BOLD Health – Encinitas

Protect your loved ones from Kristy Lamb. My aunty overcame a lifetime of hardships until the year she was referred to this psychiatrist for mental health help. At the age of 62 my aunty died a highly uncharacteristic… and violent death by suicide. Undoubtedly the rapid succession of pharmaceutical 'trials' prescribed by and poorly supervised under Kristy Lamb was a large contributor to this shocking outcome. Kristy demonstrated a demeaning and insensitive attitude towards addiction. She shamed my aunty for benzodiazepine "shopping" (regarding one highly addictive medication Kristy herself "sold"). Kristy appeared to have no knowledge of - or chose not to apply her knowledge of - physical dependency and the dangers of abrupt deprescribing. I truly wish my aunty never had the misfortune of crossing paths with this individual. Our family did not hear a peep from Kristy Lamb after my aunty's death. She cowered behind the public health agency she was working for and was entirely unavailable and unaccountable. It worries me to discover that Kristy Lamb has since left the country where this occured and is practicing in the States at BOLD Health Medical Group, where more vulnerable people in desperate situations will be under her care. Please take caution.

I’ve been going here for a couple years now, and I’ve wanted to write a review, but have been reticent for several reasons. The main being that I wanted to leave a decently high rating, but have been unable to due to… the unexplained disruption in my care by the high rate of provider turnover, and thus couldn’t. More specifically, my experience here has been that I went through several individual therapists, and while I made progress with each, none were really exceptional. Combine that with the what felt like constant provider changes, the overall experience was very lacking, and I didn’t feel particularly important due to this. This was especially true in my couples therapy sessions, where I never really felt listened to. Despite my better judgment, I continued to go to these sessions, but I felt like nothing ever changed for me. I recommend that if you find yourself with a therapist you don’t “click” with, you should “shop around”. Which is what I’m doing now. I do also have experience in their IOP program. I’m afraid to say that I can’t really recommend their IOP, and if you do check it out, I highly suggest “shopping around” the same way you would for an individual therapist. Also, quite unfortunately, I didn’t feel very accepted there, but instead felt very judged at times, which when happened, it was very difficult to fully share and be vulnerable. Which may be related to one of their main catch phrases, where you’re supposed to “get curious” about why you feel a certain way, felt like it was used very little with me. While there are a lot of negatives, it can be very difficult to find providers that take your insurance. Which they did take mine, so that was nice. Thanks for the feedback. Let’s wait the additional 6 more months for some additional official feedback. I apologize for saying more earlier, as I do not want to break any confidentiality agreements that I was not yet aware of. However, after this situation is over we can schedule another appointment for me provide additional feedback. Thanks again

It is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to reach your provider outside of your appointment for any reason. There is no patient portal or email for your provider. If you have any concerns about medication, side… effects, or simply need a refill, it is difficult to get through. MDs are not covered by insurance and are cash pay only. If you need any kind of complex care relating to multiple conditions with overlapping symptoms, I would not recommend this practice. The providers I saw here were not willing to explore options for treatment, and continued to refer to their in-house IOP program and higher levels of care rather than attempting to treat the condition I was seeing them for. I ended up leaving because of the costly price of the visit, lack of availability for appointments and questions, and lack of communication in general. Edit: Since I posted this review, my doctor has reached out to me directly for the first time in the nearly 10 months I saw her. I has been 45+ days since my most recent appointment. I am hugely disappointed that it has taken this long for anyone to call or even send an email as I’ve been still considered a patient during this time. I caution anyone in visiting this practice, and urge you to consider going elsewhere.

Such an amazing place and experience I’ve had with this facility. The providers and administration are all so friendly and helpful!

This is great place for mental health care if you're looking to escape the huge corporations that seem to have taken over all of psychiatry. The administrative staff are quickly responsive to phone calls and questions,… and my providers (Neethu for psychiatry and Liz for therapy) have been amazing. I feel really well taken care of and valued as a human being here.

If you've been searching for a supportive team for mental health issues, I definitely recommend BOLD. The providers are caring and will make you feel truly heard. It's definitely a safe space for mental health concerns.… The administrative team is also friendly and caring. It took me a very long time to find a place that I could feel heard. Thank you!

I cannot say enough good things about Bold Health. From the very first phone call, the admin team (shoutout to Aja!) was warm, organized, and genuinely kind. Scheduling was easy, communication was clear, and every… interaction made me feel welcomed and supported. It's rare to find front office staff who are both efficient and compassionate, but they truly set the tone here. Dr. Hirst is exceptional. Thoughtful, attentive, and incredibly knowledgeable, she creates a space where you feel heard without judgment. Appointments never feel rushed, and I always leave feeling understood and equipped with real tools and direction. You can tell they genuinely care about their patients' well-being and long-term progress. If you're looking for a mental health clinic that combines professionalism with real human warmth, this is it. So grateful to have found Bold Health.

Bold Health is the best! Their IOP is incredible--truly deep, life-changing therapy. I really like my psychiatrist and the front desk staff are always kind and responsive when I need anything. I can't recommend them… highly enough.

Bold Health has been an invaluable partner in supporting my clients. While not everyone may interact with her directly, Katie, the Chief Executive Officer, has been a wonderful contact to know and collaborate with… behind the scenes. She helps ensure my clients are connected with psychiatric care that is warm, trustworthy, and highly knowledgeable. That level of leadership and care makes a meaningful difference for the perinatal families I serve, and I am grateful to have such a reliable resource to refer to!

I’ve had an amazing experience. The front desk staff responded and acted quick. The providers are incredible. I would definitely recommend others go here

My administrative contact (Gabbi) was so helpful and persistent in getting my claims processed through my insurance. Wow, she worked so hard until this critical connection was secured. Thank you so much. The… professional help I have received has been exceptional. Changes were recommended for alternative medications which were better suited to my needs. And my psychiatric nurse practitioner was there for me, walking with me as I navigated through figuring out the correct dosage. Depression is hard to deal with. Bold Health has been with me in my battle and has been so helpful. I can’t say enough good about Bold Health Health.

Amazing team. Bold Health truly cares about their patients! I would recommend them over and over.

Awesome place. Saved my life. Couldn’t recommend it highly enough. Stick to it and it’ll eventually work for you. It took me a while but it finally clicked

Gabbi, the billing specialist, is fantastic. She is extremely responsive, accurate, and helpful. It's so refreshing to get such great service. Also, one session so far with my therapist and it had a huge impact. I know… I'm getting my moneys worth!

This review is both for the therapists and IOP offered at Bold. I recently graduated from IOP and felt it benefited me greatly. I did the morning group schedule and felt the therapists (especially Meiken, Scott, and… Leslie) were wonderful. They have a remarkable ability to hold us accountable and encourage deep thinking without ever sounding condescending, rude, or hurtful. It was evident that they genuinely listened and cared for us, and their passion for their work as therapists shone through. Overall, I am truly grateful for the IOP program at Bold. I found it to be well-organized, structured effectively, and I consistently felt safe within the program.

Having seen many therapists since I was a young girl, I can unequivocally say that the work I’ve done with Dr. Hirst at BOLD has given me my life back. It’s not just the type of therapy—which I found to be ten times… more effective than any other I’ve tried—it’s Dr. Hirst herself. She listens deeply, respects my boundaries, honors my consent, and always centers what’s best for me in our work. For the first time, I felt like an active, respected participant in my own progress. This therapy didn’t just help me cope—it helped me grow. I’m more capable, confident, and grounded than I ever thought possible. If you’re looking for a therapist who will respect you, empower you, and support real change, this is it. BOLD Health changed my life.

Thank you Asia for straightening everything out and clearing things up for me. You were extremely helpful!

Of the eight clinics I've received medication management from, BOLD Health is easily my favorite! Everyone I've encountered at BOLD Health is kind and helpful. I feel HEARD by my physician. She gives me insight that… improves my life! I also feel respected and treated with grace when I share moments and qualities that I'm not proud of. 100% recommend BOLD Health

Bold is an incredible asset to the mental health community of San Diego. As a psychotherapist, I'm often looking for psychiatric support for my clients, and the team at Bold delivers outstanding care. My practice… specializes in reproductive mental health, and knowing that Dr. Hirst—founder of the UCSD Maternal Mental Health Program—is behind Bold's team provides added reassurance that my clients are in expert, compassionate hands.

Dr. Hirst is truly one of a kind. She is kind, genuine, and incredibly knowledgeable. She has completely changed my life, and there aren’t enough words to express how grateful I am for her care. She truly listens, makes… you feel heard, and brings such a real, compassionate presence to every appointment. My experience at Bold Health has been nothing but positive.

I love the staff here! Everyone is super kind.

Worthless/heartless "clinic". I called about a relative who was going through PAWS and the person at the front desk said "We can't help your relative here. We only deal with the acute phase of withdrawals." Then why… bother having an entire article on the Bold website talking about "Managing PAWS at Bold Health"? The stupidity of your staff tells me all I need to know about how "Bold" your "clinic is. SMH.

I have been a patient of Dr. Lamb for over 10+ years and it would be impossible to overstate how much she has helped me improve my quality of life. No other person outside of my family has had a bigger impact on my life… than Dr. Lamb. Typically, I would not share publicly about a therapist/doctor but I had to in the off chance someone else is looking for help and needs someone who is ultra qualified, empathetic, knowledgeable and a great listener. I have recommended BOLD Health to some of the most important people in my life. And I would not hesitate to do it time and time again.

I find that they return calls timely and are nice enough. The most frustrating thing I've encountered is that they don't let you know when your provider no longer works there. It would be nice if they would just give a… heads up either via email or phone. Even just a quick: "Hey! We see that you normally see XXX but they are no longer with us - please give us a call to transfer your care to another provider" would be nice. The providers themselves seem overworked. Not the best medication management provider tbh.

I’m the owner of Milagros Personal Training Center. We specialize in getting the results for our clients with their physical health. When it comes to mental health, we’ve been successfully using Bold Health Medical… Group as a referral source since 2021. Drs Hirst and Lamb run an amazing clinic, with highly accredited therapist and staff. It’s been such a great working relationship, knowing that our clients mental health are in the hands of true professionals…

I was a patient here for months, treated like a I was a nuisance And Once my insurance ran out every 30 minute telehealth call was $800 not including the cost of my prescriptions. The doctors Would not listen to me and… just put me on more medication that wasn’t helping. Don’t go here.

This health group has an atrocious method in coordinating correspondence between you and your provider. If you have questions on medication, expect to have an admin clerk try and advise you on the medication situation.… If you are looking to talk to your provider for any reason, you will not be able to without an appointment, and don't expect a fast 15 minute appointment availability either. I had an issue with a medication that was an emergency, I voiced this to the admin, and still had to wait 2 weeks for a 30 second question that could have been resolved with an email to my provider. Just horrible organization and staffing.

BOLD Health has been a blessing, for the past 5 years I’ve been a patient. They are usually good about answering the phone and returning calls, and they very often order refills for me over the phone and work with my… pharmacy. They are always open to questions, whether it be in an appointment, over email, or on the phone. Neethu is my psychiatrist, and she is very nonjudgemental, smart, helpful, kind, and knowledgeable. She is always willing to help me figure out the right medication regimen with me. Neethu is also a very good listener, and is beyond compassionate, helpful, kind, and just overall (Amelia as well) an incredibly smart and helpful psychiatrist. I really couldn’t ask for more from them. The two front desk workers, Asia and Faith, are both very helpful and really help streamline my medication refills and always bring my messages to Neethu. So much gets done over the phone for me because of them. BOLD has hired an incredible team, and my team has worked to emotionally and medically keep me alive for years, both in person and over telehealth. I cannot thank them enough for all they’ve taught me and done for me.

They helped me when Kaiser psychiatry couldn't. Wonderful group of people here who genuinely care for their patients.