Dr. Dennis D Arcy Banks, MD

There is one patient here who was a drug seeking individual who was dissatisfied with anyone who wouldn't comply with their wishes. There are at least 30 5 star reviews with the exception of one/two from this disgruntled person. This is unavoidable in general, and particularly in psychiatry.

After years of searching for a highly credentialed and experienced psychiatrist, our prayers were answered when finding Dr. Banks to treat our teenage daughter with severe psychiatric conditions.   So many psychiatrists quickly medicate and move on to the next patient to optimize profit margins. Dr. Banks is extremely thorough in his evaluation to identify root cause/diagnosis, conservative in applying alternative approaches before applying medicine, and above all, has a heart of gold when working with patients. Dr. Banks very much reminds us of a teacher, having a profound love for kids and a passion for teaching. Dr. Banks quickly became our daughter’s “security blanket” when working up the courage to face her demons and persevering to work through her treatment. Over time, our daughter overcame severe psychiatric disorders that would have been masked under medication, treated with unnecessary medical procedures, and saddled with long term health implications, had she been under… average medical care.  So many professionals in psychology leave the parents completely in the dark, pit the child against the parents, &/ make unilateral decisions with the child against the long term well being of the child.  Dr. Banks executes the highest level of integrity in uniting the family as a unit while keeping us parents apprised of our daughter's progress without compromising her doctor-patient confidentiality.  We can also see how skilled and experienced Dr. Banks is in evaluating subtle nuances, adjusting course in treatment, and conveying technical concepts at a level that an average person can understand.  As a result, we've been able to sleep again after years of living in a state of crisis management that became a normalized standard of living for our family.   Beyond being a psychiatrist, Dr. Banks has a very unique background in having a JD degree and was appointed a Visiting Scholar in Law and Psychiatry at Harvard Law School (on top of having his incredible, Ivy League, medical, background) and experience in education as the Chief Consulting Psychiatrist for the Greenwich, Connecticut Board of Education.  He has played an integral role in helping our family navigate and remediate risks in working with school administration. He's also played an integral role in helping us strategize a path for our daughter to move forward. In summary, Dr. Banks is truly one of a kind.  He literally saved our daughter’s life, and our family is forever grateful for his care.

I had a horrible experience in every way during withdrawal from anxiety medication. I would not recommend him to anyone I care about. He tried to make me pay $24,000.00 for concierge care in the middle of withdrawal, if you have any questions about the medication that he prescribed you ... he won’t answer your calls but he will try to sell you his concierge plan. I almost died then my wife found another doctor in Wailuku. It’s been three years now and I am still tapering off the medication successfully.

Dr. Banks has provided incredible care for me and many others I have referred to him. I have never met such an astute and caring psychiatrist, and I have known many in both my personal and professional life as a therapist. Dr. Banks is an excellent diagnostician. He is patient, kind, compassionate, trustworthy, fair, wise and very positive. He always sees the good in people and their potential, which is very uplifting when people feel down. Dr. Banks goes above and beyond to care for his patients. He has a great sense of humor and so it’s easy to talk to him. He is good with adults, teens and kids. He really is a true gem. Maui is lucky to have him.

Dennis Banks, MD is a top notch psychiatrist. Going to him is like being treated accurately while learning the entire history of the field of psychiatry and all the latest research available regarding medications. He has superior qualifications ( Columbia, Yale Med School,, Stanford, Harvard etc) but is entirely humble, a great listener, and goes right to the heart of the problem without a lot of wasted time. I could not imagine recommending anyone else. We are so lucky to have him here in Hawaii.

The patient who complained about medication being withheld is someone who repeatedly made requests for medication on an emergency basis after running OUT OF HER MEDS. In addition, the medication required an actual Rx ( COULD NOT BE CALLED INTO PHARMACY BECAUSE IT WAS A CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE). THIS INDIVIDUAL DID NOT WANT TO PAY THE COPAY REQUIRED AS PART OF AN OFFICE VISIT AND WAS FURTHERMORE UPSET THAT SHE HAD TO COME IN TO GET THE RX. HER COMPLAINTS ARE/WERE COMPLETELY UNJUSTIFIED.

Going to see Dr Banks is actually an enjoyable experience. Normally you would think that going to see your psychiatrist would not be especially fun but Dr Banks is an exception. He is really smart, explains things with great precision and thought and makes sure you understand his thinking and encourages collaboration in making any final medication decisions. He is extraordinarily well educated and I must say has one of the most interesting and beautiful offices I have ever been in. I feel very comfortable, relaxed and safe every time I visit his office.

This physician is outstanding in every way. Extremely conscientious, super knowledgeable, Incredible educational background (Yale Medical School, Stanford, Harvard...) By far the Best Psychiatrist in the Hawaiian Islands!!! Anyone who complains about costs has no idea how rare someone like Dr Banks is, especially here in Hawaii.

ONCE YOU DEVELOP A STRONG RELATION WITH HIM HW TRIES TO SHAKE YOU DOWN FOR LARGE SUMS OF MONEY OR WITHHOLDS YOUR MEDICATION. I BELIEVE THE DEA WILL FIND THIS TROUBLING

If you need a psychiatrist, but don't live in Maui, you might want to consider relocating to have Dr. Banks as your doctor. I have consulted many psychiatrists over many years and none come close to Dr. Banks. His diagnostic/treatment regimes are matched by incredible kindness and rapid-fire responses to a patient's emails, texts, or phone calls -- even on weekends. The compassionate care he practices is every bit as important -- maybe even more important -- to recovery as therapy and medicines.