (don't know if they take kids) where one talks to a psychologist, but they have a psychiatrist on staff to evaluate and prescribe when medication is needed? Just a thought... Karen

Kensington Psychiatrist

March 2004

Please help. In the past 6 months there was a recommendation for a Kensington psychiatrist who used to be a pediatrician. I've looked through archives and past emails but can't locate it. I'd appreciate getting her name. Thanks! Disorganized Mom

I think you're talking about Ms. Blacklidge (her first name is either Virginia or Victoria), who has a private psychiatric practice out of her home in Kensington. anon

2003 & Earlier

Child Psych - food issues

Aug 2003

Hi - My 3 1/2 year old is beyond picky. He now does not want to eat in front of people, other than family, or at school. I figure a child psychiatrist could not hurt. Does anyone know one that deals w/food issues? Thanks! Julie

Sounds familiar. I recommend that you do a little research first, to try to figure out what type of professional would be most helpful. My child has had two related issues about eating, and it sounds like yours might share one or both. First, the range of food he likes is very limited. Texture and temperature are issues, as well as taste. This seems to run in his father's family, and is related to sensory processing. An occupational therapist can be helpful with strategies for expanding the range of food accepted by a child with sensory issues. You can search for information about ''sensory integration.'' Second, my child does not eat in school or in large social groups, such as at birthday parties. This is, in his case, a symptom of social anxiety (also known as social phobia), and is accompanied by other symptoms of discomfort or extreme shyness in social situations. Some websites to look at are shykids.com and childhoodanxietynetwork.org. Our initial experiences with general psychologists and some psychiatrists led us down the wrong path and did not help. They tended to see issues of control, limit-setting, and parenting style as the root causes, and they were apparently unaware of the underlying anxiety and sensory issues. When we finally learned about anxiety and sensory disorders, this new information was enlightening. Psychologists with a neurological perspective and some psychiatrists have been helpful. I suggest that you start out by doing some reading to see what ''rings true'' for your situation, and use that to help identify the type of professional to look for. sensitive child's mom