The Ross Center For Anxiety and Related Disorders

I can’t speak to any of the psychotherapists as I see a psychologist at my university for weekly therapy. However, my psychiatrist is AWESOME!
I have meet with and worked with several psychiatrists in DC but never in my three years of seeing one, have I used the word «awesome.» Until I met Dr. Melissa Monson, that is.
Dr. Monson is warm, knowledgeable, enthusiastic, easy to talk to, and even funny (when appropriate, of course!). I’ve seen her twice now and both times I’ve felt like I’m talking to a friend rather than a psychiatrist. She’s definitely not the quiet, sit back and listen type, which isn’t my style in a mental health care provider. She’s old enough to have more life experience than I do, yet young enough to relate to my issues. In fact, young adults is one of her specialties! She even is excited about my journey to apply to medical school, which was the complete opposite with my last psychiatrist.
Before my first appointment ended, I knew she was the psychiatrist I wanted to work with – and I had met with another one the day before. Usually, I would say «let me get back to you as I’m meeting with some other psychiatrists.» Not the case for me with Dr. Monson!
She returns calls promptly and always encourages me to call if I have issues with my medications. Also, she’s good about making sure we meet regularly as I’ve been on a lot of medication changes.
On a side note, Dr. Monson is the first psychiatrist I’ve seen with office staff. Everyone I’ve communicated with by phone, email or in person has been super nice and professional.
Like most psychiatrists, she doesn’t take insurance but she gives me a receipt to submit to my insurance company. Also, her fees are less expensive compared to my last psychiatrist, which is a plus.
My only complaint is that I did not find her when I first moved to DC. DC really needs more amazing psychiatrists like her!

I have seen doctors at The Ross Center and have sent several colleagues and friends there as well. We all have had great experiences and been helped tremendously by the services they have to offer. They are up front about how the initial meetings work, and the fact that the services they offer are provided by different therapists and psychiatrists. In fact, they tell you this on the phone and at the start of the initial evaluation– so I do not see what the «bait and switch» is about! Overall I can’t say enough great things about the center as a whole.

Beware of the bait and switch!
I can’t comment too much on the quality of the therapy. I went to only two sessions before finding another therapist. I did notice, however, that there were mostly young kids and teens in the waiting room. It looks like they specialize in work with children so I may have been in the wrong place, to begin with.
Having said that, my issue concerns a deceptive business practice. I made an appointment with Dr. Salcedo, the head of the center who comes highly rated. Once I showed up for appointment, however, Dr. Salcedo said she would be handing me off to another therapist at the center — someone I’d never heard of. I rarely see any type of doctor I haven’t previously researched — especially since I wasn’t told this would be the case in advance — but Dr. Salcedo sang this other therapist’s praises. I made an appointment to return.
The second appointment with the new therapist was mediocre, at best, and I knew she wouldn’t be a good match for me. I called Dr. Salcedo and said I’d prefer to see her (my original plan anyway) but she informed me that she wouldn’t be able to do that.
At that point, I asked Dr. Salcedo to refund the $ 400 she had charged me for the original appointment. I told her I was willing to pay for the second appointment since I had willingly scheduled a session with the second therapist. But I felt I was owed a refund for seeing her since I essentially paid for a service I didnt receive. If the Ross Center is set up so that her role is to do an initial consultation and then hand you off to someone else, then that’s fine. And I told her that. But they need to make that clear to their patients. Which they didn’t do and probably never do.
The phone call ended when she gruffed that she’d spent 20 minutes on the phone (as if this was free therapy) and told me to bring up any additional concerns in an e-​mail to the Ross Center’s info desk.
I did follow up with an e-​mail, articulating how frustrating it is to wait a month for an appointment and then to be told I would not continue to see that therapist beyond an initial consultation. I spent a total of $ 600 for wasted time, I told her. After a week, I received a response from Dr. Salcedo. Too bad, she effectively said.
Every once and a while, I come across a business that is so clearly motivated by money — and nothing else. But it’s disheartening to see this in a practice where people go to seek help at a vulnerable time in their lives. My recommendation would be to seek out a different practice.