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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by chaaya on December 3, 2004, at 1:55:38
My psychologist passed on something that I told her during a session to my pdoc (they share office space). It was legal since I had signed a paper that included giving her the right to talk to him. I think that if she thought he needed to know something I said, that she should have told me and let me tell him (if I decide he should know). I got really blindsided the next time that I saw him. When I went to my next appointment with the psychologist intending to have it out with her, I discovered that she had taken a vacation day and not told her patients. So now I'm really mad. I don't think she has any respect for her patients and don't know if I trust her now. I know that her not showing up for our apoint is really bad, but am I over reacting to her having talked to my pdoc rather than giving me the opportunity to tell him myself. Is it typical for therapist to tell your pdoc what you said during sessions with the therapist? I do know that if I continue to see her I am revoking her right to talk to him.
Posted by simcha on December 3, 2004, at 1:55:40
In reply to Mad at psychologist, posted by chaaya on December 2, 2004, at 22:34:26
Hey,
All Psychologists have licensing boards. You should actually lodge a formal complaint with her licensing board. Licensing boards really do take confidentiality VERY seriously. They also take patient abandonment VERY seriously. Each state has it's own licensing board. If she is a psychologist start with the APA.
If she's in California, and a social worker or Marriage and Family Therapist, look up the Board of Behavioral Sciences. All states license their mental health professionals differently.
I'm currently studying in California and am currently bound by the BBS rules as a Trainee seeing clients. If I were to do what she did with you I would not be able to get my license.
Hit her where it really hurts. Someone like her really puts our profession down. We in the profession don't like others among us who are unethical. It gives us a bad name.
Simcha
Posted by Emily Elizabeth on December 3, 2004, at 7:15:47
In reply to Mad at psychologist, posted by chaaya on December 2, 2004, at 22:34:26
What sort of info did she share?
Posted by Daisym on December 3, 2004, at 10:18:09
In reply to Re: Mad at psychologist, posted by Emily Elizabeth on December 3, 2004, at 7:15:47
I think the level of outrage depends on what she shared with him. If you are hurting yourself, suicidal or abusing your medications, these are things that should be shared. However, she absolutely should have told you first and given you the opportunity to tell yourself.
As far as a vacation day, perhaps she was sick? At my company it is all called "time off" so if you call in you would be told "she is off today." Still, someone should have cancelled her appointments for her is she was unable to make the calls.
I think you should tell her how these things made you feel. Perhaps she will learn from them and have explanations.
Good luck!
Posted by Shortelise on December 3, 2004, at 11:03:50
In reply to Mad at psychologist, posted by chaaya on December 2, 2004, at 22:34:26
I can't answer your question about whether or not the sort of sharing of info, when you have given permission, is ok.
What I would hope for from my T is that he would consult me. WHenever he has written letters to the referring physician (my family doc - and he has to write to get a re-referral every six months), he has shown me the letter and we've talked about it if needed.
But BUT the very first letter he sent, he didn't do that, and he wrote things that I felt were WAY out of line, and told him so. I only the read the letter because I always look at my file when I see my family doc. My family doc agreed to take the letter out of my file, and I had it out with my psychiatrist.I really feel for you. I would be so upset in your shoes.
Be good to yourself.
ShortE
Posted by chaaya on December 3, 2004, at 11:38:43
In reply to Re: Mad at psychologist, posted by Daisym on December 3, 2004, at 10:18:09
She did tell him about medication that I had but I am not suicidal. I am bipolar and it is not stablized but I am not in a bad depression. Part of the problem is how she must have worded it to him. He reacted as though I was hording medications when in fact everyone of them is for current medical problems. If you look at them medical problem by medical problems then there is no problem with what I have, but if you look at them from the perspective that I am hording them, then what I have are a problem. She did ask me if he knew about all of the meds that I have and I said I don't think so. Her next statement should have been that I should discuss it with him. If I had said no I wouldn't then maybe she would have the right to tell him - she definetly would if I was suicidal. BTW, half of the pills that I have, including sleeping pill, were perscribed by the pdoc.
I know that she was not sick the day she took off because I expressed concern that maybe something was wrong with her and I was assured that she was on vacation.
Chaaya
Posted by Joslynn on December 3, 2004, at 13:38:26
In reply to Re: Mad at psychologist, posted by chaaya on December 3, 2004, at 11:38:43
She just took a vacation day and didn't inform her patients?
You should charge her, like Gerry Costanza tried to do with his chiropractor. Hey she didn't give 24 hours notice.
It's one thing to be late or to cancel officially, with a call, but to just stand up all your clients for the day? Very unprofessional.
I could never get away with that at my job!
Posted by sunny10 on December 3, 2004, at 13:46:13
In reply to Re: Mad at psychologist, posted by chaaya on December 3, 2004, at 11:38:43
I realize that you feel betrayed by their conversation, and I agree with the others that you should definitely have a conversation with your psychologist about how you feel. You have the right to speak up for you feelings- that's what you pay them for!
As far as reporting her to anyone- no go, you signed a release. And, frankly, if the psychologist knows that the pdoc is more versed on possible contraindicaitons of meds, he needs to know what you are being prescribed from any and all docs. You owe that to yourself. Only then can the pdoc provide you with the correct meds at the correct dosages, which you are paying him to do- to help you.
I don't want you to feel that I am negating your feelings, however, your feelings of betrayal need to be addressed with the psychologist. If you feel they should have already known you well enough not to disclose without discussing it with you first, make sure they know you are not okay with it, and that you feel they need to work a little harder at understanding YOU. After all, that's the only way they can help, right?
I am afraid of confrontations of any kind, myself, so if you think that you won't be able to have this kind of conversation with the psychologist, do what some other posters do frequently. Write it down and give it to them as you set the next appt with them.
Hope I was helpful and supportive without being too longwinded and preachy...
Posted by Poet on December 3, 2004, at 13:54:29
In reply to Mad at psychologist, posted by chaaya on December 2, 2004, at 22:34:26
Hi Chaaya,
It's not typical for my therapist to talk to my pdoc or vice versa without either telling me first. The last time I saw pdoc he asked if I wanted him to consult with my therapist on something. I said no, and he didn't call her.
I'd be upset if either of them, in a non emergency situation, talked about me without me knowing first.
Your therapist taking an unplanned vacation day is rude. Personal and family emergencies are one thing, just taking a day off is another. I'd be mad, too.
I don't blame you for revoking the right for her to talk to him, but maybe you can leave in a crisis clause? That your T and pdoc can consult only if you are in danger of hurting yourself? Maybe that's not an issue with you, so I may be off base. It is an issue with me, it's why I signed papers to begin with.
Poet
Posted by chaaya on December 3, 2004, at 16:22:06
In reply to Re: Mad at psychologist » chaaya, posted by Poet on December 3, 2004, at 13:54:29
Actually I can be a threat to my self but at the moment it isn't because I'm suicidal. A few days before the meeting with the pdoc I had started getting these images and thoughts of doing some major cutting that could unintentionaly kill me. I was trying to not kill myself and the only way that I could get them to go away was to make smaller cuts. I had wanted to talk to him about this when I went in but once I assured him that the cutting was not a suicide attempt, he didn't want to talk about it because he thought the pills were more important. Well, they were definetly not more important. My next appointment with the T was the one where she stood me up.
If I'm over-reacting to the T talking to the pdoc, this is part of the reason I'm sure. I should have been able to talk to him about what I thought was important instead of what she though was important and I could have if I was the one to tell him about the meds.
I know that she had no idea the problems this would cause me and I'm trying to make sure that my anger at her (and thoughts of switching Ts)is based on what she knowingly did, but I'm sure that the cutting issue is influencing it. The reason that I was really stressed out and did the cutting was because she had pointed out to my that my switch from short term disability to long term might not get approved and wanted to know if I would kill myself if it didn't. The thought had never occured to me until she asked it.
Chaaya
Posted by DissociativeJane on January 10, 2005, at 22:23:01
In reply to Re: Mad at psychologist, posted by simcha on December 3, 2004, at 0:00:44
I think you offer a lot of good insight here on PB. Are you still in your training or in private practice now?
This is the end of the thread.
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