Dr. Philip Jay Scharfer, MD

If you want to find a brilliant psychiatrist who listens and understands the working of your brain and the struggle of dealing with medication, Dr. Scharfer is for you. He is the only psychiatrist I have seen who doesn’t label me. I am one of these people who doesn’t tolerate psychiatric medications very well. He gets it. Most doctors down here will dispense meds and if you feel a side effect will tell you that it isn’t possible because the particular side effect isn’t listed in the PDR. Then they scoot you of the office to see the next patient. It is like taking a number at the deli at Publix. They call your number, take your order, and then on to the next number in line. He gets that we are ALL different and will treat you as an individual, not a number or a statistic. He shows utter respect for a patient is never demeaning.

Excellent caring doctor

You might as well write in a diary and research medications on the internet than see Dr. Scharfer. He will listen, but offer very little input and suggestions on your problems and what medications to use. Only saw him once.

He's warm as an iceberg and his receptionist must have gotten her personality from a car accident.If you're looking for a bare bones shrink that will professionally give it to you straight with no bedside manner; then he's your man. If not; keep searching.You can get an appointment; but it will cost you. He's really expensive. He'll charge you if you're late but doesn't have a problem with his own tardiness; though he's usually punctual. He will also FORCE you to come in or have a longer session than you ask for. Did I mention he's expensive? He never once got on the phone with me in all time I saw him; even to answer a simple question. He never called me to check up on me, even after one session when I told him I was contemplating suicide. He's cold and distant and if he feels you aren't being honest with him or yourself; he will pounce on you like a lion on a kitten. Be prepared to leave his office in tears; I always did. He also tried to get me on many different medications at once.… I'm not going to lie to you; I needed them; I'm screwed up, but it was too much. He had me on four medications and I got him to drop it to only two, even though he considered that 4 meds were really just 2 meds because 2 of them were "boosters". He has a problem with math when it came to my meds but not when it was time to get paid. The reason I stopped going was because he was trying to put me on Lithium and commit me to a mental institution. How does that help me? It really scared the crap out of me! I felt like I was one wrong word away from being picked up by the guys in the white jackets. I went to him, trusted him, confided in him and instead of helping me straighten out my crappy little life; he just wanted to lock me in a padded room. Again, I'm not going to lie to you; I'm screwed up and was having a serious crisis when I started seeing him. I needed the meds and it was best that I couldn't feel anything. So in the beginning, he helped me and did give me free meds because I didn't have insurance. But as time passed there was no effort at all to help me. He just wanted to dope me up and send me away.