Ponciana Ridge

Pros

• Dr Bell is great.
• Lexi is an incredible person and a great listener.
• Tiffany is a blessing and a great asset to the team.
• Abigail Randall is an extremely empathic medical provider who cares about her patients.
• Shamika is wonderful and very personable.
• Natalie Meckel with Athena Care Nashville is an absolutely phenomenal Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner.
• Natalie Meckel is intuitive, wise, genuine, caring, and a good listener.
• Athena Care Nashville staff are incredibly kind and professional.
• Tamika Vaughn is absolutely the best.
• Amy Summers cares about her patients and takes time to listen.
• Ms. Katherine is phenomenal, knowledgeable, and goes above and beyond.
• Abbie is an ADHD counselor who is professional and genuinely caring.

Cons

• The administration is terrible, having canceled an appointment without notifying the patient or their provider.
• The staff were overcharging the patient for their deductible and kept pursuing the same balance even after it was cleared.
• The President and Founder, B. Charles Ihrig, was dismissive of a patient seeking ADHD testing, telling them adults don't have ADHD.
• The founder's rhetoric is harmful and could deter people from seeking testing and treatment.
• The patient warns that seeing B. Charles Ihrig may lead to being dismissed, discouraged, and discounted.
• The practice frequently changes systems and continually asks the patient for information already provided.
• Scheduling over the phone required sensitive documents (SSN, card on file, license, insurance), which the reviewer found odd.
• Administrative communication failures, including not replying to meeting requests, wasted the patient's time.
• There were ongoing issues with mis-noted balances leading to repeated demands to pay.

Review

There is a strong sense across these notes that Athena Health in Nashville is a place where many people feel seen, heard, and cared for. The messages consistently highlight a culture of kindness, warmth, and professional competence. Patients repeatedly describe interactions that begin with attentive listening and continue with thoughtful guidance, practical support, and ongoing encouragement. The overall tone is one of gratitude for compassionate care that helps people manage difficult mental health journeys, navigate medications, and stay connected to helpful resources.

Numerous individual clinicians and staff members are lauded for their contributions. Dr. Bell earns praise for being outstanding, and the team dynamics are repeatedly described as supportive and effective. Lexi stands out as a counselor who listens carefully, challenges patients to examine their behavior patterns, and helps them see how those patterns interact with depression and anxiety. Tiffany the receptionist is frequently singled out for her welcoming presence and positive energy, with many noting how she makes scheduling and planning feel smooth and reassuring. Abigail Randall (often referred to with warmth and respect as a deeply empathic medical provider) is repeatedly described as caring and tremendously helpful, with many rating her care as transformative.

Natalie Meckel, a Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner with Athena Care Nashville, is described as absolutely phenomenal and highly recommendable. Reviewers praise her for being intuitive, wise, calm under pressure, genuine, and a patient listener. One prominent thread in these notes is the balance Natalie maintains between empathy and clear, principled guidance. A central topic in Natalie's conversations concerns policy and practice, notably the policy restricting long-term, daily benzodiazepine prescriptions. The reviewer who describes Natalie's approach emphasizes that Natalie explained the policy clearly, offered a taper plan, and stayed by the patient's side through a difficult transition. This same patient expresses strong trust in Natalie for ongoing medication management and notes that Natalie's care feels knowledgeable and supportive, especially during a period of tapering off an older medication while transitioning to something new.

The experiences of therapy and counseling in this collection also reflect positive, growth-oriented engagement. One reviewer notes attending sessions virtually with a counselor who challenges them to grow, listens attentively, and helps work through challenges. Tamika Vaughn is highlighted as a particularly strong therapist; she is praised for handling dissociative identity disorder with skill and respect, offering grounding techniques, and applying cognitive-behavioral approaches with care. The sense across these comments is that Tamika creates a safe therapeutic space and provides practical tools that patients can use between sessions.

Beyond individual clinicians, several notes celebrate the accessibility and support provided by the broader Athena team. Abbie is described as a wonderful counselor who is super sweet, easy to talk to, and consistently caring; her sessions feel like meaningful conversations with a trusted friend who listens and encourages. The experience with Amy Summers is similarly positive, with remarks about her genuine care for patients and the sense that she takes time to listen. Katherine Randall's presence is described as phenomenal, and patients appreciate her knowledge and willingness to go above and beyond. The environment itself is repeatedly characterized as welcoming - clean, beautifully maintained, and supportive - from the parking area to the front desk and the overall atmosphere of the offices.

There are, of course, a few cautionary notes that temper the otherwise overwhelmingly positive impressions. One reviewer openly acknowledges disappointment with a specific aspect of leadership at the organization. They recount an experience with the President and Founder, B. Charles Ihrig, in which he discouraged them from pursuing ADHD testing, labeling ADHD as a childhood diagnosis. The reviewer describes that moment as shocking and harmful, expressing long-term distress at feeling dismissed and discouraged from seeking care. They emphasize that this stance could deter others from pursuing a diagnosis that is, in their view, life-changing. This particular perspective underscores that even in highly regarded settings, concerns about guidance from leadership can have significant emotional and practical consequences for patients seeking care.

Administrative processes also surface as a source of frustration for some patients. A reviewer describes a pattern of communication gaps and administrative missteps, including appointment cancellations without notification, repeated requests for information already provided, and billing issues tied to insurance deductibles. The account details concerns about forms required for scheduling, the handling of balances, and changes to systems that have led to confusion and repeated follow-ups. While the clinical care and personal warmth are repeatedly praised, these administrative frustrations remind readers that even excellent clinical teams can struggle to maintain smooth operational workflows for every patient.

In sum, the collection of experiences paints a portrait of Athena Health in Nashville as a place where many patients find powerful, life-affirming care. The clinicians and counselors are frequently described as compassionate, insightful, and highly capable, with Natalie Meckel, Lexi, Tamika Vaughn, Abigail Randall, Ariel Newton, Abbie, Amy Summers, Katherine Randall, and Tiffany among those named for their positive impact. Patients repeatedly credit these clinicians with helping them manage symptoms, navigate complicated medication decisions, and grow through therapy in meaningful ways. At the same time, the stories also reveal opportunities for improvement in administrative communication and leadership guidance, reminding the organization that consistent, compassionate patient experience hinges not only on excellent clinicians but also on reliable systems and transparent, supportive leadership. Overall, the sentiment is one of gratitude for the care received and a belief in the value of continued engagement with Athena Health for mental health and medical needs.

This area of Nashville, Tennessee, offers convenient access to various healthcare facilities, including hospitals such as Metropolitan Nashville General Hospital and Saint Thomas Heart - Saint Thomas Midtown Hospital. There are also several reputable physicians' offices nearby, providing specialized care for seniors. In terms of recreation, there are numerous parks in close proximity, such as Centennial Park and Fannie Mae Dees Park, where residents can enjoy outdoor activities and relaxation. Additionally, there is a selection of pharmacies nearby for easy access to medication and healthcare supplies. Dining options range from fast food establishments like Chick-Fil-A to more upscale venues like The Row Kitchen & Pub. For leisure activities, there is the Belcourt Theatre for cultural entertainment. Overall, this area offers a mix of healthcare services, recreational opportunities, and dining options that cater to the needs and interests of seniors considering senior living in Nashville.

Hospitals

• Metropolitan Nashville General Hospital (0.7 miles)
• Saint Thomas Heart - Saint Thomas Midtown Hospital (1.3 miles)
• VA Hospital (2 miles)
• VUMC 9 South (2 miles)
• 8S Quiet Room (2 miles)
• Vanderbilt Rehabilitation Clinic, 3rd Floor (2 miles)
• Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Cardiac Rehabilitation (3 miles)

Physicians

• Urology Associates (1 miles)
• Matthew P. Willis, MD (1.1 miles)
• TriStar Centennial Medical Center (1.2 miles)
• Otolaryngology Associates of Tennessee (1.2 miles)
• Allergy & Immunology (1.3 miles)
• Nashville Cardiology (1.3 miles)
• Saint Thomas Health Services (1.3 miles)

Parks

• Centennial Park (1.1 miles)
• Richland Park (1.7 miles)
• Fannie Mae Dees Park (2.1 miles)
• Music City Walk of Fame Park (2.4 miles)
• West Park (2.5 miles)
• Riverfront Park (2.5 miles)
• Fred Douglas Park (3.3 miles)

Pharmacies

• Walgreens (1.2 miles)
• Walgreens (1.6 miles)
• Walgreens (1.7 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.9 miles)
• Walgreens (1.9 miles)
• Walgreens (2.2 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.4 miles)

Restaurants

• Chick-Fil-A (1.5 miles)
• McDonald's (1.5 miles)
• Tribe (1.6 miles)
• Play Dance Bar (1.6 miles)
• The Row Kitchen & Pub (1.6 miles)
• Cook Out (1.6 miles)
• Hattie B's Hot Chicken (1.7 miles)

Cafes

• Parlor Doughnuts (1.6 miles)
• Frothy Monkey (1.7 miles)
• Starbucks (1.8 miles)
• Crema (2.8 miles)
• East Park Donuts & Coffee (3.3 miles)

Theaters

• Belcourt Theatre (2.3 miles)

Transportation

• Corporate Flight Management (3.6 miles)
• John C Tune Airport (JWN) (3.6 miles)