Dr. David Sternthal
Punctuality
Ratings for Dr. David Sternthal
Horrible experience. Total bully and pill pusher. Belittling and snide. I saw him once and made a second appointment, but the whole situation was so awful I called his receptionist and cancelled the appointment. Not an hour later, he called me back and yelled at me for cancelling saying I wasn't allowed to cancel. Needless to say I definitely made the right decision to not return. Avoid this man!!
Submitted Feb. 19, 2023
Demonstrates a superbly overbearing bedside manner.
Submitted May 29, 2021
Dr Sternthal only talks about himself. In a forty minute appointment, me, the patient would maybe get to talk five minutes. I sort of thought a psychiatrist would want to ask me about my life and what led to my diagnosis, but no, he didn't ask anything about it. They only thing he did for me was prescribe pills. When all of them failed at controlling my condition, he said, "Well, there's not much more I can do for you." He was almost as bad as my (former) family doctor who told me, "If you feel 80% okay it's all you can hope for." After about a year of being a drug tester and listening to him drone on about himself, I reach out and got a new GP who referred me to a new psychiatrist. My treatment has massively improved, I am on hardly any drugs and I feel 100% at least 80% of the time. I wasted a lot of time and took some awful pills. Now I am in a much better place since I left Dr Sternthall.
Submitted Oct. 8, 2020
Dr Sternthall does not listen. He talks. He lectures. I talks about himself. He pushes pills and and disparages the side effects I feel. His knowledge is out of date and he condescending.. I stopped seeing him, tossed out the pills and I feel the best I have in years.
Submitted Aug. 1, 2020
My family doctor rescued me from this man after fourteen years of tolerating what I now realize was very bad treatment. I told her he was comparing me to his other patients (whom he also often disparages) when I was having trouble weaning off lithium fast enough to suit him. I have landed in the ER more than once due to too-fast withdrawal of drugs and must go VERY slowly, but he totally ignored what I had been telling him for years and said in a hurry-up sort of tone, "All my other patients would have done it in four weeks". He said this with a sort of head-shaking, almost smiling exasperation, as if a small child was bugging him. I happened to tell my doctor what he had said, and she said, "Oh. You don't have to see him again, then." I went, WHAT?? I had been told for FOURTEEN YEARS that there was no other alternative, no one else available anywhere. I had been commuting 3 or 4 hours to see him, and I did not even need psychiatric counsel but just needed my meds, so I was forced to go in at least every 3 months. My family doc unchained me in an instant and set me up with a local shrink who is, to my amazement, absolutely wonderful, an actual human being who pays attention to what I say. We live out in the "boonies" so the thinking was, a big city doctor HAS to be better. My family doctor now prescribes for me, with the new shrink as a consulting physician. I can't say Sternthal is totally incompetent, but when he hid behind his scribbling pad for nearly the whole session, I asked him politely if he'd mind looking up. He said in a bored voice, "Nah, keep talking. I do this all the time." And the white leather sofa! I must mention that. He has a very upscale, yuppie-ish office with a huge picture window, jungle plant, art deco clock, etc. but the crowning glory of his office is a white leather sofa. I happened to mention it would stain easily, and he told me that after each patient he takes a spray bottle of leather cleaner and a rag and scrubs down the sofa, to get the nasty patient-cooties off it, I guess. He honestly didn't see anything creepy about this. Don't go to him - try the ER, you'll get more sympathy.
Submitted Dec. 10, 2019
I went in to see this psychiatrist with low expectations, especially after reading reviews.
It went well in the sense that I presented confidently and didn't make space for him to bully me in the way he seems to with other clients. He took the things I had to tell him about my experiences seriously, and operated in a way that was easy for me to understand. He seemed to be more interested in preforming his knowledge of drugs, mental illness and psychiatric care than to listening to lived experiences. He thinks carefully about what medication to give his clients which I respect, but his knowledge of drugs seems to be dated.
The first thing he asked me at our second intake session, was to describe my experiences of sexual assault as a traumatized survivor in detail. I let him know that the intimate details were both inappropriate and unnecessary but in retrospect realize that that entire questions was deeply out of line. His attitude was very much that of judging how legitimate my experiences of being r*ped were over, again, beleiving the lived experience of survivors.
I will also note that as a transgender client that upon first meeting he was visibly nervous and anxious to prove himself. That sort of fragility is also inappropriate.
If you find yourself in a situation where you have to visit this psychiatrist, my advice is to assert yourself strongly and praise him on his knowledge and expertise otherwise most of the session will get wasted to his defensive monologuing.
Dr Sternthal, if you read this I have suggestions for you. Learn social etiquette for supporting survivors of sexual abuse. You do not know clients lived experiences better than them. You know what they amount to so focus on that rather than questioning the validity of where people come from.
And to extend on this work on your listening skills. Part of being a good doctor is not just having knowledge but also remaining able to learn.
Submitted Nov. 6, 2019
When I met Doctor Sternthal in Ottawa in 2002 he was a smug talkative person who enforced his own narrative on his patient. He perscribed me rispirital a clinically dangerous drug that was taken off the market that year. I spent my life as 21 year 22 year old comatose because of that drug and his prescriptions. Honestly he was a terrible doctor who I regretted seeing and is a terrible smug little selfish person. My guess about him is he grew up have serious daddy issues. My prognosis is for him to drink bleach.
Submitted July 18, 2019
Not helpful at all. Found someone else with experience with sexual predators.
Submitted July 15, 2019
I agree with the many bad reviews below. Avoid him
Submitted June 24, 2019
This doctor is dangerous. He works with vulnerable and marginalized populations and takes advantage of this fact. The lack of compassion and empathy from this man is astounding to witness and experience. It is irresponsible to allow this man to keep “treating” patients. I hope patients that are exploring this page for reviews prior to working with him see this review and stay far away from him.
Submitted Oct. 20, 2023