Kavalier & Assoc

I missed an appointment with January Kim who promptly sent me a letter to terminate services for me. When I went to Dr K's office almost 10 years ago they saved my life. I met with an excellent counselor who helped me so much. January was able to prescribe medication that has made my life so much better. After many changes and adjustments to my medication I have been able to function again. Over the years I did miss a few appointments though I have no idea how many. I have been working night shift the past few years which at times makes it tough to know what day it is, or what time of day sometimes. Well, I missed an appointment on Monday morning. I overslept and it is completely my fault. When I called they wouldn't reschedule me and said they were terminating services due to to many missed appointments. I feel like I have been treated unfair in this situation and I want others to know how quickly this office will drop you. I had no warning that I was in jeopardy of being dropped. While the office always called to remind me of appointments in the past. This time they neglected to call. On the K&A website Dr K says his goal is that everyone leaves feeling better than when they arrived. That was true for a long time. However, they left me out in the wind with no idea what to do now. I would venture a guess that January had no idea how many visits I missed in the past when I missed that day. My guess is she came in to work on a monday in a bad mood. When I missed my appointment I was out the door. Dr K has a lot of excellent staff working for him and they do great work. I would have given them a 5 on this page before this happend. However, after all this time and work I have to start over in a new office. That is not what I hoped for when I went to Dr K's office. more

I have been patient at Kavalier and Associates for almost 14 years now. In that time I have nothing but good things to say about both the services I have recieved and the staff there. About 5 years ago my wife was expeiriencing some depression after having our first child. She was helped greatly by one of the therapists at Kavalier & Associates. I know this therapist is still working there today. From my experiences with Kavalier and his staff I have a hard time believing many of the things that are being said on here. If these stories were true, their would have been investigations and if the alligations proved to be true people would have lost their license to practice. I dont know how many therapists are there but i do know the ones that have helped my family have been there for years and are still there. Life has taught me that there are two sides to every story and my story is that Kavalier and Associates is a quality clinic with people who really care. Pros: Excellent counselors more

We took our 8-y-o son to Kavalier for over 3 years. When our insurance changes only one therapist was covered and it wasn't the current therapist for our child so we had to switch therapists. Cons: Dangerous issues ignored by health care workers more

To start, one star is too high a rating for this group. I had therapy at Kavalier and Associates to help with PTSD and depression, and what they did to me still keeps me up at night. To start: every anti-depressant has a warning that it could cause suicidal thoughts in teens. This is pretty common knowledge, and you think doctors would know. Not so. I was put on an anti-depressant (a brand that Randall Kavalier personally has stock in) and as a result, my mood worsened. All the progress I had made with other therapists was gone. I'd never thought of killing myself before, then suddenly it seemed like a good idea. I had brains enough to realize this was a problem, and told my doctor about it at a session. I can't recall her last name, but I do remember ""Paula M""-something. Don't go to her, she's crooked. She told me it wasn't the medicine that was hurting me, but that I was just too screwed up for such a small dose (50 mg daily) to help. She called my mother into the room and told us that I'd have to be taken to the psychiatric ward at the hospital they use immediately, or she'd call the police on us. SERIOUSLY. At the hospital, the woman who checked me in told me the same thing. Either I sign myself in, my mother signs me in, or they call the cops and I go to jail. Turns out, Iowa Law states that as long as a person is under 21 and still living with their parents, they are never required to go into a mental hospital, whatsoever. We were never told this, we found all this out after I got out of the hospital. The nurse LIED. After finally breaking and signing myself in (note, I was eighteen) they took me back with no time to say goodbye to my mother. The rest of the evening, I was asked loaded questions by several nurses. I was only allowed to answer yes or no, and no matter how I answered, each question lead to a worse diagnosis. The next morning, ""Doctor"" Kavalier spoke with me personally. After pointing out that the medicine itself says there's a possibility of suicidal thoughts in teens, he said I was wrong. Just that. I took another shot, and said that just about every teen thinks they should die at some point, but never seriously. He looked me in the eyes and said, ""Nobody thinks that but you. That's why you're here."" The nurse that was there also chimed in, ""I'VE never thought I should die..."" Also, funny note, the medicine that made me worse: they tripled my dosage while in the hospital. After I eventually got out, I was worse than when I went in. Kavalier and Associates is staffed with crooked, misguided people, and so is the hospital they work with. If anybody cares for their children, they won't take them to Kavalier. Pros: No pros. Cons: Randall Kavalier has stock in the medicine he pushes. more

I have seen two therapists from Kavalier and Associates, due to abuse that I sustained during childhood. The therapy I have received has been life-saving. I don't know where I would be without the therapy--which allowed me to process the pain. These people truly understand abuse and how it affects people in adult life. Because I trust Kavalier so much, I have also recommended them to friends--who have been just as pleased. We also took our daughter to Kavalier when she experienced some anxiety related to an incident where she choked on food. They are just as caring, knowledgeable and insightful when they deal specifically with children. Our community is lucky to have Kavalier and Associates. Pros: Professional experts who truly care more

I note that the previous reviewer was upset because he saw a therapist prior to a referral to the psychiatrist. This frustrated that individual, but it is common and standard practice in the mental health system. more

I called in for an appointment, they made one. I *thought* I was seeing a Psychiatrist, however the stuck me with a Licensed Social Worker that couldn't even prescribe medication. They didn't tell me this until the END of the session. SO, now they want me to see 2 doctors? No thanks, I'll go elsewhere. more