Dr. Karla Melissa Petersen, MD

Do not allow your child anywhere near this psychiatrist with dangerous experimental ideas for therapy. Including freely allowing children using recreational drugs, allowing vandalizing homes, and about supporting children to become estranged from parents who do not agree to allow this behavior. I will testify that my son are estranged because this psychiatrist encouraged our son to engage in all of the above including estrangement from both parents. Stay far away from Karla Petersen, if you care about your relationship with your child.

Where do I even start when explaining my love for Karla? I started seeing Karla when I was 15. I am 24 now and I still talk to her regularly. She knows me better than anyone and always tracks and remembers the small details of what I tell her. I trust her. She is 100% responsible for saving my life on multiple occasions. Through breakdowns she has been on the phone with me, and even though i dont live in SF anymore we continue to do our sessions over facetime. She is extremely knowledgable about medications and it took little time for her to find the meds that were right for me. She is committed to making sure they are working properly and always checks in. When my dad died, Karla came to his funeral. When I was put in the psych ward at 16, she came to see me. My family knows and loves her too. Karla has done so much to support me and shape me into the strong and wise woman that I am today, and there are really just no words to truly express my gratitude. I just know if I had kids, Id… want them to have a Karla.

Karla Peterson. Where do I start? It as if Peterson never went through a single training session or knows the purpose of therapy: helping the clients IMPROVE. Peterson is a pull pusher for starters. She will subscribe Concerta, Ritalin, and Adderall at the drop of a hat, whether or not it is the right solution (which it usually isn’t) This can cause severe anxiety attacks and anger issues, as it has. Peterson also focuses on a “you against the world” kind of mentality. Rather than encouraging clients to improve relationships, she encourages them to stick it to the man and fight fight fight. Peterson also lacks ANY ethical boundaries and professionalism, and her sessions cause irrevocable issues for family dynamics especially. She deserves to have her license revoked immediately. Stay. Away.

Stay away. Karla Petersen is a horrendous practitioner and should have her license immediately suspended and revoked. Filing lawsuit against her for malpractice. Enough said.

I was Dr. Petersen's patient. She was unfriendly, cold. Every session was terrible and made me feel so much worse. She did not help and seemed entirely unqualified. Terrible at communication. Would not recommend.

Dr. Karla Petersen is one of the most gifted, thoughtful, caring, intelligent, and effective therapists and psychiatrist I have ever come across. I saw her for 5 years and credit her treatment to literally saving my life. She saw such potential in me that she encouraged me to go back to college and even helped connect me with the Student Disability Center so that I was assured that my experience in school would be different. Not only did we sort out all of my past "issues", Dr. Petersen was also instrumental in moving forward and looking towards the future. Most therapists want to dissect every little thing that happened in your life as explanation for your current state of mind- which can be very therapeutic- but it is rare to find one that truly helps you for your future. I began to see Dr. Petersen at age 21, and saw her until about 29. Now as a 32 year old women I am stable, and while I am still on medication, Dr. Petersen gave me the tools to handle my anxiety & depression on my… own. Not to mention, I am married, have a lucrative & fulfilling career, and generally love life- all of these things seemed hopeless and impossible before I began seeing Dr. Petersen! I am so thankful for Dr. Petersen and HIGHLY recommend her to everyone!

It is unfortunate that such slanderous material has been written about an incredibly caring, intelligent, astute medical professional. As the son of divorced parents, I can attest to the fact that Dr. Petersen assisted me tremendously to develop greater interpersonal relationship skills, and greater levels conscientiousness and self awareness. I wholeheartedly endorse her not only as a therapist, but as a medical practitioner to adolescents, young adults, and adults.

Karla Petersen should not be practicing psychiatrist and should be having her license suspended. She prescribed Ritalin for ADD when three other doctors confirmed our son did not have ADD. In our case our son refused to take the medication on his own. Petersen has no experience in divorce matters, and encouraged our son to violate the court orders causing conflict between the parents and unnecessary stress to the child. She also encouraged our son to become estranged from either parent if they didn’t follow his teenage demands of his parents. Keep your children away from this incompetent dangerous psychiatrist.

Under no circumstances have your child see Karla Petersen, MD. She has no experience with parental alienation cases or divorce cases and in fact encourages children to become estranged from either or both parents and to cut off all contact. We had a zero tolerance for marijuana recreational drug use by our children. She encouraged our child to use marijuana and to not listen to the rules of the parents.

Puzzling therapy: didn't seem to really know my son Also agreed to see a sibling. This is definitely not recommended. One should not need to share his/her therapist with a sibling.. Would never recommend this therapist..