Vermeda Fred, MFT

Broke apart our family.

I saw her in my first year of college when I was in a very vulnerable spot. I was struggling with my sexuality and she told me I needed to pick a label and box to put myself in. There was no figuring out my own issues, rather I was told them. Things about my family were projected onto me. She did a lot of damage when I was already down. WOULD NOT RECCOMEND. Much better options out there than her.

I opened up quickly to Vermeda and she made some pretty damaging and personal comments about the situations. It was clear that she didn’t attempt to hide her opinions, and her goal seemed to be to push her thoughts about what I should do, rather than help me to work through a difficult situation. I saw her for about 7 sessions. My last straw was when she told me in detail, without prompting, about her own childhood trauma during a session. I know we are all human and I’m sad to hear she went through it, I just found it unprofessional for her to tell me that information without my consent, especially when it felt so out of context. I told her I would no longer see her, she sent an email trying to guilt trip me into having another session with her because it was “the right thing to do.” I never emailed back. Seeing the other horrific reviews of her makes me so upset. Proceed with extreme caution

Saw as a teenager for depression, and she ended up forcing a group therapy session where she told my parents everything I had confided in her without letting me know of her intentions, and ended up permanantly damaging my relationship with my parents and causing a situation that has left me with clinically diagnosed PTSD due to her insensitivity and lack of caution with delicate situations. Avoid at all costs.

Set agenda based on personal bias, and projected trauma into sessions. At times I felt like the therapist. Made me feel worse than before I started seeing her.

Told me I looked like a cancer patient—told me I had an eating disorder (I don’t), ignored the issues I wanted to talk about and instead had me count calories. When I said I disagreed with her diagnosis, she told me she never said I had an eating disorder, and then said I look sickly again.

Caused more harm than help - brought her own trauma into sessions.

Not a safe place for people experiencing eating disorders or body dysmorphia. Will recommend diet and exercise on second visit without actually helping the patient with the mental side or eating issues! Horrible.