Bloch M Randall, MD

Mike T. from Pleasanton has written 33 reviews with a 1-​star rating. The biggest number of his reviews are 1-​star. Unilocal is a great way for disgruntled people to use the site to ding whoever annoyed them that particular day.
My review is lengthy, because the story of finding Dr. Bloch is a year long journey.
Since I fervently believe the stigma regarding mental illness needs to be obliterated, I am not leaving anything out.
In August 2011, my husband dropped into a black pit of depression that lasted six months and required he sign documents swearing not to commit suicide. He did this with our general physician; with me; a few family members; and two very close friends. I couldn’t stay home with him each and every day, because I was the only one generating income for our family. Every morning, I had to sit with the knowledge that I may come home and my husband would be dead. Despite the suicide contracts.
My husband was on medical leave for these six months, and we began the process of finding a psychiatrist for him. As most Americans know, finding mental help is an arduous, slow process. The first appointment I could get was in late September; my husband had to wait for over a month to even SEE a mental health care provider.
I dragged him to the appointment (he did not want to go but I ignored him — I had to ignore him in order to save his life). The merry-​go-​round of trying various meds began. My husband felt better in the sense that he no longer wanted to commit suicide. We visited this particular psychiatrist for a year, and my husband never felt happy, or any emotion that you could describe as similar to happiness. The diagnosis (after 8 visits) was moderate to severe depression. But I knew this diagnosis was wrong. My husband was taking nothing BUT anti-​depressant medication, and he still hated waking up every day. So, I began to research ADHD and depression because my spouse has Adult ADHD, which is usually co-​morbid with another psychological issue, such as depression; bi-​polar; or schizophrenia.
I stumbled across the list of symptoms for adults who suffer from Bipolar II disorder. My husband met every single symptom. I went online to the Mayo Clinic; Stanford; and other well-​respected medical institutions. The conclusion was the same each time: my husband had approximately 90 – 95 percent of every symptom.
I also learned that individuals who have trouble finding the right course of treatment, or of being diagnosed correctly, should immediately locate a psychopharmacologist. This is a psychiatrist who specializes in pharmacology. They know everything there is to know about psych meds, how they interact with one another, the compounds/​ingredients in every pill, etc.
There are only 3 psychopharmacologists in Northern California, and Dr. Bloch happens to be close to where we live. I did email Dr. Bloch as my initial point of contact. I laid out my husband’s mental health history, the frustration he (and I) both felt regarding meds, and the suspicion he (and I) couldn’t shake that something was «off» or wrong about the diagnosis he received.
I accompanied my husband to his first appointment, as his memory is faulty due to ADHD and him remembering hardly anything during his six-​month crisis. Dr. Bloch asked my husband questions that were laser-​sharp in their focus. I don’t know how else to describe it. The psychiatrist would ask, «Do you feel the world would be better off without you?» but Dr. Bloch would ask, «Do you have moments when you feel depressed, and then moments when you feel less depressed, or perhaps no depression at all? How long do those moments last? How often do you experience them? Several times a day, a few hours a day, or something else?»
Okay, that’s an example I am pulling from memory over 2 years ago. But I hope it shows how Dr. Bloch doesn’t stop at asking you generic questions. Not only that, he diagnosed my husband ON HIS INITIAL VISIT that he did not suffer from moderate to severe depression. My husband has Bipolar II co-​morbid with his ADHD. That same day, my husband called the psychiatrist and severed that relationship. I will never forgive that man for failing my husband, for failing me, and for continuing to endanger the life of the man I love.
Dr. Bloch has no staff. You talk to him and to him only. He prefers that his patients email him, but at your first appointment, HE GIVES YOU HIS PERSONAL CELL PHONE NUMBER if you have an emergency. Dr. Bloch is Olympic-​level smart, and friendly and nice and has a sense of humor! Something most specialists do not possess.
I’m sure my review will make it more difficult for us to get appointments, but I don’t care. Dr. Bloch saved my husband’s life and our marriage. He is my personal god and I worship him. Visits are $ 175 and worth every damn penny. Please, if your story is similar to mine, do whatever it takes to see Dr. Bloch. Your money and time could change your life.

Just wanted to say that I was a patient of doctor bloch for several years before my insurance changed. He is a very nice man and listens well. He is always willing to help his patients and he will go the extra mile for you. His credentials are all very good. He’s one of the best healthcare professionals in the industry

I have never met a better Dr in my life, i had tried seeing different Dr’s all my life trying to get some help and really never got any, until i met Dr Bloch, he saved my life, and got me on the right medicine. He really cares, and is so supportive, he will actually talk with you, not just right a prescription and send you on your way. I have never ever had a problem getting an appt, and i have been seeing him for 14 yrs, and have recommended him highly to others i always tell them how wonderful he is and how much he has helped me. He also diagnosed my friend who had been misdiagnosed all of her life and the quality of her life was dramatically changed as well. He is as good as it gets the top of his field, and your lucky to have him as your Dr.

This is both a review of Dr. Bloch’s service and in response to the biased review by the fellow in Pleasanton.
I’ve never met a more understanding doctor, let alone a psychiatrist, like Dr. Bloch who has been absolutely supportive. I previously dealt with a psychiatrist and and a group of other doctors apart of a medical group who literally turned a situation I was looking to get resolution for within a week or two into a living nightmare for me to the point where literally, I could have the guts to file a lawsuit based on their practices. I chose not to do so and as a result, per family recommendation saw Dr. Bloch and he basically saved my life. He’s a great listener, very professional, supportive and yes, he actually does respond to e-​mails in a way that’s on point and to the point. And in the end, he helped me a great deal getting back to normal and resolving a situation that didn’t need to get bad in the first place. Furthermore, he’s very transparent and if there’s an issue which requires you to be prescribed medication, Dr. Bloch will be very analytical and point out what you need to be aware of the medication. I wish more doctors were like him.
For anyone who is aware, MANY doctors prefer to communicate via e-​mail so any notion that you have to require doctors to adopt virtual assistants, software, etc. is pushing an unnecessary high standard against them, particularly considering a psychiatrist like Dr. Bloch is a one-​man operation who has lots of clients to deal with.
And please, let’s save one star reviews for genuinely bad doctors, not Dr. Bloch. And why was Mr. Pleasanton wasting his time with this review over email communication? First off, if I REALLY want to get a hold of someone and the option presented itself, I’d make a phone call. As it turns out, Dr. Bloch’s number is listed on Unilocal.The reviewer never mentioned he went through this process or even attempted to do so. I’ve done so on numerous occasions when I’ve had to reach a doctor I’ve never contacted before. The details specified in the reviewer’s argument are vague in detail and provide no real specific examples that it’s hard to see how he came to his analysis.

Hi, I attempted to make an appointment with this doctor, this review is about that process. Not about his medical knowledge.
After going back and forward with this doctor and receiving a few emails that clearly show that he needs help handling his practice. I felt like we were getting nowhere, a stream of rushed emails with short sentences and some documents, and a complete lack of understanding that if somebody wants to make an appointment with you, perhaps they are experiencing some issues so dealing with a weird process may increase their issues, especially when you appear to be like a completely disorganized mess. that might be answering an email who knows where or how.
Overall I would not recommend this doctor at all. Sometimes being a great doctor is not only about medicine but about patient management, business acumen and good processes.
This was an EXTREMELY cumbersome way of communicating with patients by email and if there is something urgent perhaps you can call. Although if you call you get redirected to send an email…
In any event, the beauty of a an economy like ours is that we get to choose how we conduct business and to whom we give our money. So, I selected somebody else and I am sure he will not miss me either.
Here is my suggestion, spend a few of your well earned dollars and invest on a virtual assistant, software or something else to make it easier for patients. You remind me of a friend of mine that said if we make the process really cumbersome they will stop coming… and eventually they did. He was a board certified Director of a medical center at a top university… today he enjoys a great retirement!
I am happy to see that at least two of his patients were happy with the way he treated them… I wasn’t.

Dr. Bloch lierally saved my life. He got me off powerful prescription drugs that a GP and another psychiatrist put me on. I was on Ambien, Ativan, Seroquel, Neurontin, and a variety of other things that I took for two of the worst years of my life, and which were toxic for me. He is very articulate and intelligent, and always responds to an e-​mail. You will like his direct, compassionate, but humorous approach, and you can trust that he will listen to you and help you. I am completely over my bout with depression and anxiety, and back to being happier than I’ve been in years. And I am drug-​free. He is absolutely the best, and I’m so grateful for his help.
Kathy R.