Dr. Ulla Laakso - Doctor Reviews & Ratings - New York, NY

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Dr. Ulla Laakso
New York, NY
Gender: F
Specialty: Psychiatrist
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Phone Number: (212) 517-3900

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# Ratings: 47
Avg Punctuality: 3.2
Avg Helpfulness: 1.8
Avg Knowledge: 2.2
Overall Quality*: 2.0
Range: 1-5 (5 is best)
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The following ratings and comments have not been substantiated by RateMDs.com.
 
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:( Click to report rating *  2/19/10 2 1 1 I had virtually the same experience as everyone else -- I have panic/anxiety disorder & OCD. I am NOT bipolar (I knew that & my current psychiatrist concurs), yet she eventually put me on Depakote which made me very depressed (since I wasn't manic or bipolar to begin with & so didn't need to be "brought down"). So I stopped taking the medication, stopped seeing her, & she never ONCE called to check on me, to see why I stopped making appts. NOT a good doctor -- I could've been suicidal, for all she knew! Also the Depakote made a lot of my hair fall out, but she didn't believe me when I told her. She also gave me the "sleep between 10 pm & 6 am" bit, though I must say THAT was the ONLY good advice she ever gave me. I DO NOT RECOMMEND HER AT ALL, TO ANYONE. If you value your mental health, find a better doctor, one who cares for patients & listens to them, & doesn't just push the WRONG drugs. I would rate her ZERO or NEGATIVE if I could. I wish she were barred from medicine for good. 
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:( Click to report rating *  10/23/09 1 1 1 I saw Dr. Laakso in 2000 or 2001 after experiencing a panic attack and had a very similar experience as others on this board and want to validate what others have said. Upon my visit I tried to explain what my symptoms were, but she didn't care to listen so she shuttled me to a little room and had me watch a video about mania. I answered no to all of the questions, but was then diagnosed as bipolar and prescribed depakote to treat the mild anxiety and occasional panic attacks I was experiencing at the time. I quickly found another doctor out of network. Given what I have seen on this board it seems pretty obvious that there are numerous folks out there who have had similar experiences and I would not recommend her to anyone. 
Insurance: United Healthcare
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:( Click to report rating *  10/16/09 4 4 1 Just had my 1st visit - my experience was identical to many described here. I am a medical professional who’s published extensively in peer-reviewed psychiatry journals. I need a new MD (I’m new to NYC) but have been treated successfully for depression (sertraline & buproprion) by a Harvard MD with no depressive episodes in 8 years. I hoped to continue this treatment and address the recurrence of a few panic attacks (I hadn’t experienced any in years) and discuss med options for alcohol abuse as adjunct to therapy/AA. I selected this quack as she is the only MD taking insurance I found on the UES. I’ve never had anything resembling a manic/hypomanic episode, but have a 2nd degree family history of bipolar disorder. She made me watch her mania symptoms video – no to all. Her solution (surprise): 1) Stopping all previously successful meds 2) Starting Depakote for BPD 3) Waking at 4 AM. CAN ANYONE RECOMMEND AN ALTERNATIVE INSURANCE-ACCEPTING PSYCHIATRIST? THIS WOMAN IS DANGEROUS. 
Insurance: United Healthcare
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:( Click to report rating *  9/28/09 5 4 1 Okay, I read these reviews before I went to my appointment, but I went anyway. She basically asked me a bunch of yes/no questions, and I wasn't allowed to talk about any of my own history. Then I was shuttled off to the "closet," where I watched her video, and again, was only allowed to ask yes or no questions. Before I left her office, she told me that she does not do "talk therapy," and is unaware of any reputable psychopharmacologist who does. I then told her that I went to one that did for over ten years....She had no answer for that. She said that she was the only one on the Upper East side that took my insurance. I then told her that I have three other appointments with others (in that area) who also take it. She had no answer for that either. My answer: please, avoid this doctor. She is a sham. 
Insurance: Blue Cross / Blue Shield
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:( Click to report rating *  7/21/09 3 3 1 I'll just tell you about my final visit to Dr. Laakso. She has insisted I was bipolar for several years, and I finally let her treat me as such. I slipped into a major depressive episode (since I actually suffer from clinical depression and GAD) followed by an acute crisis. I became convinced that it was my destiny to kill myself. So I'm in her office telling her that I'm suicidal and that I'd like to go back on the meds for clinical depression, and she argues with me. I'm crying, and finally she scribbles out a prescription for lexepro (a whopping 5 mg, when I needed 20), and storms out of the office. Now it's up to you to decide if this is the right doctor for you, but any doctor who walks out on a crying, suicidal patient should be stripped of her license and locked up. I spent the next five days in a psych ward with REAL doctors who correctly diagnosed and treated me, and I've been doing great ever since. 
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:( Click to report rating *  3/28/09 1 5 1 There's nothing for me to say except THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU all of you b/c you have validated my experience with her. I saw her for 3 years and thus gave her a chance. She was right with her diagnosis of me as BP but the way she would talk to me, her personality...ugh. Also she would tell me I have to go to bed at 10 and wake up at 6 or else 'she couldn't get me better.' She also would talk down to me and say that people with BP cannot handle psychoanalytic therapy, 'only neurotic people' can handle it, and gesturing at me, 'not BP people' and that she'd be 'happy to straighten out any therapist who thought otherwise.' She told me i had to put up with depakote side effects of drowsiness b/c 'that's what depression is, being tired.' so she was saying that i should live my life tired! i attend a very well-known mood disorder support group in NYC and several members have discouraged working with her. STAY AWAY from her. 
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:( Click to report rating *  3/9/09 1 1 1 This person is really "drinking the kool-aid". Dr. Laakso now has a reputation as little more than a legal pusher of drugs. Other therapists and pyscho-pharmacologists will not even take patients coming from her. As for "it being explicitly required to see a therapist" that is non-sense. She does NOT say that up front or in the course of her five minute consultations. I know someone who was perscribed a medication by her where it was contra-indicated and almost killed her. STAY AWAY-DR. LAAKSO IS THE ONE WITH THE MENTAL ILLNESS! 
Insurance: Oxford
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:) Click to report rating *  2/26/09 3 2 4 I have been with Dr Laakso for 5+ years. I'm on her standard bi-polar cocktail of depakote and lithium. Previous to seeing her, I was, for over 15 years, diagnosed as depressed, going back through SSRIs and before. It was her revelation that previous doctors had missed the swing, only seen the lows. As I learned about the disease (on my own), I began to see she is right, in my case. Un-medicated, my life is a pendulum swinging between rage and sorrow, everyone had seen that as depression (!!). Her appointments are brief because she is one of the only doctors of her type who take most insurance - YOU ARE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING THE WORK OUTSIDE HER OFFICE. She's not your shrink. It is explicitly required you see a therapist or similar. When she tries alternate drugs on me that I don't like, I just tell her forget it, I'm happy with the cocktail thanks. All the negativity in these posts speaks of the poster as much as the doctor. Sorry about my spelling. 
Insurance: HIP
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:) Click to report rating *  1/8/09 5 4 5 I've been going to Dr. Laakso for ADD for 3 years and she's been very helpful. It's true that her appointments are brief, but she's very focused. She probably hears the same thing all the time and doesn't need the whole story. She has asked me how I was doing with something I mentioned a month or 2 before, seems genuinely happy when I have good news and will take a little longer if I need to address something. If all is well, the appointment is about 5 minutes long, including new scrips. I also watched the bipolar video first visit, which made it very clear that I didn't have that particular disorder. I don't see anything wrong with having an efficient system handle something she doesn't really need to be there for. She asked me other questions afterwards and I have always felt like I was getting good care. My ADD is under control and my life is working. 
Insurance: CIGNA
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:( Click to report rating *  12/10/08 1 3 1 Same exp as others - 1st appt, put in tiny closet, forced to watch video of doctor trying to prove everyone's bipolar and a 8-5 am sleep sched cures all ills. Video spent lots of time on the idea that medication is perfectly safe for pregnant women. (Um, who asked?) Later she tried to switch my long-term med to a new patent-extender *without weaning me off Effexor* which is very dangerous. She tried to make me pressure my insurance co into covering Pristiq. She didn't return my calls about how sick I was until I told her receptionist I was on my way to the emergency room, after which she finally phoned in my scrip. Expressed great surprise that I felt side effects from having my meds abruptly stopped without weaning (Effexor has been the subject of lawsuits for the severity of its withdrawal effects.) She obviously gets huge kickbacks from drug companies. Patient's welfare NOT AN ISSUE FOR HER. She is criminally dangerous. But, hey, she accepts insurance and prescribes my meds. 
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:( Click to report rating *  11/6/08 2 3 1 Dr. Laakso is a serious problem. Unlike most Manhattan psychiatrists, she takes insurance and will see people for very brief sessions. This is appealing to many people. At te same time, virtually everyone is diagnosed with bipolar disorder with a resultant scrip for a mood stabilizer like depakote. I don't know her relationship with drug companies, but I do know that her practice of psychiatry is dangerous. 
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:) Click to report rating *  8/8/08 5 4 4 I saw Dr.Laakso two weeks ago for the first time. She diagnosed me as Bipolar. Ever since then, I've been feeling better every day. I felt that she really listened to what I had to say. she was very informative on every details that I asked for. 
Insurance: Blue Cross / Blue Shield
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:( Click to report rating    7/23/08 3 3 1 I saw Dr. Laakso five years ago for depression. I had had luck with Prozac in the past and was hoping she would simply give me a prescription for that. Instead she quickly diagnosed me with bipolar disorder and gave me two very strong medications, including Abilify (samples). For six months I was a vegetable--practically drooling. I finally decided I was miserable, she was clueless, and went to another doctor. He weaned me off of the meds she'd given me and gave me a scrip for Prozac. I have been free of depression since then and am leading a happy, successful life. She's dangerous. Everyone should stay away. 
Insurance: CIGNA
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:( Click to report rating    7/11/08 2 3 1 This doctor should not be practicing medicine. I regret listening to her and losing months of my life on Depakote when it was not the right medication for me. In my opinion she should be brought up on criminal charges. She diagnosed me by having me fill out a questionaire and stuck me in a little room to watch a video of herself. Now that I am healthy and on the proper meds i realize how desperate i was for help. she let me down and even fought me when i wanted to stop the meds when they were clearly making my situation much worse. she kept telling me my dose wasn't high enough. shame on her!! 
Insurance: GHI
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:( Click to report rating    6/19/08 3 4 1 This is really scary. I hate to think how many patients she has put on the wrong medicine. I wish there was some way to get the state to take away her licence. I found a place on the NY state health dept website where people can file complaints. 
Insurance: GHI
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:( Click to report rating    6/19/08 1 1 1 I, like others who have posted, am so relieved to know that my experience with Dr. Laakso was not unique. I've been seeing her for about a year now, and I'm the first to admit that I've stuck with her because it's easy to get prescriptions. I first came to her with major depressive disorder, for which I was taking Wellbutrin XL for years. I was able to be in and out of her office very quickly with a Rx renewal, which was really all I had time for then. She recently pulled me off Wellbutrin, pushing Abilify (a newish bipolar/schizo drug) and more recently...Depakote. I am not bipolar or schizophrenic. In fact, during my last visit there was someone who appeared to be a pharma rep in her offices delivering samples. She is a shill for the pharmaceuticals, not interested in practicing ethical medicine, and has no understanding of individual patient needs. I am switching doctors, and I wish I had sooner. My seeing her so long is probably another symptom of my depressive problems. F 
Insurance: Oxford
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:( Click to report rating    6/16/08 3 5 2 This is unbelievable to see all of these similar accounts. I went for my anxiety. I have been diagnosed with GAD by another therapist. She said he didnt know what I was talking about and told me I was bi-polar and also prescribed me Depakote. I told her I was not bi-polar and if I was thats not why I came to her. She showed me a video, but the video was all about being bi-polar. So it was sort of a way to see where in the bi-polar scale do I fit as opposed to really trying to diagnose me. I thought it was weird, very strange. Then she wanted to prescribe me sleeping pills, I said no and just asked her for what I knew worked for my anxiety which was propranolol. So she gave me that too. I kind of take her as a shopping mall for pills. You tell her what you want and she'll give it. She's not a doctors, she is a drug dealer - treat her as such. Sad but true. 
Insurance: Oxford
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:( Click to report rating    5/19/08 5 5 1 I am very glad to hear that my experience was not unique. And I agree that this woman should be sued or something. Yes, bipolar video and depakote. Yoga, and 3 a.m. (Everyone else got a.m.?) She was horrid. Worst experience I have ever had. 
Insurance: Aetna
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:( Click to report rating    5/19/08 4 4 2 Diagonosis via videotape and multiple choice test. Lots of medications. (What is her relationship with the pharmaceitical industry?) Does not lliste or pay attention. Rarely takes notes. Does not recall contents of previous visits. Typical visit is 5-10 minutes. 
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:( Click to report rating    5/16/08 1 4 1 She misdiagnosed me and prescribed inappropriate medications for many years. Also charged $50 to fill out a government-required form for a HUD sponsored housing facility. Would not recommend this doctor to a sick cat, let alone another human. 
Insurance: Medicare
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:( Click to report rating    5/5/08 2 3 1 My daughter "Jan" was shown the bipolar video too. Jan & her psychologist explained Jan has panic episodes, so the Dr told Jan she WAS treating Jan for panic. Jan was put on depakote, which did not stem the panic episodes, but the Dr would point to periods Jan was well & tell Jan the medicine was working! (Jan always did well between panic episodes.) The last panic lasted weeks, & the Dr tripled the depakote & prescribed Ambien & risperdal for sleep! Still the panic was not relieved. At Jan's last visit, the Dr tried to increase the meds. When Jan said she wanted to cut them back, the Dr said if Jan cut back the meds on her own, Jan could end up hospitalized w/a nervous breakdown because Jan was BIPOLAR & DEPRESSIVE (you'd be depressed too if you were treated w/the wrong medicine & panic lasted weeks). Jan has since seen another two doctors, both of whom confirmed Jan is NOT BIPOLAR-she suffers from anxiety!! If you are bipolar, this doctor is definitely for you. If not, STEER CLEAR! 
Insurance: Blue Cross / Blue Shield
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:) Click to report rating    5/2/08 2 2 2 dr does not talk to you. Has you fill out a form and dispenses meds based on your answers. Not a very warm enviornment 
Insurance: Oxford
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:| Click to report rating    3/24/08 1 2 3 I too was presented with "the video" and found there was too much of an are you bipolar slant to the whole assessment. I was prescribed Zoloft two weeks before by another doctor and Laakso wanted to ween me off of that and put me on Depokote like she's done with almost everyone else on this board. I still can't understand why she is switching me to another med when the one I have been taking is making me feel better. She also recommends going to bed at 8:30pm and waking up at 4:30am "as yogis do" she explained. Who can possibly live a normal life today with this sleep schedule? A friend of mine went to her a while back and was also prescribed Depakote which just made her sick to her stomach. She switched docs. My psychotherapist said she has heard bad things about Laakse - that she is bent on labelling people bi-polar and prescribing two specific drugs including Depakote and she thinks she is getting paid off by pharma. The staff was so snotty. Impersonal. I am going to switch doctors. 
Insurance: Aetna
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:( Click to report rating    2/7/08 3 2 1 terrible she did not even care and just handed me a script and said come back in a month. 
Insurance: Blue Cross / Blue Shield
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:( Click to report rating    2/5/08 1 4 1 WARNING DO NOT USE IS DOCTOR (side effects can be fatal)This women needs to diclose which drug co. she has received gifts from. Everyone seems to get the same meds. Depakote ER (which is the pharmaceutical's way of keeping you on name brand not generic)or Seroquel...... She does not keep track of your meds, she makes you do that(which is kind of crazy if you have a mental problem). She diagnoses you w/ a video and has you fillout a sheet of the same questions every week but the scarry thing is she just isnt paying attention at all .She had my reg doc do a lithium level as one of my blood tests. Wrong ,I wasnt on lithium. WOOPS!!!! She put a friend of mine back on depakote after she had taken him off as he has hep C.(depakote has a very strong warning for fatal liver damage) Woops again!!! Forgot to read the chart. When I finally decided to leave her as I was so upset over so many errors she said I was aggressive. I asked for my records to be sent to me and 3 times they said they were mailed. LIE!!! 
Insurance: Aetna
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:( Click to report rating    1/26/08 3 1 1 Same experience as noted above. I am an LCSW and worked at Bellevue Psychiatric HOspital for many years--I know my DSM-IV and my drugs. She prescribed me seroquel even though I have been diagnosed OVER AND OVER again with Major Depressive Disorder. She refused to put me back on an SSRI and instead insisted I take the seroquel. Took the seroquel twice and it made ms BED RIDDEN, exactly the symptom that I was trying to avoid. Plus, she LIES about side effects etc. I am going to report this woman! 
Insurance: Blue Cross / Blue Shield
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:) Click to report rating    1/26/08 4 4 5 I found Dr. Laakso to be highly intelligent in her approach to finding the right solutions; in other words a combination of medication plus some fundamental lifestyle adjustments, such as a more organic or holistic approach to when one sleeps, etc. This is rare in our country's psychiatric profession. I would highly recommend Dr. Laakso and look forward to my next visit. 
Insurance: Aetna
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:( Click to report rating    1/17/08 2 3 1 After talking to me like a robot for 45 seconds, she showed me "the video" and because my mother was bipolar, told me she thought I was, too. She kept me on my current medication and started me on the Mood Diary. When there was a problem with my insurance when I went to pick up the pills, both the pharmacy and I left constant messages to the office. The receptionists kept promising Dr. Laakso would return our calls. We finally got a hold of her after 3 days, after constant calls and explanations of "this is an emergency." I was just starting to get hot sweats and dizziness when I finally recieved my pills. The worst. Doesn't care about her patients. 
Insurance: Blue Cross / Blue Shield
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:( Click to report rating *  12/20/07 2 3 1 I feel so much better after reading the reviews here. I had much the same experience as many of the others here. I had an initial consultation with her (with the video and all) which was fine. I then kept a mood diary for three months and went back to see her. She refused even to look at it and handed me a prescription for Depakote. When I told her that I wasn't interested in Depakote (as I had indicated in my first visit) she got really snotty with me and then said, "Well, what would you suggest?" She also wanted to put me on a sleep aid, which I didn't want. I have little to no trouble sleeping, and had only had trouble two days prior to seeing her (because I had a final exam!) But she refused to take no for an answer. Don't waste your time on this one. She doesn't listen and isn't concerned about finding a true diagnosis - just giving you some meds and getting you out of her office as quickly as possible. 
Insurance: Oxford
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:( Click to report rating    9/25/07 4 4 1 I went once and will never go back. She has a beautiful Park Avenue office (probably paid for by the 10+ patients she must see an hour) but seemed absolutely clueless and only concerned about seeing as many patients as quickly as possible. She seems to make everyone watch some stupid video about manic depression even if they exhibit no relevant symptoms. It's probably just a way for her to bill insurance companies for more visits. Scary doctor. Stay away! 
Insurance: GHI
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:) Click to report rating    7/8/07 4 4 5 i am surprised at most of the comments. most of them ramble on, indicating that they really need help. i found the dr. to be incredibly knowledgeable and commpassionate. i had seen 4 doctors before and was in deep trouble. after 2 visits and the right combination of medication i am now able to function and work. of course the time spent is not great, especially since she accepts almost all insurance plans...but quality time is more important than lenght of time. i would recommend her highly. by the way the office is the most beautiful i have seen. for sure no one is perfect, but some of the comments made are simply outrageous in my view. 
Insurance: GHI
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:( Click to report rating    5/8/07 2 1 Just like in many of the patients reviews I received the same treatment. She gave me an rx for depakote & told me I was bipolar & high strung- I am none of the 2 and I verified this with people who know me including MD's who are family friends. She showed me the famous "video" about classic bipolarism and was very put out when I told her I felt no relation to the symptoms the patients in the video suffered from. She did not like when I brought up new research that indicates depakote is a very dangerous (&potentially toxic!) drug- I took her out of her comfort zone. She seems to only want to work with traditionally manic depressive people and if you don't quite fit in the box she tries to persuade you that somehow you do fit in that very box. It is very hard to find a psychopharmacologist in NYC but they are out there- keep looking. Somebody referred me to Robert Moran M.D. 646-672-1010, this person is doing very well so give him a shot or ask him for a referral. Good luck to all. 
Insurance: Aetna
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:( Click to report rating    5/2/07 3 1 I think this doc should be reported to the authorities. She indeed diagnosed me bipolar, despite my not fitting virtually any of the profile, prescribed Depakote, which made me very ill and agitated. When I told her of the adverse event, she said of course I was agitated, I was bipolar! Natch, when I went off the drug, I became normal. She is truly Dr. Demento. 
Insurance: CIGNA
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:( Click to report rating    4/23/07 4 1 About 10 yrs ago but had same experiences as most reviewers. She misdiagnosed my anxiety disorder for paranoia and treated me for a mood disorder that I dont have. She had me on very strong meds like zyprexa and depokote. 
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:( Click to report rating    3/5/07 1 1 I've been seeing Dr. Laakso for nearly a year, and never once has she seen me for more than five minutes (beyond the initial 'screening' if you would call it that). My last appointment was for 3:15. I sat in the waiting room until 3:30, then her office until 3:37. I was out of the office, rX in hand, by 3:39. Classy! Despite the extremely short appointments, she doesn't listen to a word you say during that time. I've been taking Adderall and told her that the effects may be wearing off, since I've been tired all the time. At the end of our 90 seconds, she proceeded to ask if I needed a refill for Sonata (a sleep aid). She constantly pushes all these 'mood stabilizers' though I clearly have no mood issues (until I actually took her up on it, and felt worse than ever before). I find it amusing that she's dealing with behavioral health and knows nothing about her patients, nor does she care. But I'm sure she has a pretty house in the Hamptons and that is what's important. 
Insurance: Blue Cross / Blue Shield
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:( Click to report rating    2/20/07 5 2 Cold. Not interest in your problems. Simply wants to dispense the drugs. According to my new doctor, I should have been taking an anti-depressant in addition to the Depakote she prescribed. When I transferred to Houston (from NY) for work, she couldn't even recommend a doctor for me to see. Imagine that. With all the industry meeting she attends, she knew of know doctor in Houston. Her recommendation was to call a local pharmacy after moving and find out which doctor prescribes the most depakote. Shameful. 
Insurance: CIGNA
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:| Click to report rating    2/15/07 4 3 I would not reccommend Dr. Ulla Laakso to anyone. I started seeing her in 2001 when she diagnosed me with bipolar after viewing a video. She is impersonal, cold and not interested in her patients as persons with problems. Basically she is a legal drug pusher, thinking that a pill or a number of pills will cure everything. She will not talk to you about personal problems or show any interest in you as an individual. I think she just sees a patient as a big brain full of chemistry that needs some drugs. I have been prescribed Depakote, Prozac, Wellbutrin, Gabitril, Lunesta, Sonata and now Animi-3 which is an expensive combination of omega-3 and B vitamins.Co-pay for this is $30. I should have stopped going to her long ago, but dreaded the initial interview with a new psychiatrist where I would have to retell painful events. The office staff is unpleasant. Today the staff person threw the clipboard to me and said start filling the questionaire. 
Insurance: Aetna
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:( Click to report rating    12/29/06 5 1 The doctor only spent 10 or 15 minutes with me. Since my depression was getting worse, she put me on different medications on every visit. I had so many pill bottles I needed a big box to put them in. She said I was bi polar; however, I have never been diagnosed as this either in my past or as of right now. She seemed very cold and by the time I wound up in the hospital I was in really bad shape. I went to her for treatment because my internist knew her. I have since been told that the amount of meds she gave me, messed up my nerve endings and I was worse off having seen her instead of better. I would never recommend her to anyone. 
Insurance: Oxford
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:( Click to report rating    10/25/06 4 1 When I was in the hospital for an emergency Dr. Laakso was on vacation and did not even have someone on call in her absence. The psychiatrist at the hospital even said she had heard bad things about Dr. Laakso and that I needed to see someone who could spend more than 15 min. with me a visit. After being in the hospital for suicide and coming in to her office for my next visit she asked me how my summer was! Not that well considering I was in the hospital last weekend!! My point is that she sees so many patients she doesn't have time for personalized treatment. When she tried to put me on the 4th medication I questioned her and she became very snotty with me and told me it wasn't her fault I was on so many meds, it was mine. I could not believe she said something so unprofessional. On a positive note, her office hours are the best around. None the less, I will be finding another Dr. I want to feel good not be numbed to life! 
Insurance: HealthPartners
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:( Click to report rating    7/7/06 3 2 She and her office are accessible. They actually allowed me to pick up samples from the office for free when I ran out of insurance and couldn't afford Rx's out of pocket. The staff is friendly. The Dr. seems a bit cold, but not rude. She asked the same panned questions on every 15 min visit..(how do you feel today on a scale of 1 to 10), which I think are too general and non-specific to make a real diagnosis. Also diagnosed me as bi-polar and having a mood disorder. I've seen many mental health doctors and never before or since have been diagnosed as bipolar. She put me on Paxil and when I was tired and still depressed put me on Lamictal as an "upper" even thought it's used for bi-polar patients. I wish she'd had the time to find a drug other than Paxil that worked better for me, instead of putting me on a 2nd unnecessary drug. Not the worst doc I've seen, but not great. I no longer take either med. I take Lexapro for both depression and anxiety. It does the trick so far (6 mos later) 
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:( Click to report rating    6/10/06 3 1 I almost got the sense that she does not understand English very well. I had so many physical side effects from the drugs she prescribed that I had to stop. She advised me not to "get roped in" by a regular psychiatrist. This was probably my worst medical experience. 
Insurance: Blue Cross / Blue Shield
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:| Click to report rating    12/6/05 4 2 I found her to be one of the few psychiatrists in NYC who accepts new patients with insurance. This makes her spend only 15 minutes for follow-up visits. Her questions are always the same, doubt she knows anything about a patient without looking at the medical chart. However, I have to say she is accessible, sees patients starting at 6am. 
Insurance: Oxford
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:| Click to report rating    11/8/05 4 3 i just visited her once and she seems to prescribe depakote for everything...i don't know why she's in love with the drug...i sense she also thinks everyone is manic/depressive...she may be okay, hard to say since again i just saw her once...but i didn't have enough confidence in her to see her again or follow her advice 
Insurance: Blue Cross / Blue Shield
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:( Click to report rating    9/19/05 3 1 Dr. Laakso doesn't seem very engaged in her patients, if my experience with her is any indication. She uses questionairs and a video to diagnose rather then talk with you one on one, which was very offputting. Worst of all, she put me on depakote for my depression. After researching online and asking other professionals, I found that depakote is used for migrains, epilsepsy and bi-polar, none of which I have. It has so many side-effects, some say it's not even worth taking for its intended uses. When I asked her about all this on my second visit, she took on a snotty attitude, like I had no right to question her. I took the dep. for a few months, and around my third visit with Dr. L, which lasted no more than 2 minutes, I might add, I decided to ween myself off the meds myself. I feel a little closer to myself again, no thanks to Dr. L. Try someone else. 
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:) Click to report rating    9/3/05 4 4 I can understand with the insurance restrictions tha the DR has so much time for patients. She is as thorough as the patient is and more. Observant, questionaires, monitors medication, sees you more frequently if there are issues. No DR is a saint and many practice in NYC to be on cutting edge and to be successful / wealthy. 
Insurance: Oxford
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:) Click to report rating    7/26/05 4 5 very understanding and concerned about each patient 
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:( Click to report rating    4/16/04 1 1  
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