Dr. Eric Zhou, PHD

My experience with Dr. E. was outstanding. I was diagnosed with insomnia and depression over a decade ago, and had been unsuccessful in treating it with trazadone or clonopin or melatonin. I decided I wasn't comfortable with any more meds so I was referred to him for one last consultation. After meeting with Dr. E., I was excited again about the possibility of a CBT treatment being able to work for me. Long story short and 3 months later, I'm thrilled and 100% better. He has honed his craft and utilizes all of the newest techniques. I highly recommend Dr. E.

Last year I wrote a negative review about you where I claimed you were cold and condescending. I was sleeping terribly and was really frustrated after our initial appointment because you told me things that I wasn't ready to hear. Looking back now I recognize that I was addicted to taking a lot of Lorazepam and Trazodone and I did not want to stop. I wound up seeing a therapist who told me what I wanted to hear. It wasn't until I finally met with a new psychiatrist in the summer that I finally understood what you were trying to explain to me. You weren't cold but you were seriously concerned about my health. My psychiatrist was the one who told me to see you again. Grudgingly I agreed and I am so glad that I did. I am only taking Lorazepam for my anxiety using a much lower dosage and I feel 100x better during the day. I can't update a review so I am sorry for what I said. You not only cured my insomnia but you also were the first doctor to recognize my addiction.

after seeing several psychologists in the boston area that were not a fit, i was frustrated and started to give up hope in finding a someone to help me with my insomnia. a friend recommended me to see dr zhou so i decided it was worth a shot. he was so down to earth and didn't speak down to me like previous doctors have. i was able to open up and speak with him freely. he has given me many helpful techniques i can do on my own to help to manage my insomnia. i have had a very tough year and dr zhou has helped me more than words can express.

I spent nearly 3 years reading sleep books, sleep forums, sleep topics on Facebook groups, sleep consultant blogs - anything I could get my hands on and even though I knew more about my son's sleep than most of his doctors, I still couldn't figure out sleep for him.After working with Dr. Zhou, my son went from taking 2 or 3 hours to fall asleep at night (no joke) to falling asleep in 20 minutes. More importantly, Dr. Zhou was so caring with our family. My son wouldn't listen to anyone else, including his psychiatrist, but Dr. Zhou explained things so patiently that it was easy to work with him. Everything he recommended was so simple and straight forward that our son was actually excited to follow up with a doctor to talk about his sleep which he hadn't wanted to do in a long time.

Terrible. No help at all. This so-called 'doctor' is in the business of shaming patients. His attitude is that the patient should either strictly follow the treatment recommendations given or that the patient shouldn't even bother coming back for a follow up. And if they do come back for a follow up without having perfectly performed, then he shames the patient and-or the caregiver. He rips them apart. No empathy. No understanding. That's Dr. Zhou's method and philosopy for patient care. And he won't hesitate to tell you that he is perfect -- spouting off all of his degrees and his job experience as though that is somehow proof. He pretends to be in the business of helping people. He is a poor excuse for a psychiatric practitioner.

Dr. Zhou is what all doctors should be. His personality and demeaner conveyed confidence as well as a relaxed environment. He was very thorough in his history taking as well as asking many relevant questions that I had not thought about. He also thoroughly reviewed my medical records with me. He was very clear and thorough about my treatment plan (which was complex). I feel that I am in great hands with Dr, Zhou

Roughly 2 years after receiving treatment from Dr Z, no sleep thoughts or problems at all! 15 year long problem solved in 2 months by Dr Z. He is truly a gem, thank you again Dr Z.

Honestly, he made cbt for insomnia a million times easier and less stressful.I knew I needed to do the work, but it was hard to do it by myself after reading a book my primary care suggested. Dr. Zhou was very knowledgeable and from the first appointment he had me trusting him. He guided me through any hiccups in the first couple of weeks, and was optimistic when I got discouraged. I now sleep almost through the night and just wake up once to go to the bathroom, which he explained is very normal.

Literally the best decision I've made in the past 5 years was seeing him

I actually think that the doctor believes he can fix anyone's sleep no matter how bad it is. He is so optimistic that it makes you believe to. Before him I actually interviewed 2 other sleep therapists bc I wanted to make sure we found the right person. He was perfect. Great communicator, followed up easily, actually LISTENED to what was happening and to our concerns. All the others I spoke to seemed very one track minded - they had one approach and that was it. They didn't consider the INDIVIDUAL.

Dr. Zhou was simply a godsend! We took people's advice and went for professional help. My daughter went from waking up every night and coming into our bedroom to sleep with my husband and I, to sleeping in her own bed, within three weeks. We are so grateful for his expertise and guidance. You can't put a price on sleep! 100% worth it!

I've been a patient of Dr. Zhou for 6 weeks now and I cannot say how happy I am. Initially, I was depressed and had been taking sleeping pills (Trazadone) for 2 years.After being on sleeping pills for so long, I decided to try CBT and I will admit, I didn't think it would work on me since we all tend to think negatively from time to time.For me, my insomnia and depression improved approximately 3 to 4 weeks after my initial session with Dr. Zhou.Prior to meeting him, I had been weaning off Trazadone for a week. I am now able to fall asleep fairly fast and stay asleep for most of the night, drug-free!!!This is the first time I seek treatment with a Psychologist, but overall, my experience with him has been a positive one in many ways. I did my research and trust him.

Dr. Zhou was not much help at all. He is cold and condescending with regard to his demeanor. He also has an agenda and a bias that revolves around CBT being the only legitimate type of therapy that exists and any allusion to an alternative is met with dismissiveness and/or agitation. Moreover, he presents as a bit of an elitist, literally referring to master’s level mental health professionals as people who are paid “friends.” After all was said and done, he gave the same advice that I had received previously from a master’s level mental health professional. Nothing new or special here.

Without hesitation, I HIGHLY recommend him if you are struggling with sleep deprivation. I was having major sleep issues because I would go to sleep fine on my own, but would wake up nightly. This has been my pattern for WAY TOO LONG. Calling Dr Eric 'ZZZ' was the best move I could have made. Some of the changes were hard to do, but they were the right ones to do. I needed help, he gave it and I am much better for it.

I found Dr. Zhou when I was in a place of despair. I couldn't fall asleep for several days at a time, and I didn't know when or how I would ever get out of that cycle. I was worried about starting serious medication (as my psychiatrist had recommended), and had seen therapists for sleep-related anxiety, who hadn't helped my sleep disorder. I decided to give CBT-I a real shot. If you have insomnia, and you want to try CBT-I (you should!), you should talk to Dr. Zhou. He is meticulous: he analyzes your sleep patterns and reframes the way you think about sleep. He is kind and he listens to you, but he will also give you actual suggestions -- and you, too, have to put in the work. But it all actually works. We only spent a few months together, yet I now feel like I have tools that will last my whole life. I know treatment can be pricey -- but for me, at least, I think the lifelong skills were worth it.

I remember reading these reviews at 2am, sleep deprived and desperate. Dr. Zhou changed my life and I'm only disappointed that I didn't call him sooner. His approach and guidance were the difference makers. He broke down everything and addressed questions specific to my situation. It felt like he was right by my side, every step of the way. He had an answer to every question and coached me through each challenge I had. It was like magic. I've recommended him to my friends, and will continue to do so.

Our journey to him was long, but after five nights of following his plan we finally all got sleep!We tried sleep training our son on our own and after about a week we realized we needed help. We then worked with a sleep consultant in Wellesley and after working with her for six weeks our son was still waking up several times a night and needing us to sleep next to him. After three more months of terrible sleep we were recommended to Dr Zhou by a friend.From the moment I spoke with him, I felt hopeful. He thought of everything and made sure that all the people involved in my son's sleep (me, my husband and family) had the tools to navigate the sleep plan during our time working together and afterwards.

The patient: A few years ago, I went thru a divorce and wound up in the worst depression of my life. I had always been anxious. There were months that I swear I didn't sleep at all. Finally, I got on a medication combination that worked for me- Celexa for the anxiety and Lexapro for the depression and Ativan for the insomnia.The treatment: Doctor Zhou did a long assessment and diagnosed me with insomnia. Before we started he called my psychiatrist to make sure everyone was working together. Since I didn't want to take Ativan any more, we all worked together to stop it. Then Doctor Zhou did his magic thing. He knew what to anticipate with every step of treatment. Everything he said might happen kept happening just the way he predicted and that gave me confidence to keep going. What I liked the best was how confident he was that I could get sleeping again. He never beat around the bush and just kept telling it to me like it was. I needed that.

The trigger: My oldest was going to college. I helped him move in and at the hotel I couldn't sleep. Even with double the Ativan I laid awake for 3 nights in a row. I was so fed up I started doing my research. Doctor Zhous name kept coming up so I looked him up and gave him a call.The treatment: Doctor Zhou did a long assessment and diagnosed me with insomnia disorder. Before we started treatment he called my psychiatrist to make sure everyone was working together. Since I didn't want to take Ativan any more, we all worked together to stop it. Then Doctor Zhou did his magic thing. He said it would be hard and he was right. But he knew what to anticipate with every step of treatment. Everything he said might happen kept happening just the way he predicted and that gave me confidence to keep going. What I liked the best was how confident he was that I could get sleeping again. He never beat around the bush and just kept telling it to me like it was. I needed that.

Dr. Zhou is a strong advocate for CBT-I. And in many cases, the mechanics of CBT-I are enough to tune patients into how sleep works and how they can change their bedtime behavior to promote better sleep outcomes. HOWEVER, when the mechanics of CBT-I don't work it becomes a whole different story. Dr. Zhou's "tough love" methods may not be the best solution when dealing with the anxiety associated with insomnia. His "one size fits all" approach is often unpleasant, impatient and condescending especially if you push back on him. He does not solicit or consider feedback that does not fit with his methods. If you are someone that wants to have a collaborative approach to your care, he may not be the best choice.