Please don't go to this clinic it is not a good support place for youth. The psychologists here are very damaging they do not care about your mental health. I went to this clinic when I was in crisis, and I felt that the psychologist I saw belittled my experiences with anxiety and depression. I felt invalidated about my mental health issues. Please if you are a youth I would recommend checking out East Metro youth service or Skylar walk in they are great places to receive support for mental health issues, therapists there are very friendly and kind. The psychologist I saw at my time in Shoniker didn't seem to really understand or be empathetic towards my health concerns. I felt she was telling me what was best for me without listening to me. I felt like she didn't want to help me or want to work with me through my depression. It's hard for me to talk about my health especially in relation to my trauma, and I didn't feel respected by her I felt that she was minimizing me. Many of the teens I know that have gone to this clinic have similar negative experiences with the psychologists here. Please, do not go here it is not a safe space for young adults to get help. I do not recommend this clinic, a 3.9-star rating is generous. I would give this clinic zero stars if I could.

The receptionists and some intake workers need a serious attitude check and improved customer service skills. They are extremely rude and have a hostile tone towards patients who may be suffering from anxiety, making it harder to seek care. The psychiatric team however in my experience have been excellent, exceedingly kind and cooperative.

If you are considering bringing your child here, go elsewhere. I’ve been a patient here since I was 13 years old and the service has been beyond disappointing. I’m now in college and my psychiatrist does little if anything and often spins my situations in a way that makes my mental illness seem like my fault. I dread every visit because I know I will leave feeling belittled and dismissed. I am not a patient here, I am a number on a spreadsheet. The front desk prides itself in getting emails back to people within two days. It took 2 months of repeated emails from me and a phone call from my mother for them to finally get back to me today. Beyond ridiculous. This might be my sign to find better quality care somewhere else. No one deserves this. A few years ago I might have given this place a 5 star review because I was naive and thought the clinic had my best interests at heart. I gave them the benefit of the doubt because I had never had a psychiatrist before. I know better now, the care I have been receiving isn’t care at all.

I was prescribed methylphenidate at 17 because my parents forced me here because I smoked some cannabis once( I never came here due to my frequent skips from class long before, no one though it was a problem). They claimed I had ADD based off report cards and then off that one diagnosis I wasted thousands of dollars in medications. When I couldn't afford it I stopped coming, a few years later I came back to get medicine that I need and they label me as a drug seeker and that the previous doctors were just liberal with prescribing practices. This place is horrible and their doctors are incompetent. do not being your kids here they are evil and do not care about your mental or social health, they just want your money.

This place is falling apart. Therapist only spends 20 minutes with my child and blames it on the idea that she won't engage. Aren't you trained to do that? Doctors are nice. A few weeks ago during my last visit, I could also over hear a very loud woman talking in an office about a patient where I could over hear her state the child's name. Professional? At the same time, isn't that a breach of confidentiality?

I found that they pushed meds on my teen and when he said he wasn't comfortable, they said they couldn't help him until he tried the meds. He has gone without an IEP but needs one. He's still struggling!😥 Update: I'm going to try again, because I have more children that require help and there just isn't any other good options imo. I will try again and report the experiences in an update.

Update to what I wrote below: (TL:DR It's a great place that saved my child): Now, 6 months later my son has shown a great improvement & has learned many tools that he can use to deal with the issues that led us to needing the Shoniker Clinic in the first place. The people there don't arbitrarily assign you to a course of treatment, they meet with the family, ask questions, listen & work with you rather than just telling you what will be done. We saw a counsellor & a psychiatrist & have found that the counselling was the best fit for my child. Don't be scared if your child needs to see a psychiatrist, the clinic's doctors are great & are good at determining what type of help your child might need (& no they don't automatically give out a prescription). Mostly, don't be afraid or embarrassed that your child needs help. It's ok & good that you want to help your child. I find that the Shoniker Clinic has a lot to offer & will set up treatment/counselling & treat your child as an individual, not as a problem to be solved, but a person who deserves to have the best/right treatment. If you find that the person you have been assigned to isn't the right person for your child then ask to see somone else at the clinic. And as far as using the East Metro Youth Clinic, it's a walk-in only & cannot be used on a regular basis & you don't see the same person in a row, so there's no continuity, (but it was a life saver -& has great counsellors as well- while we waited to get seen at Shoniker). Our wonderful city has only a limited amount of places for children who need psychological/psychiatric help & the wait lists are horrendous for many. Use the walk-in clinics until you get into Shoniker, (if the Shoniker works for you). The negative reviews here had me worried about attending, but I wonder if someone is trolling, who for whatever reason didn't get the things they needed from the clinic and are angry & feeling like they want to share about somethng that for most of us works very well indeed.

I have been going to shoniker clinic for 5+ years. I have a great psychiatrist. If you are lucky, you will have a great experience when you have a great doctor. But this is not the case when you enter the space. Or when you make a phone call to the receptionists. The receptionists, not all but most of them, are extremely rude. How is this a place to help with mental health but the receptions are extremely disrespectful? It’s as if they have no remorse and do not care if you get help or not. These are people who see the scared kiddos first or the people nervous in the waiting room. Why would anyone believe they could get help or support if the first people families speak to are apathetic receptionists? Who is in charge of the hiring process? Do you not wish to have caring, kind people representing the place? Like I said, I have been at shoniker for years, and how disrespectful the front desk is has not changed. It’s as if the people suffering from psychological setbacks are the problem. They definitely need an attitude check and do not deserve to work in a field with those types of responses. It has been years, and no change. The question is, will it ever?

Went here years ago. They do not respect patient confidentiality and also discuss (not recommend) outdated treatment methods. Why would you tell me (13/yo at the time) about a lobotomies when that is not practiced anymore? Told pysch I did not want parents getting involved. Parents got involved after they picked up the phone.

My kids had appointments booked at the clinic and I read the google reviews the day before they were scheduled to go in. To be honest, I was nervous after reading the reviews, I didn't know what to expect, but I was bracing myself for a negative experience. Everyone has a different reason for going in and every child is different - every parent and how they interact with staff and medical personnel is different - so I can only comment on my experience, but I found the staff pleasant and helpful to deal with, whether on the phone during intake conversations, as well as when we went in for the appointment in person. Dr. Parveen was lovely and patient. I just wanted to share my experience for anyone who may be feeling the way I did when I read some of the reviews. I hope you find the help you, your child and your family needs.

Going to the Shoniker Clinic with my daughter for many years. The Staff Amanda De Matos and Dr J Flood have helped us out so much. I highly recommend these two wonderful Women. The Lady's at the reception desk have been wonderful as well always polite.

I went to Shoniker Clinic from ages 16 to 19/20 without my parents' knowledge and severely unwell. My social worker, Denyse, and psychiatrist, Dr. Lim, changed my life. They shared the realities of our broken system especially when transitioning into "adult" care and taught me to advocate for myself and express my feelings as opposed to saying, "I'm okay," all the time. I felt so heard and cared for when it was obvious that my social worker and psychiatrist were actually working in tandem. My social work was extremely knowledgeable and flexible. We covered many tools and psychoeducation from identifying and aligning myself with my values to what trauma looks like in the brain to the impact of life experiences on health to mindfulness. She is the reason I changed my career to follow in social work in hopes that I can positively impact young people the way Denyse impacted me. In terms of their secretaries, it's true that they can be cold and off-putting sometimes, but sometimes they can be great. The only reason I didn't put a 4 star is because being away from Shoniker for some time, I actually completely forgot about the secretaries. Turns out I completely forgot about them. Thank you to those at Shoniker Clinic that have changed my life.

Kiddo was in crisis after a difficult year and Dr Flood knew what treatments to try and also suggestions for behaviors. She's got however many kids as patients but always makes kiddo feel like they're her top priority. Her kindness and clear explanations helped lead me as a parent to my own resources to get diagnosed and treated for my own concerns.

Mickey Mouse could run this clinic better. 1st connection with them amounted to being told we weren't dire enough, along with a bogus report to CAS. Now the second time we can't make it to the appt. with the 15 hour notice Nicole gave. So now we're back on waiting list. We'll join a gym, more therapeutic value there. Unimpressed times two.

The secretary or secretaries at this place are downright miserable, both over the phone and in-person. I had great experiences with the therapists themselves but the reception staff will make you need more therapy so I'd say it's not worth it.

I’ve been on a waitlist to see an individual therapist in person for years because Dr Wahab kept “forgetting” to add me to a waitlist and then she would say that she did just to tell me months later that I wasn’t on it, the group therapy is ineffective because the workers never listened to me and made me feel invalid and they treated me differently compared to other patients it was so odd. I am very miserable with my life and I have given up on getting help I have just accepted that this is how things are going to be and I’m just going to have to live with it.

After reading online reviews I was nervous about coming here, but since our family doctor referred us, we decided to give it a try. Dr. Parveen was lovely. She was professional, asked the hard questions, did an initial assessment, and offered excellent advice on what our next steps need to be. The appointment was difficult, to hear the assessment, and concrete steps for what was necessary to get on track to make things better, but we felt so much better after, knowing that things do not have to go on as before. What a hopeful feeling, after so much worry and heartbreak. Dr. Parveen called later in the day to make sure that the best course of action was being taken. A very caring doctor, even though some not-so-pleasant observations needed to be made. Front desk was very helpful and professional. Thank you.

They need to educate how they diagnose people. Or what is considered a disorder. And chemical imbalances.... hmmm's thats debate-able. (blame it on the brain?) Or is it mostly Disobedience/ lack of self-control. Yh.... I've wasted years of my life, with this mental health journey.... helll~

The people here are professionals and the help provided for my daughter made a real difference

My son has been helped tremendously by the doctors and social workers of the clinic. I am ever grateful to them. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Horrible secretary staff over the phone and no response when trying to contact to rearrange appointments just makes you feel like a burden which is why I wonder how this place even still exists with all the bad reviews.