PsyQ – Utrecht

As people have come to expect from me, I never simply award one star. After all, there must be room for improvement. The Dutch mental health care system (GGZ) sells epistemic and chemical violence as care. They serve it… with a soft tone and a friendly smile. They treat behavior. Always remember that. Never fall for the idea that they are actually addressing the underlying problems. This is one of the most important things to keep in mind. Many people are blind to manipulation, psychological and chemical abuse practices, let alone bureaucratic violence. They might think they are simply having a pleasant conversation once a week with a friendly, professional manipulator, without even realizing how they are being framed, manipulated, and sold 'medications' that change their personality. There is plenty of parking available here, therefore.

Waited two months, and they call for an intake a day before the appointment, no flexibility, nothing. Absurd.

They don't understand anything at all, in my experience.

Don't even bother, it's a waste of time. I called them myself 3 weeks after the referral; they can't find anything. They can't even search using the specific identifier created upon referral. Their records are not in… order.

Great staff and highly skilled doctors & psychologists

The worst place to ever to go to. Absolutely basic,lame and old methods of diagnosis with under qualified want to be specialists.

Not a pleasant experience with the organization. I would not recommend PsyQ. They did not accept me for care because my symptoms were “not severe enough.” I also paid 340 euros for a 10-minute intake interview, which… was scheduled without consultation. My care needs were not complex or severe. (ADHD) But I would not recommend this organization if you are really struggling with something. Personally, I also did not have a good feeling about the practitioner. Not very understanding or sympathetic. Spoke in a very monotone voice. This remains somewhat subjective, of course. But I feel anything but heard after this experience. As a nurse, I deal with all kinds of different disciplines and institutions. But this is by far the most pleasant experience so far.

I stood in line for a long time, and then it was my turn. I have been using haloperidol for my tics for 13 years. I have suffered from tics since childhood. Because my Dutch skills were not sufficient, there were… psychologists who spoke Turkish. First, they referred me to a psychiatrist to stop my medication. The psychiatrist reduced my medication, and after a while, I stopped taking it completely. After that, we went back to talk to the psychologist for advice, and I started trauma treatment. It lasted eleven months; it seemed like a long and difficult journey. I confronted my fears, usually stopped taking my medication, and cried a lot. I am completely off the medication, my tics have completely disappeared, and now I am stronger and better. I have had sleep problems for a very long time—I hadn't been able to sleep well for 14 years. I would like to express my endless gratitude to everyone who works there. I am glad they exist. A beautiful and multicultural place. I will also miss the coffee there.

I had my first intake there and it felt so bad that I’m still suffering from it. They seemed unprofessional opening so many things and asking unrelated question and then at some point the director of the clinic joins… and it feels extremely unpleasant.

I am writing to raise a serious issue regarding the services provided at psyq Utrecht. As a patient, I have several concerns that I would like to discuss with you. First, I would like to express my disappointment… regarding the receptionist's lack of understanding and sensitivity towards the patients who visit the facility. It is crucial that the receptionist is aware that the facility serves clients with mental health issues. This lack of understanding can significantly impact patients' sense of safety and well-being, and can even hinder their continued treatment. Furthermore, I would like to point out the lack of communication and follow-up regarding the use of a specific application that is said to improve treatment efficiency. Despite repeated requests for information and instructions from my therapist, I have not received a satisfactory response. This lack of communication has further undermined my trust in the facility and has negatively impacted my treatment. I want to emphasize that this experience is not unique and that this is the fourth mental healthcare facility I have sought treatment at. The pattern of disappointment and lack of adequate care has severely damaged my trust in the system, and I am seriously considering not seeking further treatment at mental healthcare facilities. I believe it is essential that these matters are taken seriously and addressed appropriately to ensure the quality of care and restore patient trust. I am willing to work together to find solutions that can improve the situation and look forward to your response on this matter.

Had a very unpleasant experience with very unprofessional practitioners.

The intake was very pleasant. After that, however, I mainly felt like I was part of an assembly line. The treatment remained very superficial, even though I had been referred for specialist treatment. The practitioner… kept too much distance, making it feel too impersonal. Various practice assistants each provided me with more insights than the specialist treatment at PsyQ. I was also invariably called from the waiting room 10 to 15 minutes late.

After approaching various agencies for an ADHD diagnosis (with a waiting time of over 9 months and rejections), a door finally opened. In my experience, PsyQ is fast, friendly, and efficient.

It is worthless trying to make an appointment here. Psyq rescheduled an appointment twice. Now I have to wait another 2 months before I can be seen. I really advise people to look for another institution.

Rijnsweerd North

Initially, I was shocked by the bad Google reviews, but due to a lack of choice, I went to PsyQ anyway. I am someone who believes that (mental) care often falls short, but that is not my experience here. So far, I have… spoken with psychiatrist Bram Bovée and psychologist Ellen Douma. I am satisfied with both of them. I felt heard, and the treatment plan was tailored in consultation. In my case, that means medication and further investigation, which has helped me a great deal. I have already taken the training courses to help manage ADHD elsewhere, so I have no experience with those. The waiting time is long, but I cannot blame PsyQ for that, as waiting times are a general problem. A relatively large part of the population has ADHD, and in my view, providing individually trained help to everyone is not feasible anywhere. Unfortunately for us. I have suffered from mental health issues my entire life and have seen a lot in mental healthcare. Experience shows that almost everyone can improve significantly with training and medication. After a lot of time, hard work, and by being open to treatment, you can lead a happy life. Good luck, we can do it! P.S. I vlog about ADHD, among other things, on YouTube. If you are interested, you can find my channel under the name Bijstandboy.

My husband received a bill for a group session he missed, which they claimed he hadn't attended. We can prove he canceled, and now the reminders keep coming. The responses by phone and email are... "We'll get back to… you or we'll forward it!" Today I received another bill for missing a phone appointment. The psychologist was supposed to call my husband, and he took this into account. He didn't receive a call. After he followed up, they said he had, and now we're receiving another bill. No effort has been made to respond to our objections. When all this is resolved, he'll quit psyq!

At the intake, I told them my whole story and asked if Psyq offered treatment for me. The answer was yes. After the intake, I was placed in group therapy with a group of young people, even though I'm 56 and have… completely different problems. It turned out I had to research and indicate what kind of therapy I needed myself (?). After evaluating the group therapy, they wanted to refer me to other psychiatric services. It took a lot of time, and I made absolutely NO progress.

Nice organization, clear about what they can offer you.

The worst diagnostic experience of my entire life. Stay away from this place. Their tools and methods are primitive, rudimentary. The staff is badly trained and they have no experience of people who come from different… cultures or who have made non-normative choices in their lives. They expect you to blindly bow to their superior knowledge and ignore what you (and your previous therapists) know and feel about yourself. Language creates worlds, and I don't want to live in their claustrophobic, oppressive universe. I don't think anybody would.

I called to make an appointment. After waiting a while, a friendly woman answered. She said I needed the registration service and transferred me. I got another woman on the line who was extremely rude to me. She said it… wasn't my turn yet because I had to wait 10 days. Yes, that's right, that's why I waited two weeks in the first place. Then she claimed I'd already been called and received a letter. I didn't see anything. Then she started ranting at me, telling me I should just listen to her and finding it strange that I don't understand it anymore. It's no wonder one woman tells me one thing and another something else. So she became increasingly rude and forceful. By then, I was already crying on the phone, and finally, she told me I didn't have the registration service on the phone because they were only available from 9 to 12. Then she clearly explained that I was still not good enough to register. Because I assumed I'd simply been connected to the registration service, like the first woman told me. But no. I really got the feeling she thought I was stupid and had absolutely no patience with me. And that's how it goes with a company like this. I'll find someone else, ma'am. Yo!