Went for an ADHD assessment as my previous psychiatrist had recently retired. Within 2 minutes of meeting Dr. Maloney, he told me I was "shy" & "introverted". These are 2 words that no one who knows me would describe me as. I was told I have generalised anxiety, social anxiety & complex PTSD. I have worked in sales for the last 7+ years of my life in work that involves face to face presentations in front of 5 - 15 people I have never met, cold calling businesses without prior contact and dealing with others. If I had social anxiety, why would I do any of the things I have just listed? I literally thrive in social environments. I shared how successful my current ADHD treatment has been and Dr. Maloney completely derailed that idea, suggesting I take anti depressants instead. There is so much more that is just irrelevant and unethical to his approach. For those unsure on whether or not to see him, DO NOT ATTEND ANY MEETINGS WITH THIS MAN AS HE WILL ONLY MAKE THINGS WORSE, ESPECIALLY IF YOU NEED A SERIOUS DIAGNOSIS. I will proceed to take this further and lodge a formal complaint with whatever medical board or jurisdiction overlooks his medical licence.

I saw Dr Maloney for a family law–related psychiatric assessment. The booking process was straightforward, he ran on time, and the clinic was clean and well-organised (although parking was difficult). Admin staff were exceptional. The session was around two hours and conducted in a neutral, clinical, and respectful manner. I felt he listened closely, took detailed notes, and asked thoughtful questions when something in my history triggered further exploration. He allowed me to speak at length and only interrupted once, politely, when I was giving more detail than he needed. The focus was primarily on a full life history. There was no discussion of trauma, C-PTSD, parental alienation, or family law context, and I am still not entirely sure of the specific purpose of the session. It appeared he had read the other party’s affidavit, but I am unsure whether he reviewed mine beforehand. Despite that, his observations gave me a lot to reflect on regarding my own mental health. I left with both clarity and some confusion, but overall found the time valuable. I would recommend him, particularly as one of the few psychiatrists able to bulk-bill in Melbourne, but with the caveat that anyone seeking a diagnostic opinion should see at least two or three psychiatrists initially for a well-rounded view.

Contrary to the numerous negative reviews and remarks I have read, my experience with Dr Maloney during my recent appointment was only pleasant, he was helpful and positive. He was empathetic, understanding and listened to me patiently whilst I was distressed and very overwhelmed emotionally about a prior diagnosis of BPD made at the Melbourne Clinic 20 years ago, and a new diagnosis following my assessment of an anxiety disorder, which would explain the turmoil I have been in for recent years and the traumatic events in particular this year that have led to my further decline in my mental health. He suggested appropriate medications, advised me that the medication a GP had prescribed was not good and other DBT treatment available to me, to manage my BPD with Spectrum. He gave me options and was to the point which steps I needed to make to also address habitual issues causing further problems. Whilst I was in tears a lot, and not triggered by Dr Maloney, I left with a better understanding of everything. The reception staff were very helpful and actioned my referral very quickly with an appointment made literally 4 days after they received it. I was also able to be bulk billed. Thank you.

Incredibly rude and hostile for no reason. Made me very unsettled from the very start. It's baffling to me the practice continues to employ him, especially considering the vulnerable people who are seeking his help. I'm a 30 year old man, so it's not a gender problem as some of the other reviews suggest. He's just awful. Please stay away

As per other reviews - he is completely dismissive and not up to date with latest ADHD research. He should not be allowed to assess women. Unfortunately his research on ADHD probably stopped in the 70's when he should have retired. He was completely dismissive of my situation. Did not use an appropriate ADHD diagnostic tool - do not go to him if you are a woman. There was something off from the moment i walked in. His demeanor indicative that he was not interested in performing a meaningful analysis, i felt judged from the moment he started talking to me. He was looking to try and put words in my mouth - trying to find something wrong with my childhood to blame (which there was nothing). He is Deaf. I had to repeat myself over and over again. His follow up questions showed he did not hear my answers to earlier questions - despite me repeating myself over and over again he did not update his notes. He completely dismissed my symptoms which i know are from ADHD and there is a very strong familiar link of ADHD in my family. Like other reviews - he said that i did well in school so I can not have ADHD because people cannot get good grades and have ADHD. Apparently you can't mask your symptoms and meet his checklist.

Absolutely avoid – harmful, dismissive, and outdated approach to diagnosis I saw Dr Michael Maloney for an ADHD assessment and left feeling unheard, misdiagnosed, and deeply frustrated. I’d read the mixed reviews online and assumed the more extreme ones were outliers—maybe written by people who struggled to accept their diagnoses. I now realise I should have taken them seriously and cancelled the appointment. For context: I’m a woman in my early 30s seeking an assessment for suspected lifelong ADHD. I’ve done extensive reading and work with a trusted psychologist who strongly supported me pursuing a diagnosis, particularly as my anxiety is well managed and ADHD traits continue to significantly impact my life. From the moment I walked into the room, I knew something was off. Despite being someone described by everyone in my life as extremely outgoing, expressive, and talkative, within two minutes Dr Maloney told me I was an introvert - something no one has ever suggested before. It was the first of many wildly inaccurate observations. The assessment itself was unstructured, vague, and mostly focused on my family history and relationship with my parents. At no point did he use a validated ADHD screening tool or questionnaire. Despite me describing numerous lifelong symptoms of ADHD, he insisted there was “no evidence” of it- largely because I had done well in school. This alone shows an outdated and incorrect understanding of how ADHD (especially in women) can present. Instead, he diagnosed me with “probable borderline personality disorder” and OCD traits—without conducting any structured assessment for these either. The handout he gave me clearly outlined the diagnostic criteria, of which I met at most two - and even those overlap with ADHD. He asked no meaningful questions about my interpersonal relationships, despite BPD being defined by intense and unstable ones. I’ve been in a stable, supportive relationship for over seven years, which I explained clearly. He also described me as “obsessional” and even used the term “histrionic”—a deeply outdated, misogynistic label that felt more like a personal judgement than a clinical one. I repeatedly told him his description of me didn’t reflect how I experience myself or how others know me. At one point he said I had social anxiety and was afraid to express myself - which is just categorically false. In hindsight, it felt like he had already decided I had borderline personality disorder before I sat down. He filtered everything I said through that lens, ignoring anything that didn’t fit his narrative. I left feeling upset, dismissed, and no closer to getting an accurate ADHD assessment. If anything, I’m now further back. I can only imagine how damaging this experience could be to someone more vulnerable. Please don’t see this psychiatrist. His methods are outdated, his approach is rigid and unempathetic, and his assessment felt both careless and harmful. Psychiatry should be better than this.

58yo male. Seeing Dr Maloney caused great distress for me. At no stage during our consultation did he even remotely refer to or ask about my current symptoms, nor did he ever ask what "anxiety" and "depression" had looked like for me over the past 10+ years. Absolutely no reference whatsoever to my symptoms. I was diagnosed by another psychiatrist with CPTSD in 2022, and my psychologist absolutely agrees with that and my therapy has been tuned accordingly. Dr Maloney very quickly - so quick it was disturbing - dismissed that, and also said that CPTSD and BPD are the same thing. He said I was an introvert and have social anxiety and, I'm sorry, those comments are just wrong. I've never had anyone say something similar about me. He seemed absolutely intent on his very quick (less than 1 hour) diagnosis of an Anxiety Disorder. And then he looked at me and said, "What do you want to do?" When I said that I really didn't know what was best to do and that's why I had come to see him, he just blankly stared at me, and gave me no answers at all. He said it was up to me which medication I take. It was an abject waste of time and money ($500) to see Dr Maloney. It did not help me at all, in fact it set me back significantly. I de-brief this with my psychologist who couldn't believe what Dr Maloney had said - both the conflating of BPD & CPTSD (which my psychologist said is just "flat out wrong") and the very quick diagnosis of Anxiety Disorder and dismissal of CPTSD. I've never complained about a health professional before.

Dr Maloney is an exceptional practitioner. I have been seeing Dr Maloney since I was 16 years old and I am now 38. He has been my greatest resource through anxiety and depression as a young person, in helping me navigate my grief in the death of my sister and my partner. Then to help support me through a life threatening illness I have now healed from. He has been a force of consistent authenticity and truth to me. Nothing gets past him, he is very intuitive and naturally empathic. In saying that, if you are looking for a practitioner who will enable your disfunction, he is not for you. Dr Maloney, I could confidently has been a major contributor to my now very happy, healthy, thriving life. I thank my lucky stars that I stuck with him early on when he gave me some honest truth about where I needed to do my psychological work. I can not speak more highly of Dr Maloney.

These comments are wack, he was great and was no different to any other psychiatrist, if anything he was nicer than most.

Having seen Dr M. for over 10 years, here is the truth… Dr. Maloney is a no nonsense, straight to the point Dr. He is kind and caring and these negative reviews don’t fully explain his process. He is fair but firm and can see through the BS- trust me I’ve tried it. He doesn’t mince words and is blunt which can come across as uncaring but this is NOT the case; he cares deeply about his patients. He tells you what you need to hear not what you want to hear; which can be hard for the patient. However if you are serious, determined and understand to be well you need to “fight”, then Dr. Maloney is for you. Don’t expect the “soft” approach. His style is “this is the problem, let’s see how we can fix it, if this approach doesn’t work, review, try again”… granted he isn’t for everyone; but if you are determined to be well and use him as support (or another “tool” in your skill set) as opposed to your “crutch” then see him.