Dr. Rena Goodfriend-Leve, MD

Child & Adolescent Psychiatry•Female•Age 66

Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

Dr. Rena Goodfriend-Leve, MD is a Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Specialist in Evanston, IL and has over 32 years of experience in the medical field. She graduated from Rush Medical College Of Rush University medical school in 1990. She is affiliated with Evanston Hospital. Her office accepts new patients and telehealth appointments.

Evanston Hospital

2650 Ridge Ave Fl 5 Evanston, IL 60201

Accepting new patients

Telehealth services available

Make an Appointment

(847) 425-6400

Telehealth available

Accepting new patients

(847) 425-6400

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At a Glance

Offers Telehealth
This provider offers telehealth appointments. Call the office to schedule an appointment.
Practices at Top Hospital
America's 250 Best Hospitals Award™ • See hospitals
Hospital Satisfaction
Patients said they were highly satisfied at this doctor's hospital. • See hospitals

Experience and Background Checks

Experience

Background

Background Check

No malpractice claims found for Illinois

No disciplinary actions found for the years we collect data

No board actions found for the years we collect data

Learn more about background checks

Experience Check

Check Dr. Goodfriend-Leve's experience treating your condition or procedure

Dr. Goodfriend-Leve's Top Procedures and Conditions

Treatment Frequency

ADHD and-or ADD

very high

Treatment Frequency

Dr. Goodfriend-Leve treats ADHD and-or ADD more than 97% of her peers

Dr. Goodfriend-Leve treats this condition more than 97% of her peers

Learn more about ADHD and-or ADD

Anxiety

very high

Treatment Frequency

Dr. Goodfriend-Leve treats Anxiety more than 96% of her peers

Dr. Goodfriend-Leve treats this condition more than 96% of her peers

Learn more about Anxiety

Major Depressive Disorder

normal

Treatment Frequency

Dr. Goodfriend-Leve treats Major Depressive Disorder more than 88% of her peers

Dr. Goodfriend-Leve treats this condition more than 88% of her peers

Dr. Goodfriend-Leve's conditions and procedures:

ADHD and-or ADD
Adjustment Disorder
Alcoholism (Alcohol Dependence)
Anorexia
Anxiety
Autism
Binge Eating Disorder
Bipolar Disorder
Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)
Borderline Personality Disorder
Bulimia
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Conduct Disorder
Conversion Disorder
Delusional Disorder
Developmental and Learning Disorders
Dissociative Disorder
Dissociative, Conversion, and Factitious Disorders
Drug and Alcohol Dependence
Drug-Induced Mental Disorders
Dysthymia (Chronic Depression)
Dysthymia and Cyclothymia (Mood Disorders)
Eating Disorders
Emotional Disturbances of Childhood and Adolescence
Group Psychotherapy
Hypochondriasis
Impulse Control Disorders
Major Depressive Disorder
Marijuana Addiction
Nondependent Alcohol Abuse
Nondependent Antidepressant Abuse
Nondependent Cocaine Abuse
Nondependent Drug and Alcohol Abuse
Nondependent Marijuana Abuse
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Personality Disorders
Phobia
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Psychiatric Diseases
Psychiatric Evaluation
Psychogenic Disorders (incl. Psychogenic Pain)
Psychosis Due to Mental Illness
Schizoaffective Disorder
Schizophrenia
Schizophreniform and Schizoaffective Disorder
Separation Anxiety
Somatoform Disorders
Speech, Language and Learning Disorders
Suicidal Ideation
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)

Insurance Check

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Dr. Goodfriend-Leve accepts

Accepted insurance can change. Please double-check when making an appointment.

(847) 425-6400

Dr. Goodfriend-Leve accepts the following insurance:

Aetna: Aetna HMO; Choice Plus POS II
Anthem: National (BlueCard) PPO
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield: Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO
Assurant Health
Blue Cross Blue Shield: Blue Card PPO
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois PPO
Cigna
Cofinity: Cofinity PPO
Commercial Insurance Company
First Health (Coventry Health Care): First Health (Coventry Health Care) PPO
Golden Rule
HealthLink: HealthLink PPO
Humana: Choice Care PPO; Preferred PPO
Kaiser Permanente
Mail Handlers Benefit Plan (MHBP)
Medicaid
MultiPlan: MultiPlan PPO
UnitedHealthCare: United Healthcare

Dr. Goodfriend-Leve's Reviews

Likelihood to recommend Dr. Goodfriend-Leve

1.9

Based on 44 ratings

5 Stars	20.454545454545453%	(9)
4 Stars	0%	(0)
3 Stars	0%	(0)
2 Stars	6.818181818181818%	(3)
1 Star	72.72727272727273%	(32)

What went well

No reviews yet

What could be improved

No reviews yet

RecentHighestLowestMost Helpful

Terrible. Lacks any sort of empathy or care for her patients. She was late to the appointment and didn’t even bother to be in frame of the online call which I found very rude. Never once looked at me when she asked questions. She was cold and basically cut me off, telling me that I must be feeling better because I wasn’t sad at the moment- the only thing she did was recommend a different medication after barely speaking to me for a couple minutes. Worst experience ever.

What went well

No results

What could be improved

Staff wasn't friendly
Long wait times
Appointment was rushed
Didn't listen or answer questions
Didn't explain conditions well
Didn't trust the provider's decisions

1 person found this helpful

Helpful

Jan 13, 2022

×Post a ResponseAre you Dr. Rena Goodfriend-Leve, MD?

She's totally adequate for what I need -- simply refilling meds. She spends about 5 minutes maximum and doesn't actually seem interested in the patient. But if all you need is med refills for a stable psych condition, she works.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

MD – May 22, 2021

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I saw Dr. Goodfriend over the course of 7 years and built a strong and trusting relationship with her. Other reviews mention short sessions, which is true, but for me, if I ever needed a longer session she would happily talk however long I needed. Dr. Goodfriend has always been very easy to work with while trying to find the correct medications and dosages. I trust her medical diagnosis, and I never felt like the short appointments limited her ability to manage my medications. I would say Dr. Goodfreind would be a perfect match for any patient who values their time not being wasted and wants a psychiatrist who they can see long term over many stages in life. She was the perfect psychiatrist for me throughout all of high school and college.

What went well

Appointment scheduling
Trusted the provider's decisions

What could be improved

No results

1 person found this helpful

Helpful

Jul 22, 2020

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15 minutes late. Spent literally 3 minutes with me after telling her I had a pretty big set back. Added another med. Hospital location is a joke. Barely says anything or asks questions.

What went well

Staff friendliness

What could be improved

Difficult to schedule appointment
Office environment
Appointment was rushed
Didn't listen or answer questions
Didn't explain conditions well
Didn't trust the provider's decisions

1 person found this helpful

Helpful

Booooo – May 18, 2020

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Blamed and interrogated me for wanting a transfer of care, then said "you look like ur about to cry" in the most demeaning tone. Given the fact that many of the people I know in Evanston see her (she sees tons of patients) and have all been also misdiagnosed or made to feel horrible about themselves ( or in the case of one of my friends, wound up dead?), it is pretty clear that she has very little respect for her patients.

What went well

Staff friendliness

What could be improved

Appointment was rushed
Didn't listen or answer questions
Didn't trust the provider's decisions

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Apr 18, 2020

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We had wonderful experience with Dr. Goodfriend-Leve. She is very warm and caring. I found her to be extremely competent in dealing with my 15-year-old daughter!

What went well

Appointment scheduling
Office environment
Staff friendliness
Appointment wasn't rushed
Listened & answered questions
Explained conditions well
Trusted the provider's decisions

What could be improved

No results

Helpful

M. Guerrero – Mar 07, 2020

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(If I could give 0 stars I would) Pretty much echoing all the other reviews. First experience with a psychiatrist so I didn’t know what was normal. How Dr. Goodfriend treats her patients is not normal or is it ethical. All my appts would last no longer than 3 minutes and somehow she had me on the strongest dose of three medications. I felt worse and worse due to all the unnecessary drugs in my system but instead of acknowledging that she kept making up different disorders to try and Medicate as well. After experiencing switching to a new psychiatrist that treats his patients with respect and compassion and does not try to prescribe every medication I realized how truly awful this lady is.

What went well

Appointment scheduling
Office environment
Staff friendliness

What could be improved

Appointment was rushed
Didn't listen or answer questions
Didn't explain conditions well
Didn't trust the provider's decisions

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Nov 08, 2019

×Post a ResponseAre you Dr. Rena Goodfriend-Leve, MD?

We have seen her three times it takes longer to walk to her office from the parking lot then the time she takes to speak with us. I’m looking for a new psychiatrist as I am writing this.

What went well

Wait times

What could be improved

Difficult to schedule appointment
Office environment
Staff wasn't friendly
Appointment was rushed
Didn't listen or answer questions
Didn't explain conditions well
Didn't trust the provider's decisions

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Nov 06, 2019

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She is the wrong field with her dry and uncompassionate attitude. I would never ever see her again or recommend her to anyone

What went well

Wait times

What could be improved

Difficult to schedule appointment
Office environment
Staff wasn't friendly
Appointment was rushed
Didn't listen or answer questions
Didn't explain conditions well
Didn't trust the provider's decisions

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Sep 10, 2019

×Post a ResponseAre you Dr. Rena Goodfriend-Leve, MD?

I've been seeing her for a while now, the only reason I've stayed with her is due to sheer laziness and having a busy schedule. I'm here to echo everything else that's been said about her. She's cold, defensive, and has been pushing larger doses on me for no reason. Our meetings take literally 3 minutes and somehow in that time she comes to the conclusion that I need a higher dose. I'm baffled as to why she became a doctor in the first place because this chick literally has no empathy or people skills. If you're thinking about booking her - don't do it homie.

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Anxiety/Depression Patient – Jul 25, 2019

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Dr. Goodfriend-Leve was astonishlingly bad at listening to, working with, and following up with me to ensure the proper medications were prescribed for my mental health concerns. I felt she lacked any real interest in understanding me and working through pharmacologically my concerns, and my takeaway was she was neither sufficiently genuine, empathetic, or knowledgeable to be a provider for me.

What went well

Office environment
Wait times

What could be improved

Appointment was rushed
Didn't listen or answer questions
Didn't explain conditions well
Didn't trust the provider's decisions

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

ADR – Jul 20, 2019

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I’ve been seeing her for a couple years and I haven’t had a single good experience with her. Every time I see her I feel worse. I don’t feel like she really listens and she barely looks at me. Each appointment lasts for no longer than 5 minutes which is ridiculous. Definitely not worth the money or effort. Even when I was doing poorly she just told me to come back in a month and didn’t change a thing. Also, they make it difficult to get refills on your medication when you need it. The only reason I stayed with her for so long was because I didn’t want to go through the trouble of finding a new psychiatrist. When I finally tried to see another doctor in the practice I was turned down and forced to continue seeing the same bad doctor. I’m going to see a new doctor at a new practice now. Hopefully I have a better experience. Overall Dr. Goodfriend-Leve is a terrible psychiatrist and I wouldn’t recommend her to my worst enemy.

What went well

Wait times

What could be improved

Difficult to schedule appointment
Appointment was rushed
Didn't listen or answer questions
Didn't explain conditions well
Didn't trust the provider's decisions

1 person found this helpful

Helpful

Jun 12, 2019

×Post a ResponseAre you Dr. Rena Goodfriend-Leve, MD?

She is cold, uncaring, and incompetent. She prescribed the same medication to my son twice even though my son had a horrible reaction the first time he took it. She tried to do this again, but I caught the error the second time because I took to checking up on every prescription after the first disaster. I don't think she ever looks at her notes and has no bedside manner, which is pretty bad if you deal with kids who are already stressed and depressed. We showed up at a confirmed appointment and after waiting for a half hour were told she wasn't even in the building. Stay far, far away.

What went well

Appointment scheduling
Office environment
Staff friendliness

What could be improved

Appointment was rushed
Didn't listen or answer questions
Didn't explain conditions well
Didn't trust the provider's decisions

Helpful

Jun 06, 2019

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I normally don't leave reviews, but felt I needed to after seeing all of these negative ones. Dr Goodfriend-Leve isn't effusive or dynamic, but she IS effective and efficient. I've found her to be remarkably caring and interested, and never felt pressured for time. I think she's conservative with medications, but I think that's what you want with children and adolescents.

What went well

Appointment scheduling
Office environment
Staff friendliness
Wait times
Appointment wasn't rushed
Listened & answered questions
Explained conditions well
Trusted the provider's decisions

What could be improved

No results

Helpful

North Shore Mom – Jan 05, 2019

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The doctor is cold but competent. Her nurse Ann Marie actively tries to block patients from receiving the medications the doctor prescribes. Avoid.

What went well

No results

What could be improved

Staff wasn't friendly

1 person found this helpful

Helpful

Dec 09, 2018

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• • • • • • • • I’ve been on antidepressants for around 10 years and would like to go off them at some point. I told her & she said “if you want to go off medications then find a new doctor.” Tried to switch me to probably the most expensive antidepressant, $1200 for 90 day supply. When I told her I couldn’t afford it, switched me to the second highest priced medication and increased the dosages of my other meds. Pill pusher, made me feel like I was wasting her time. Shouldn’t be in this field.

What went well

Wait times

What could be improved

Staff wasn't friendly
Appointment was rushed
Didn't listen or answer questions
Didn't explain conditions well
Didn't trust the provider's decisions

2 people found this helpful

Helpful

Freyja in Evanston, IL – Oct 20, 2018

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uncompassionate, selfish, and distant psychiatrist. Doesn't care about the patients at all, she only cares about the money she receives. Constantly denying refills because of an overdue check up, even though I'm 2000 miles away at college. Had to fight for a month just to get my prescription refilled. The nurse is also rude and generally distant. Horrible communication. Don't see her it will not turn out well.

What went well

No results

What could be improved

Difficult to schedule appointment
Office environment
Staff wasn't friendly
Appointment was rushed
Didn't listen or answer questions
Didn't explain conditions well
Didn't trust the provider's decisions

4 people found this helpful

Helpful

Logan in Richmond, OR – Oct 06, 2018

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If giving 0 stars was an option I would select 0 stars over the 1 star I am giving Dr. Goodfriend Leve and her nurse Ann Marie. I recommend selecting another physician unless you want to fight for your controlled substance refills even after you have taken your child for an office visit. All you will get are excuses and a lack of bed-side manner. Moreover, you even have to fight for her to call you back if you page. Do your job Dr. and fill your patient refills timely, not a high expectation.

What went well

No results

What could be improved

Difficult to schedule appointment
Office environment
Staff wasn't friendly
Long wait times
Appointment was rushed
Didn't listen or answer questions
Didn't explain conditions well
Didn't trust the provider's decisions

6 people found this helpful

Helpful

Glenview, IL – Apr 30, 2018

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I hold NorthShore University HealthSystem in high regard overall, yet I am very disappointed with this individual. Rena is not professional and has no bedside manner. My child is currently being treated by her yet their conditions are worsening. The unfortunate thing is that she has repeatedly dismissed my concerns. I truly wish there was better recourse than having to post comments. Do not see this doctor even as a last resort.

What went well

No results

What could be improved

Difficult to schedule appointment
Office environment
Staff wasn't friendly
Appointment was rushed
Didn't listen or answer questions
Didn't explain conditions well
Didn't trust the provider's decisions

11 people found this helpful

Helpful

Feb 15, 2018

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I? took my 15 year old daughter Dr Goodfriend-Leve for her depression and anxiety. The doctor was cold, quick, and only offered to increase her anti-depressant medication despite multiple other cues my daughter offered about nightmares, etc. She made my daughter defensive and hopeless. My daughter was hospitalized for her depression; this doctor was on call that weekend for the unit. When she saw my daughter she said dryly “What are YOU doing here?” Needless to say, we switched psychiatrist.

What went well

Staff friendliness
Wait times

What could be improved

Appointment was rushed
Didn't listen or answer questions
Didn't explain conditions well

12 people found this helpful

Helpful

Skokie, IL – Nov 08, 2017

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About Me

Biography

Dr. Rena Goodfriend-Leve, MD is a Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Specialist in Evanston, IL and has over 32 years of experience in the medical field. She...Read more

Specialties

Child & Adolescent Psychiatry
Psychiatry

Board Certifications

Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

Learn why a board certification matters

Education

1990

Rush Medical College Of Rush University

Medical School

Awards

Healthgrades Honor Roll

Learn more about recognized doctors

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Dr. Rena Goodfriend-Leve, MD offer telehealth services?

Dr. Goodfriend-Leve has indicated that they offer telehealth. Contact the office to check for eligibility for your needs.

Is Dr. Rena Goodfriend-Leve, MD accepting new patients?

Dr. Rena Goodfriend-Leve, MD generally accepts new patients on Healthgrades. You can see Dr. Goodfriend-Leve's profile to make an appointment.

Does Dr. Rena Goodfriend-Leve, MD accept my insurance?

Use the Healthgrades insurance check to verify if Dr. Goodfriend-Leve accepts your insurance.

What are Dr. Rena Goodfriend-Leve, MD's top areas of care?

Dr. Goodfriend-Leve frequently treats ADHD and-or ADD, Anxiety, and Major Depressive Disorder. See all procedures and conditions Dr. Goodfriend-Leve treats.

Where is Dr. Rena Goodfriend-Leve, MD's office located?

Dr. Goodfriend-Leve's office is located at 2650 Ridge Ave Fl 5, Evanston, IL 60201. Find other locations and directions on Healthgrades.

How can I make an appointment with Dr. Rena Goodfriend-Leve, MD?

Find contact information here to make an appointment.

Locations

Evanston Hospital

Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences2650 Ridge Ave Fl 5 Evanston, IL 60201

Affiliated Hospitals

Dr. Goodfriend-Leve is affiliated with the following hospital. Select the hospital below to learn more.

Learn more about how Healthgrades measuresHospital Quality.

Evanston Hospital

Evanston, IL

76% Patients that would definitely recommend, 6% higher than the national average

14 Awards Received

Award Highlight: America's 250 Best Hospitals Award™ (2020)

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Dr. Rena Goodfriend-Leve, MD

Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

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At a Glance

Experience and Background Checks

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Treatment Frequency

Treatment Frequency

Treatment Frequency

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Dr. Goodfriend-Leve's Reviews

Likelihood to recommend Dr. Goodfriend-Leve

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Overall Patient Satisfaction

About Me

Biography

Specialties

Board Certifications

Education

Awards

Frequently Asked Questions

Locations

Evanston Hospital

Affiliated Hospitals

Evanston Hospital

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