Cognito Health

My experience with Cognito has been great so far. I am surprised about the negative comments. From the first assessment to the care coach appointments, I have no complaints. All appointments were on time and easy to access information. Pricing makes it accessible and I am happy to continue working with my care coach.

TLDR: Dr. Ligate is horrible, but the other three people weren't!I'm giving this a couple stars because the nurses, Kayla and Craig, and my CBT Care Provider, Mehreen Sahir, were all fantastic!My doctor, Dr. Lois Ligate, was the reason I left. I recently had an appointment with her, which made me feel horrible about myself. She was extremely cold and dismissive (probably the same person Barnacles Sage mentioned in an earlier review) in regards to my problems and experiences. I mentioned my potential ADHD symptoms a few times in the session to which she later commented You keep mentioning ADHD" in an annoyed tone as if I was bothering her with an unrelated topic (the meeting was literally labelled "ADHD Assessment"). I felt like she blamed me for being bullied because I'm an introvert and that I had deserved it. I felt like she viewed my as a paying customer and was just going through the motions

The team at Cognito has been supportive and caring from day 1, and regular appointments with my care coach continue to bring clarity and hold me accountable as I figure out moving forward. Managing anxiety and depression can be a roller-coaster, and it looks different for everyone. I feel my care coach Vanessa meets me where I am at, offering empathy, different perspectives, and a place to be heard. My overall experience has been very positive, and I'm glad that I signed up, taking the first step to boost my mental health!

Easy, Cognito has given me a jumpstart on life again.I hadn’t renewed my licence, it expired two years ago, I needed dental work on my wisdom teeth for the last few years, I hadn’t really left the yard in a couple years. Because of Cognito and hugely because ofMaddie Cooper I have gained back a lot of my life. I’ve done the dentist meeting, then another to have the two extractions, I’ve renewed my licence, I’ve been much more social and working outside the house. Cognito is a game changer!!!

Where to begin with how terrible this experience has been and how it has only served to heighten my anxiety.On my first online appointment, I logged in to the Zoom call to see two people already on the call. I had booked with one practitioner so was worried that I'd jumped into another person's session. I kept my camera and sound off for a minute to figure out what was going on, but they didn't say anything. So, I put the camera on and only then did they explain that a student would be running the appointment. I should certainly have been asked about and prepared for this prior to the appointment.After a thorough assessment, they recommended a particular prescription medication and asked me to get blood tests and an ECG done before booking another appointment to ensure the medication was appropriate. So, I did that and booked the next appointment. That appointment was cancelled (no reason given) so I rescheduled again. During that second appointment, the practitioner seemed to have no idea of anything that was covered in the first appointment and had to ask me what medication had been suggested. I asked her to check the notes because I was concerned that the information hadn't been properly recorded. She asked questions that had been gone over during the first appointment and my frustration built. Eventually she confirmed she would set up the prescription.I then had to chase up by email after hearing nothing further about it. I got a response from Cognito to say they were sending it to their pharmacy (who knows if they would have ever done it if I hadn't chased them up). In the second appointment I had already confirmed I'd like the medication posted out, but then had to clarify this a further two times. The pharmacy phoned me to say that, due to the high cost of the mediation, I would have to pay for the postage. So, I chose to collect from my pharmacy instead to save money.Today, I went to collect my prescription only to find out that it wasn't covered in the cost of my monthly subscription or MSP! This had not been explained at ANY POINT. So I ended up paying $118 for it, thinking it was another error that I could clear up with Cognito. When I emailed about it, they said it just wasn't covered. Why was this never explained? Now I have paid my $99 monthly fee PLUS $118 for the medication that I will not even take now because I cannot afford the monthly cost.Also – the affirmation texts are terrible. After a highly anxious, panic-filled, sleepless night, I woke up to a text saying I am well rested and energized for the day!" Are you kidding me??More anxious than ever. Thanks

The overall experience was very negative. I did really like my CBT coach however, but it did not make up for much. The assessment, personal treatment by both psychologist and NP, and lack of organization by the company was horrible and very heartless considering what field they are in. I’d strongly recommend looking elsewhere for support. I left worse than when I signed up due to this.

TL;DR If you think you have ADHD, or have been diagnosed with ADHD and need to find a knowledgeable clinician/team to assist you with your medical treatment, use Cognito Health.I have had a fantastic experience with Cognito. They have been supportive, understanding, and have validated my experience with ADHD which has done wonders for my mental health.I was diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder in 2010 after the birth of my second child. I was on an SSRI for 12 years and enthusiastically engaged in therapy for 5 years, which was helpful, but I continued to struggle. I was diagnosed with ADHD by Paul Brennan, RPsych in October of this year, and now everything makes sense.After the diagnosis, I followed up with my usual medical provider for medication. I attended the appointments armed with the information I gathered from multiple reputable sources (including the Canadian ADHD Practice Guidelines developed by CADDRA) I found while hyperfocusing on the condition itself and the medication treatment options. Unfortunately, this provider wasn’t informed on the current knowledge of the condition. I was told that the difficulty I was experiencing regulating my emotions was not part of ADHD, that there is no way to know if I am metabolizing the medication quickly, and that I was asking for too many changes (I had booked weekly appointments based on the CADDRA guidelines so that we could titrate the medication to optimize medical therapy). I was told that I was expecting too much from the medication and that I have a lot on my plate.These appointments with my medical provider significantly added to my distress. I felt dismissed and rejected, which triggered imposter syndrome. I have encountered gaslighting in previous relationships and these experiences brought up similar emotions. I was second guessing myself and was worried I couldn’t trust myself, my experiences, and my research.After struggling with my medical provider for 6-weeks, I made the switch to Cognito. They have been a game changer in my treatment for this neurological disorder. I cannot thank them enough.The providers at Cognito see and hear me. As mentioned above, they validated my experience with ADHD. They are up to date on the current research and understanding of ADHD.My prescribing provider at Cognito met with the psychiatrist at weekly rounds to discuss my case to come up with an individualized treatment plan for me. My input was valued, and I was part of my own care team. The CBT care provider sessions have been extremely helpful. It is clear that the providers work as a team and have my best interests at heart.Cognito is filling a much-needed gap in mental health care, especially for those of us who struggle with ADHD. ADHD is a chronic neurodevelopmental disorder that can have devastating effects on one’s life when left untreated, and at the same time is highly treatable. It seems that all too often, mood or other psychiatric disorders are quickly and easily diagnosed and medicated for when ADHD symptoms may be underlying. I hold hope for the day when all primary care providers understand ADHD and screen for the condition when a person presents with any of the comorbid disorders.Thank you Cognito Health for providing these life-changing services. I will be forever grateful.

I'm editing my review to include my experience.From the initial intake consult to every single individual I've interacted with they have listened to my needs and wants, they've counselled me on the safest and healthiest options with my best interest at heart and have restored my trust in medical professionals. I love that all of the notes from previous visits are reviewed, I seldom have to repeat myself and am supported in every avenue of mental health. I will continue to utilize and recommend Cognito health to anyone who will listen. Thank you for making this platform accessible and so amazing!

I am grateful beyond words for what Cognito professionals have offered me in my journey toward wholeness. I am singing the praises of the Cognito model and its people to anyone who will listen. It's an innovative, responsive and humane approach to meeting needs, given the realities of mental health care in our province at this time.

As an alternative to this service, despite not being specific to ADHD, I would recommend rocketdoctor. You will get faster, more efficient service and without the corporate coldness that you will with this one. The CBT services offered seem to merely be prerecorded videos from some probably overpaid speaker that looks exhausted to be there. The advice is super general and unspecific to my problems of insomnia. I booked a general appointment at first and then it was automatically cancelled a while later because it ‘wasn’t the right initial appointment to make’. However, direction on how to make this next appointment were vague, and the possible dates far away. This meant that by the time you get an appointment you will likely have to spend an additional months pay (which I have had to do much to my regret). Not the ethics that I would like to promote personally.