Dr. Shalini Varma, MD

She is the best psychiatrist I have ever been with. She likes working with patients instead of just blowing the information out of her ears. She listens to you and helps with medication and problems with life. I highly recommend her as a top notch doctor.
8 years ago (19-12-2017)

Dr Varma is a great psychiatrist. When I found Dr Varma I was in bad shape. I had severe panic attacks, depression, and anxiety with several trips to the Emergency Room. I found her t be very pleasant, easy to talk to, and caring. Her treatment was effective in a short length of time. If I had any problems I could call or email her anytime and she would return the call very soon which made me feel reassured. I have come a long way with her treatment and I now longer have panic, depression, and medication has been greatly decreased. I am grateful.
8 years ago (24-11-2017)

Dr. Varma was very helpful and down to earth. Highly recommend
8 years ago (08-09-2017)

Dr. Varma is very expensive and, for that, you get prompt appointments. She doesn't accept any insurance (you must file yourself). I knew this up front and was fine handling that to see someone right away and someone who I felt would have considerable expertise. My appointments consisted of her looking at her computer with her back to me for half the session and then printouts/emails of recommendations / action plans that I could have found myself online. When I did fill out the plans, we never even talked about them or reviewed my thoughts. When it came to medications, she provided me a list and told me to come back with which one I think would work for me. Of 4 medications, how is an internet search going to provide me with enough insight to make a decision? I hired her as an expert and wanted her opinion on what I should do based on her experience and her knowledge as she got to know me. This never happened because she didn't try to understand me or what was going on. She also never wrapped up sessions so that extremely distressing subjects were cut off right in the middle, with me ushered out the door in a very vulnerable position. When I followed up with testing that I scheduled on my own, she told me to make an appointment within 24 hours during one of three open slots or she would drop me as a patient. My therapist (who I had been working with for 3 years) was also hassled because she didn't respond to Dr. Varma within a few hours. Dr. Varma's office then sent me a letter saying they were dropping me as a patient. Maybe some people can fit in appointments during random weekdays in the middle of the day with a few days of notice, but I can't. By that time, I had wasted enough money, so I just let it go. I got the feeling at the end that you have to be on her schedule to fill all of her slots so that she can charge the $450 / hour without interruption.
8 years ago (25-04-2017)